Monty Pelerin's World

Governments are corrupt, always and everywhere. The form of government has no effect on this universality. Nor does its time or place effect this truism.

Almost a century ago, Albert J. Nock wisely observed:

Taking the State wherever found, striking into its history at any point, one sees no way to differentiate the activities of its founders, administrators and beneficiaries from those of a professional-criminal class

Of course he wasn’t the first one to notice. After all, this axiom has been true of governments throughout recorded history.

Peter C. Earle documents an excellent example in Withholding Consent from the Khan, an account that begins in 1206. Read it and see if we are not about seeing the beginnings of a similar reaction to the concepts of central banks and fractional reserve banking systems.

Here are a few more observations pertaining to politics received via a friend’s (VF) email:

• The problem with political jokes is they get elected. ~Henry Cate, VI 
• We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. ~Aesop  
• If we got one-tenth of what was promised to us in these acceptance speeches there wouldn’t be any inducement to go to heaven. ~Will Rogers 
• Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber. ~Plato 
• Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river. ~Nikita Khrushchev 
• When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President; I’m beginning to believe it. ~Clarence Darrow 
• Why pay money to have your family tree traced; go into politics and your opponents will do it for you. ~Author Unknown  
• If God wanted us to vote, he would have given us candidates. ~Jay Leno  
• Politicians are people who, when they see light at the end of the tunnel, go out and buy some more tunnel. ~John Quinton  
• Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other. ~Oscar Ameringer 1952  
• A politician is a fellow who will lay down your life for his country. ~Texas Guinan  
• Any American who is prepared to run for president should automatically, by definition, be disqualified from ever doing so. ~Gore Vidal  
• I have come to the conclusion that politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians. ~Charles de Gaulle  
• Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks. ~Doug Larson  
• Don’t vote, it only encourages them. ~Author Unknown  There ought to be one day – just one – when there is open season on senators. ~Will Rogers

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