Quotes on Power and Government, Freedom and Constraint
In this section, you'll find quotations and proverbs about the following topics: power, government, leadership, servants, serve, masters, majority, minority, equality, referendum, plebiscite, vote, liberal, liberals, liberalism, radical, radicals, radicalism, republic, republican, republicans, democrat, democratic, leftists, leftism, democracy, democrats, conservative, conservatives, conservatism, revolution, revolutions, revolutionist, revolutionists, force, army, armies, peace, war, wars, violence, constraint, freedom, liberty, libertarian, Abraham Lincoln, Milton, political, politics, presidents, politician, politicians, president, sovereign, king, kings, queen, queens, rule, reign, kingdom, kingdoms, speeches, slogans, maxims, mottos, and Winston Churchill. Check out our Quotes on Novelty, Change and Conservatism for thoughts on history, innovation and fixedness, or our main page for more high quality quotes on other subjects and categories.
Tread on a worm and it will turn. Proverb
Fire is a good servant but a bad master. Proverb
Army, n. A class of non-producers who defend the nation by devouring everything likely to tempt an enemy to invade. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Army
Ballot, n. A simple device by which a majority proves to a minority the folly of resistance. Many worthy persons of imperfect thinking apparatus believe that majorities govern through some inherent right; and minorities submit, not because they must, but because they ought. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Ballot
Cannon, n. An instrument employed in the rectification of national boundaries. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Cannon
Conservative, n. A statesman who is enamored of existing evils, as distinguished from the Liberal, who wishes to replace them with others. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Conservative
Equality, n. In politics, an imaginary condition in which skulls are counted, instead of brains, and merit is determined by lot and punishment by preferment. Pushed to its logical conclusion, the principle requires rotation in office and in the penitentiary. All men being equally entitled to a vote, are equally entitled to office, and equally subject to conviction. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Equality
Flag, n. A colored rag borne above troops and hoisted on forts and ships. It appears to serve the same purpose as certain signs that one sees on vacant lots in London - "Rubbish may be shot here." Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Flag
Foresight, n. That peculiar and valuable faculty that enables a politician always to know that his party is going to succeed - as distinguished from Retrospect, which sometimes shows him that it got calamitously beaten. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Foresight
Freedom, n. Exemption from the stress of authority in a beggarly half dozen of restraint's infinite multitude of methods. A political condition that every nation supposes itself to enjoy in virtual monopoly. Liberty. The distinction between freedom and liberty is not accurately known; naturalists have never been able to find a living specimen of either. [...] Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Freedom
Government, n. A modern Chronos who devours his own children. The priesthood are charged with the duty of preparing them for his tooth. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Government
Implacable, adj. Not to be appeased without a large sum of money. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Implacable
Peace, n. In international affairs, a period of cheating between two periods of fighting. [...] Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Peace
Plebiscite, n. A popular vote to acertain the will of the sovereign. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Plebiscite
Politics, n. A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Politics
Prerogative, n. A sovereign's right to do wrong. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Prerogative
President, n. The leading figure in a small group of men of whom - and of whom only - it is positively known that immense numbers of their countrymen did not want any of them for President. [...] Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. President
Provocation, n. Telling a man his father was a politician. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Provocation
Queen, n. A woman by whom the realm is ruled when there is a king, and through whom it is ruled when there is not. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Queen
Radicalism, n. The conservatism of to-morrow injected into the affairs of to-day. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Radicalism
Rebel, n. A proponent of a new misrule who has failed to establish it. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Rebel
Referendum, n. A law for submission of proposed legislation to a popular vote to learn the nonsensus of public opinion. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Referendum
Republic, n. A form of government in which equal justice is administered to all who can afford to pay it. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Republic
Revolution, n. A bursting of the boilers which usually takes place when the safety valve of public discussion is closed. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Revolution
War, n. A by-product of the arts of peace. The most menacing political condition is a period of international amity. The student of history who has not been taught to expect the unexpected may justly boast himself inaccessible to the light. "In time of peace prepare for war" has a deeper meaning than is commonly discerned; it means, not merely that all things earthly have an end - that change is the one immutable and eternal law - but that the soil of peace is thickly sown with seeds of war and singularly suited to their germination and growth. It was when Kubla Khan had decreed his "stately pleasure dome" - when, that is to say, there were peace and fat feasting in Xanadu - that he
heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war.
One of the greatest of poets, Coleridge was one of the wisest of men, and it was not for nothing that he read us this parable. Let us have a little less of "hands across the sea," and a little more of that elemental distrust that is the security of nations. War loves to come like a thief in the night; professions of eternal amity provide the night. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. War
Men, such as they are, very naturally seek money or power; and power because it is as good as money, - the "spoils," so called, "of office." And why not? for they aspire to the highest, and this, in their sleep-walking, they dream is highest. Wake them and they shall quit the false good and leap to the true, and leave governments to clerks and desks. Ralph Waldo Emerson, The American Scholar
I see no instant prospect of a virtuous revolution; yet I confess I should not be pained at a change which threatened a loss of some of the luxuries or conveniences of society, if it proceeded from a preference of the agricultural life out of the belief that our primary duties as men could be better discharged in that calling. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Man the Reformer. A Lecture Read Before the Mechanics' Apprentices' Library Association, Boston, January 25, 1841
I would not give half a guinea to live under one form of Government rather than another. It is of no moment to the happiness of an individual. S. Johnson, Boswell's Life of Johnson, 1772
It is true that liberty is precious - so precious that it must be rationed. N. Lenin (Attributed)
No man is good enough to govern another man without that other's consent. A. Lincoln, Speech, 1854
We cannot be free men if this is, by our national choice, to be a land of slavery. A. Lincoln, Speech, 1854
There is no good in arguing with the inevitable. The only argument available with an east wind is to put on your overcoat. S. Lover, Democracy and Addresses
The worth of a State in the long run is the worth of the individuals composing it. J. S. Mill, On Liberty, Ch. 3
Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.
J. Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 1, 262
None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but licence. J. Milton, Tenure of Kings and Magistrates
An army marches on its stomach. Napoleon Bonaparte (Attributed)
Among other odd ideas, that of universal equality gained ground; and in the face of analogy and of God - in despite of the loud warning voice of the laws of gradation so visibly pervading all things in Earth and Heaven - wild attempts at an omni-prevalent Democracy were made. E. A. Poe, The Colloquy of Monos and Una
But, for myself, the Earth's records had taught me to look for widest ruin as the price of highest civilization. E. A. Poe, The Colloquy of Monos and Una
He says that they started with the queerest idea conceivable, viz: that all men are born free and equal - this in the very teeth of the laws of gradation so visibly impressed upon all things both in the moral and physical universe. Every man "voted", as they called it - that is to say, meddled with public affairs - until, at length, it was discovered that what is everybody's business is nobody's, and that the "Republic" (so the absurd thing was called) was without a government at all. E. A. Poe, Mellonta Tauta
Nevertheless, he had his uses, as everything has, however vile, and taught mankind a lesson which to this day it is in no danger of forgetting - never to run directly contrary to the natural analogies. As for Republicanism, no analogy could be found for it upon the face of the earth - unless we except the case of the "prairie dogs", an exception which seems to demonstrate, if anything, that democracy is a very admirable form of government - for dogs. E. A. Poe, Mellonta Tauta
O Liberté! O Liberté! que de crimes on commet en ton nom! [O liberty, liberty, what crimes are committed in your name!] Mme. M. J. P. Roland (Remark from the scaffold, on viewing the Statue of Liberty)
A radical is a man with both feet firmly planted in the air. F. D. Roosevelt, Broadcast, 26 Oct. 1939
A king is a thing men have made for their own sakes, for quietness' sake. Just as if in a family one man is appointed to buy the meat. J. Selden, Table Talk
Napoleon's armies used to march on their stomachs, shouting: "Vive l'intérieur!" W. C. Sellar and R. J. Yeatman, 1066 And All That, Ch. 48
For so work the honey bees,
Creatures that by a rule in nature teach
The act of order to a peopled kingdom.
They have a king, and officers of sorts,
[...]
W. Shakespeare, Henry the Fifth, 1, 2, 187
Gives not the hawthorn bush a sweeter shade
To shepherds looking on their silly sheep,
Than doth a rich embroider'd canopy
To kings that fear their subject's treachery?
W. Shakespeare, Henry the Sixth, Part Three, 2, 5, 42
How fearful
And dizzy 'tis to cast one's eyes so low!
The crows and choughs that wing the mid-way air
Show scarce so gross as beetles.
W. Shakespeare, King Lear, 4, 6, 11
3RD FISHERMAN: Master, I marvel how the fishes live in the sea.
1ST FISHERMAN: Why, as men do a-land - the great ones eat up the little ones.
W. Shakespeare, Pericles, 2, 1, 27
Any person under the age of thirty, who, having any knowledge of the existing social order, is not a revolutionist, is an inferior. G. B. Shaw, Man and Superman, The Revolutionist's Handbook, Foreword
Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it. G. B. Shaw, Man and Superman, Maxims for Revolutionists
There is many a boy here today who looks on war as all glory, but, boys, it is all hell. General W. T. Sherman, Speech, 1880
The Republican form of Government is the highest form of government; but because of this it requires the highest type of human nature - a type nowhere at present existing. H. Spencer, Essays, The Americans
Hero-worship is strongest where there is least regard for human freedom. H. Spencer, Social Statics, Part 3
Ours [our army] is composed of the scum of the earth. A. W. Wellington, Stanhope, Notes of Conversations with the Duke of Wellington, 4. Nov. 1831
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