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"Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one."
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"Giving every man a vote has no more made men wise and free than Christianity has made them good."
"There shall be no end to the government of God."
"There's no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you."
"The ugliest government is the one which is spreading fear to its own people! The finest government is the one which encourages its own people to criticize the government harshly."
"The instant formal government is abolished, society begins to act. A general association takes place, and common interest produces common security."
"There is probably a perverse pride in my administration... that we were going to do the right thing, even if short-term it was unpopular. And I think anybody who's occupied this office has to remember that success is determined by an intersection in policy and politics and that you can't be neglecting of marketing and P.R. and public opinion."
"An ideal form of government is democracy tempered with assassination."
"Democracy is not so much a form of government as a set of principles."
"There are no doubts that western governments are willfully inducing radiation sickness into segments of their city populations."
"If you think of yourselves as helpless and ineffectual, it is certain that you will create a despotic government to be your master. The wise despot, therefore, maintains among his subjects a popular sense that they are helpless and ineffectual."
Explore more quotes by Thomas Paine
"The instant formal government is abolished, society begins to act. A general association takes place, and common interest produces common security."
"There now remain only a few books, which they call books of the lesser prophets; and as I have already shown that the greater are impostors, it would be cowardice to disturb the repose of the little ones. Let them sleep, then, in the arms of their nurses, the priests, and both be forgotten together."
"I choose my life to this free. I choose my life to be this way."
"I have spoken of Jonah, and of the story of him and the whale. - A fit story for ridicule, if it was written to be believed; or of laughter, if it was intended to try what credulity could swallow; for, if it could swallow Jonah and the whale it could swallow anything."
"It is, perhaps, impossible to proportion exactly the price of labor to the profits it produces; and it will also be said, as an apology for the injustice, that were a workman to receive an increase of wages daily he would not save it against old age, nor be much better for it in the interim."
"One of the strongest natural proofs of the folly of hereditary right in kings, is, that nature disapproves it, otherwise, she would not so frequently turn it into ridicule by giving mankind an ass for a lion."
"Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness. Society promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, government negatively by restraining our vices. Society encourages intercourse. Government creates distinctions."
"For though the flame of liberty may sometimes cease to shine, the coal can never expire."
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