Quote

Left-wing politicians take away your liberty in the name of children and of fighting poverty, while right-wing politicians do it in the name of family values and fighting drugs. Either way, government gets bigger and you become less free.

Harry Browne

Change background

T
T
T

Change font

TAGS & TOPICS

Harry Browne
Age: 72 †
Born: 1933
Born: June 17
Died: 2006
Died: March 1
Financial Analyst
Peace Activist
Politician
Radio Personality
Writer
New York City
New York
Harry Edson Browne
Left
Liberty
Drugs
Away
Either
Wings
Become
Names
Politician
Government
Fighting
Drug
Take
Values
Bigger
Libertarianism
Right
Free
Poverty
Wing
Children
Less
Gets
Libertarian
Way
Family
Name
Politicians

More quotes by Harry Browne

Image
Can you think of a single area of government in which George Bush hasn't already made things worse than Bill Clinton did?
Harry Browne
Image
When paper money systems begin to crack at the seams, the run to gold could be explosive.
Harry Browne
Image
So what is government?... Very simply, it is an agency of coercion. Of course, there are other agencies of coercion - such as the Mafia. So to be more precise, government is the agency of coercion that has flags in front of its offices.
Harry Browne
Image
It isn't possible to give government just a little control over the economy and our lives. Once we cede that power to government, it uses the power to take more from us. That's why every year the government controls more of our lives.
Harry Browne
Image
But, actually, it is only Americans who say that our freedoms and prosperity are the reason foreigners hate us. If you ask the foreigners, they make it clear that it's America's bullying foreign policy they detest.
Harry Browne
Image
World War II has always been of great interest to me. I've known for decades that it was just one more war the politicians suckered us into.
Harry Browne
Image
I found that I was getting a warm reception for my message of freeing you from the income tax, releasing you from Social Security, ending the insane war on drugs, restoring gun rights, and reducing the federal government to just its constitutional functions.
Harry Browne
Image
For those looking for security, be forewarned that there's nothing more insecure than a political promise.
Harry Browne
Image
If a law could keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of dangerous people, there would be virtually no gun crime at all.
Harry Browne
Image
Politicians are notoriously economically illiterate. And even when they know what would be the right thing, we don't really expect them to do it.
Harry Browne
Image
Government is a parasite-a cancer that by nature tries to spread deeper into society. Those who want to run others' lives won't give up and start minding their own business.
Harry Browne
Image
Everything you want in life has a price connected to it. There's a price to pay if you want to make things better, a price to pay just for leaving things as they are, a price for everything.
Harry Browne
Image
The marketplace is a wondrous institution. It harnesses the self-interest of each of us and puts it to work for the benefit of all. And it does so without intruding upon our desires, our privacy, or our freedom. It is regulation by reality, not by coercion.
Harry Browne
Image
A welfare state is frightened of every poor person who tries to get in and every rich person who tries to get out.
Harry Browne
Image
Some people object to libertarian ideas because there are too many irresponsible people in the world - people who will cause trouble if the government doesn't restrain them.
Harry Browne
Image
The police can't stop an intruder, mugger, or stalker from hurting you. They can pursue him only after he has hurt or killed you. Protecting yourself from harm is your responsibility, and you are far less likely to be hurt in a neighborhood of gun-owners than in one of disarmed citizens - even if you don't own a gun yourself.
Harry Browne
Image
The power of choice. You have it. But you forfeit it when you imagine that you can choose for others. You can't. But you can choose for yourself.
Harry Browne
Image
Government doesn't work. That's the first lesson we must learn if we want to improve society.
Harry Browne
Image
When you give politicians the power to do what you think is right you're automatically giving politicians the power to do what you think is wrong.
Harry Browne
Image
We may not always recognize it, but government plays a bigger role in our lives than any other single person or institution. We spend nearly half of our lives working to pay for it. Children spend more time in government schools than they do with their parents. Birth, death, marriage, every area of our lives feels the influence of government.
Harry Browne