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Give politicians power and it certainly will be abused eventually - if not by today's politicians, then by their successors.

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
Today
Abused
Giving
Politicians
Eventually
Politician
Certainly
Political
Power
Give
Successors

More quotes by Harry Browne

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Once we realize that government doesn't work, we'll know that the only way to improve government is by reducing its size - by doing away with laws, by getting rid of programs, by making government spend and tax less, by reducing government as far as we can.
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A welfare state is frightened of every poor person who tries to get in and every rich person who tries to get out.
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Can you think of a single area of government in which George Bush hasn't already made things worse than Bill Clinton did?
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When people do things for you, it's because they want to - because you, in some way, give them something meaningful that makes them want to please you, not because anyone owes you anything.
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There was no military reason to drop atomic bombs on Japan. They were used as terrorist weapons - killing innocent people to influence other people.
Harry Browne
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A great burden was lifted from my shoulders the day I realized that no one owes me anything.
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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?
Harry Browne
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Security ... it's simply the recognition that changes will take place and the knowledge that you're willing to deal with whatever happens.
Harry Browne
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Freedom and responsibility aren't interconnected things. They are the same thing.
Harry Browne
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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.
Harry Browne
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For those looking for security, be forewarned that there's nothing more insecure than a political promise.
Harry Browne
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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
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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
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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.
Harry Browne
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Each person is living for himself his own happiness is all he can ever personally feel.
Harry Browne
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Most politicians believe in just one thing - winning elections. They'll say anything to get in office and stay there.
Harry Browne
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Profit is a reward for satisfying the desire of someone else.
Harry Browne
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Forcing people to be generous isn't humanitarian, effective, compassionate or moral. Only acts that are truly voluntary for all concerned can be truly compassionate.
Harry Browne
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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.
Harry Browne
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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