““Government is force. Every government program, law, or regulation is a demand that someone do what he doesn't want to do, refrain from doing what he does want to do, or pay for something he doesn't want to pay for. And those demands are backed up by police with guns.””
     — Harry Browne, Principles of Government

Tags: Harry Browne ∙ goverment ∙ force

““Government is politics. Whenever you turn over to the government a financial, social, medical, military, or commercial matter, it's automatically transformed into a political issue — to be decided by those with the most political influence. And that will never be you or I.””
     — Harry Browne, Principles of Government

Tags: Harry Browne ∙ goverment

““You don't control government. It's easy to think of the perfect law that will stop the bad guys while leaving the good guys unhindered. But no law will be written the way you have in mind, it won't be administered the way you have in mind, and it won't be adjudicated the way you have in mind.””
     — Harry Browne, Principles of Government

Tags: Harry Browne ∙ control

““Every government program will be more expensive and more expansive than anything you had in mind when you proposed it. It will be applied in all sorts of ways you never dreamed of.””
     — Harry Browne, Principles of Government

Tags: Harry Browne ∙ goverment ∙ expensive ∙ expansive

““Power will always be misused. Give good people the power to do good and that power eventually will be in the hands of bad people to do bad.””
     — Harry Browne, Principles of Government

Tags: Harry Browne ∙ goverment ∙ power ∙ misued

““Government doesn't work. Because government is force, because government programs are designed to enrich the politically powerful, because you can't control government and make it do what's right, because every new government program soon wanders from its original purpose, and because politicians eventually misuse the power you give them, it is inevitable that no government program will deliver on the promises the politicians make for it.””
     — Harry Browne, Principles of Government

Tags: Harry Browne ∙ goverment ∙ does not work

““Government must be subject to absolute limits. Because politicians have every incentive to expand government, and with it their power, there must be absolute limits on government.””
     — Harry Browne, Principles of Government

Tags: Harry Browne ∙ goverment ∙ limits

Standard Approved Government Solution

Tags: Harry Browne ∙ goverment ∙ limits ∙ does not work ∙ power ∙ misued ∙ control ∙ expensive ∙ expansive ∙ 2003

You didn't think they were serious, did you?

Tags: politicos ∙ left-wing ∙ right-wing ∙ children ∙ fighting poverty ∙ family values ∙ fighting drugs ∙ goverment ∙ bigger ∙ Harry Browne

““Conservatives say the government can't end poverty by force, but they believe it can use force to make people moral. Liberals say government can't make people be moral, but they believe it can end poverty. Neither group attempts to explain why government is so clumsy and destructive in one area but a paragon of efficiency and benevolence in the other.””
     — Harry Browne

Tags: Harry Browne ∙ conservatives ∙ poverty ∙ force ∙ moral ∙ government