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They call themselves liberals, but they are intent upon abolishing liberty. They call themselves democrats, but they yearn for dictatorship. They call themselves revolutionaries, but they want to make the government omnipotent.

Ludwig von Mises

To the masses, the catchwords of Socialism sound so enticing… so they will continue to work for Socialism, helping thereby to bring about the inevitable decline of the civilization which the nations of the West have taken thousands of years to build up.
LUDWIG VON MISES

Catchword Civilization Continue Help Inciting Mass Socialism Sound Taken Work Year
The truth is that most people lack the intellectual ability and courage to resist a popular movement, however pernicious and ill-considered.
LUDWIG VON MISES

Consider Courage Intelectual Most Movement People Popular Truth
It is the soil in which the seeds of freedom are nurtured and in which the autonomy of the individual and ultimately all intellectual and material progress are rooted.
LUDWIG VON MISES

Autonomy Freedom Individual Intellectual Nurture Progress Root Soil Ultimately
Freedom really means the freedom to make mistakes.
LUDWIG VON MISES

Freedom Mean Mistake Really
Laissez faire does not mean: let soulless mechanical forces operate. It means: let individuals choose how they want to cooperate in the social division of labor and let them determine what the entrepreneurs should produce.
LUDWIG VON MISES

Choose Division Entrepreneur Faire Individual Labor Liassez Mean Mechanical Operate Soules
The Welfare State is merely a method for transforming the market economy step by step into socialism.
LUDWIG VON MISES

Market Misery Socialism State Step Transform Welfare
A higher standard of living also brings about a higher standard of culture and civilization.
LUDWIG VON MISES

Civilization Cultural Higher Living Standard
Government is in the last resort the employment of armed men, of policemen, gendarmes, soldiers, prison guards, and hangmen.
LUDWIG VON MISES

Arm Employment Gendarme Government Hangmen Last Prison Resort Soldier
A free press can only exist where there is private control over the means of production
LUDWIG VON MISES

Control Free Mean Over Press Private Production
It is vain to fight totalitarianism by adopting totalitarian methods. Freedom can only be won by men unconditionally committed to the principles of freedom.
LUDWIG VON MISES

Adopt Fight Method Totalitarian Vain
For destruction is the essence of it. It produces nothing, it only consumes what the social order based on private ownership in the means of production has created.
LUDWIG VON MISES

Create Destruction Essence Private Production Social
The worship of the state is the worship of force. There is no more dangerous menace to civilization than a government of incompetent, corrupt, or vile men.
LUDWIG VON MISES

Civilization Evil Force Men State Worship
The issue is always the same: the government or the market. There is no third solution.
LUDWIG VON MISES

Always Government Issues Liberty Solution
A society that chooses between capitalism and socialism does not choose between two social systems; it chooses between social cooperation and the disintegration of society. Socialism is not an alternative to capitalism; it is an alternative to any system under which men can live as human beings.
LUDWIG VON MISES

Between Capitalism Choose Socialism Society System
True, governments can reduce the rate of interest in the short run. They can issue additional paper money.
LUDWIG VON MISES

Additional Government Interest Issue Money Paper Rate Reduce Run Running Short
If one rejects laissez faire on account of mans fallibility and moral weakness, one must for the same reason also reject every kind of government action.
LUDWIG VON MISES

Account Faire Faliblity Government Laissez Man Moral React Reason Reject Same Weakness

They call themselves liberals, but they are intent upon abolishing liberty. They call themselves democrats, but they yearn for dictatorship. They call themselves revolutionaries, but they want to make the government omnipotent.

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They call themselves liberals, but they are intent upon abolishing liberty. They call themselves democrats, but they yearn for dictatorship. They call themselves revolutionaries, but they want to make the government omnipotent.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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