The most hateful torment for men is to have knowledge of everything but power over nothing.
—Herodotus, c. 425 BCQuotes
On the loftiest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own rump.
—Michel de Montaigne, 1580The Revolution is made by man, but man must forge his revolutionary spirit from day to day.
—Che Guevara, 1968There is no method by which men can be both free and equal.
—Walter Bagehot, 1863Natural rights is simple nonsense: natural and imprescriptible rights, rhetorical nonsense—nonsense upon stilts.
—Jeremy Bentham, c. 1832There is nothing more tyrannical than a strong popular feeling among a democratic people.
—Anthony Trollope, 1862Why has the government been instituted at all? Because the passions of men will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint.
—Alexander Hamilton, 1787The vice presidency isn’t worth a pitcher of warm piss.
—John Nance Garner, c. 1967All the ills of democracy can be cured by more democracy.
—Al Smith, 1933The U.S. presidency is a Tudor monarchy plus telephones.
—Anthony Burgess, 1972Every country has the government it deserves.
—Joseph de Maistre, 1811I am no courtesan, nor moderator, nor tribune, nor defender of the people: I am myself the people.
—Maximilien Robespierre, 1792Sic semper tyrannis! The South is avenged.
—John Wilkes Booth, 1865