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Once upon a time, government budgets were balanced, our money was sound, the streets were safe, and taxes imposed by all levels of government took less than 10% of our income.

Harry Browne

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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
Upon
Economics
Sound
Income
Less
Taxes
Money
Streets
Libertarianism
Government
Safe
Imposed
Time
Took
Balanced
Levels
Budgets
Liberty
Libertarian

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A Libertarian society of unfettered individualism spreads its benefits to virtually everyone - not just those who have the resources to seize political power.
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Immigrants used to come to America seeking freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom from government. Now they come looking for free health care, free education, and a free lunch.
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For most of our history, Americans enjoyed both liberty and security from foreign threats.
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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.
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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.
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Give politicians power and it certainly will be abused eventually - if not by today's politicians, then by their successors.
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Republicans campaign like Libertarians and govern like Democrats.
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Profit is a reward for satisfying the desire of someone else.
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Like many people, most Libertarians feel empathy and sympathy for less fortunate people. But they know you can't have perfection in a world of limited resources.
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You have only one life, and no one else will live it for you. Shouldn't you take the time right now to figure out what that life is all about?
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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.
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Give government the weapons to fight your enemy and it will use them against you.
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Freedom and responsibility aren't interconnected things. They are the same thing.
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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.
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Being a politician means never having to say you're sorry. You don't have to say, 'I never should have voted to subsidize that ridiculous Enron project in India.' ... After all, they're greedy businessmen and you're a selfless public servant.
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Each person is living for himself his own happiness is all he can ever personally feel.
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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.
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In the 1880s, people all over the world looked to America for inspiration. Its very existence was proof that it was possible to have a relatively free and peaceful country. No income tax, no foreign wars, no welfare state, no intrusions on civil liberties.
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For those looking for security, be forewarned that there's nothing more insecure than a political promise.
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I'm sorry that I can't snap my fingers and undo 50 years of bad American foreign policy.
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