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Quotes

I say violence is necessary. It is as American as cherry pie.

—H. Rap Brown, 1967

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.

—Thomas Jefferson, 1787

Whether for good or evil, it is sadly inevitable that all political leadership requires the artifices of theatrical illusion. In the politics of a democracy, the shortest distance between two points is often a crooked line.

—Arthur Miller, 2001

The more corrupt the republic, the more numerous the laws.

—Tacitus, c. 117

The most hateful torment for men is to have knowledge of everything but power over nothing.

—Herodotus, c. 425 BC

Sic semper tyrannis! The South is avenged.

—John Wilkes Booth, 1865

Do that which consists in taking no action, and order will prevail.

—Laozi, c. 500 BC

An appeal to the reason of the people has never been known to fail in the long run.

—James Russell Lowell, c. 1865

The Revolution is made by man, but man must forge his revolutionary spirit from day to day.

—Che Guevara, 1968

Envy is the basis of democracy.

—Bertrand Russell, 1930

The U.S. presidency is a Tudor monarchy plus telephones.

—Anthony Burgess, 1972

Politics is the art of preventing people from taking part in affairs which properly concern them.

—Paul Valéry, 1943

Why 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, 1787