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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.

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
Politician
Greedy
Public
Businessman
Means
Servant
Political
Project
Mean
Ridiculous
Subsidize
Never
India
Businessmen
Sorry
Selfless
Projects
Voted

More quotes by Harry Browne

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Government doesn't work. That's the first lesson we must learn if we want to improve society.
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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.
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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.
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When paper money systems begin to crack at the seams, the run to gold could be explosive.
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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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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.
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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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Each person is living for himself his own happiness is all he can ever personally feel.
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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.
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Once we realize that government doesn't work, we will stop dreaming that this or that social problem can be solved by passing a law - or by creating a new government program - or by electing someone who will make Washington more efficient or cost-conscious.
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For most of our history, Americans enjoyed both liberty and security from foreign threats.
Harry Browne
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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.
Harry Browne
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While most people in TV, radio, and the press have treated me wonderfully, some of the most important people want to pretend I don't exist.
Harry Browne
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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.
Harry Browne
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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.
Harry Browne
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If younger people see older people who haven't planned ahead and have to rely on charity, the young will be more likely to provide for the future. Today when someone plans poorly, the only consequence people see is a demand for more government.
Harry Browne
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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.
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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A great burden was lifted from my shoulders the day I realized that no one owes me anything.
Harry Browne