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The coercive power of government is always a beacon to those who want to dominate others -- summoning the worst dregs of society to Washington to use that power to impose their will upon others.

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
Others
Beacons
Power
Dominate
Government
Impose
Always
Washington
Worst
Summoning
Society
Coercive
Upon
Dregs
Use
Beacon

More quotes by Harry Browne

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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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Government doesn't work. That's the first lesson we must learn if we want to improve society.
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.
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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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I'm sorry that I can't snap my fingers and undo 50 years of bad American foreign policy.
Harry Browne
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The best kept secret in the investing world: Almost nothing turns out as expected.
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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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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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Social Security is inherently unsound for the simple reason that it's a political program run by politicians for political purposes...Social Security operates on a very simple principle: the politicians take your money from you and squander it.
Harry Browne
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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.
Harry Browne
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Communities don't think, don't believe, don't want, don't have needs, don't have interests and don't make decisions. Only individuals have minds that generate desires and needs - and only individuals can make choices and decisions.
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
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A fair trial is one in which the rules of evidence are honored, the accused has competent counsel, and the judge enforces the proper courtroom procedures - a trial in which every assumption can be challenged.
Harry Browne
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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
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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
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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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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
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In almost all matters, the real question should be: why are we letting government handle this?
Harry Browne
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Everything we know about human nature and about government tells us that individuals using their own money will achieve far more good for themselves and far more for others than politicians spending money they didn't have to work to earn.
Harry Browne
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I have no temptation to vote, to campaign, to try and stop a candidate who promises new follies.
Harry Browne