In war, the stronger overcomes the weaker. In business, the stronger imparts strength to the weaker.

When plunder becomes a way of life, men create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.

The state is the great fictitious entity by which everyone seeks to live at the expense of everyone else.

Everyone wants to live at the expense of the state. They forget that the state wants to live at the expense of everyone.

If philanthropy is not voluntary, it destroys liberty and justice. The law can give nothing that has not first been taken from its owner.

When law and morality contradict each other, the citizen has the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense or losing his respect for the law.

The worst thing that can happen to a good cause is not to be skillfully attacked, but to be ineptly defended.

There are people who think that plunder loses all its immorality as soon as it becomes legal. Personally, I cannot imagine a more alarming situation.

In short, is not liberty the freedom of every person to make full use of his faculties, so long as he does not harm other persons while doing so?

Is not liberty the destruction of all despotism - including, of course, legal despotism?

Each of us has a natural right, from God, to defend his person, his liberty, and his property.

The spiritual life to me has always meant just one thing: feeling.

Never underestimate the power of jealousy and the power of envy to destroy. Never underestimate that.

If you can lie, you can act, and if you can lie to crazy girlfriends, you can act under pressure.

You corrupt religion either in favour of your friends, or against your enemies.

A writer's business is minding other people's business ... all the vices of the village gossip are the virtues of the writer.

Not for the flag Of any land because myself was born there Will I give up my life. But I will love that land where man is free, And that will I defend.

The better your base is, and the more you know from experience, the better off you'll be when you try and make the big move.

The stars in the sky will hang there till You tell them to.

For a while, I felt a little self-impelled to write Lou Reed Kind of songs. I should have understood that a Lou Reed song was anything I wanted to write about.