Harry Browne Quotes
The government is good at one thing. It knows how to break your legs, and then hand you a crutch and say, "See if it weren't for the government, you wouldn't be able to walk".
For those looking for security, be forewarned that there's nothing more insecure than a political promise.
A great burden was lifted from my shoulders the day I realized that no one owes me anything.
It's important to realize that whenever you give power to politicians or bureaucrats, it will be used for what they want, not for what you want.
The government's War on Poverty has transformed poverty from a short-term misfortune into a career choice.
When you give politicians the power to do what you think is right you're automatically giving politicians the power to do what you think is wrong.
Immigrants used to come to America seeking freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom from government. Now they come looking for free health care, free education, and a free lunch.
In almost all matters, the real question should be: why are we letting government handle this?
Government cripples you, then hands you a crutch and says, 'See, if it wasn't for us, you couldn't walk.'
A little government involvement is just as dangerous as a lot - because the first leads inevitably to the second.
Disarmed citizens encourage crime and violence. Armed citizens encourage criminals to find a safer line of work.
It has long been apparent that many people in the media don't believe you're competent to make your own decisions.
Libertarians know that a free country has nothing to fear from anyone coming in or going out - while a welfare state is scared to death of poor people coming in and rich people getting out.
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.
Government seems to operate on the principle that if even one individual is incapable of using his freedom competently, no one can be allowed to be free.
Whatever the issue, let freedom offer us a hundred choices, instead of having government force one answer on everyone.
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.
Government is a parasite-a cancer that by nature tries to spread deeper into society. Those who want to run others' lives won't give up and start minding their own business.
Give politicians power and it certainly will be abused eventually - if not by today's politicians, then by their successors.
You have only one life, and no one else will live it for you. Shouldn't you take the time right now to figure out what that life is all about?
Social Security is a fraudulent scheme in which the government collect money from you for your retirement - and immediately spend the money on something else.
The power of choice. You have it. But you forfeit it when you imagine that you can choose for others. You can't. But you can choose for yourself.
It is well known that in war, the first casualty is truth - that during any war truth is forsaken for propaganda.
Forcing people to be generous isn't humanitarian, effective, compassionate or moral. Only acts that are truly voluntary for all concerned can be truly compassionate.
When you give up the hope that some advisor, some system, some source of inside tips is going to give you a shortcut to wealth, you'll finally begin to gain control over your financial future.
If a law could keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of dangerous people, there would be virtually no gun crime at all.
If you ask the government to impose morality, then moral questions will be decided by whoever has the most political power.
The important thing is to concentrate upon what you can do - by yourself, upon your own initiative.
When you know that you're capable of dealing with whatever comes, you have the only security the world has to offer.
Security ... it's simply the recognition that changes will take place and the knowledge that you're willing to deal with whatever happens.
Politicians are notoriously economically illiterate. And even when they know what would be the right thing, we don't really expect them to do it.
A secure individual...knows that the responsibility for anything concerning his life remains with himself-and he accepts that responsibility.
Like many people, most Libertarians feel empathy and sympathy for less fortunate people. But they know you can't have perfection in a world of limited resources.
Most politicians believe in just one thing - winning elections. They'll say anything to get in office and stay there.
A Libertarian society of unfettered individualism spreads its benefits to virtually everyone - not just those who have the resources to seize political power.
You can't give the government the power to do good without also giving it the power to do bad - in fact, to do anything it wants.
It's wrong for someone to confiscate your money, give it to someone else, and call that "compassion."
When paper money systems begin to crack at the seams, the run to gold could be explosive.
You don't have to buy from anyone. You don't have to work at any particular job. You don't have to participate in any given relationship. You can choose.
Some people object to libertarian ideas because there are too many irresponsible people in the world - people who will cause trouble if the government doesn't restrain them.
Libertarians understand a very simple fact of life: Government doesn't work. It can't deliver the mail on time, it doesn't keep our cities safe, it doesn't educate our children properly.
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.
A welfare state is frightened of every poor person who tries to get in and every rich person who tries to get out.