The Founders knew that a democracy would lead to some kind of tyranny. The term democracy appears in none of our Founding documents. Their vision for us was a Republic and limited government. Walter E. Williams More Quotes by Walter E. Williams More Quotes From Walter E. Williams Trying to get government to be as efficient as business is as hopeless as trying to teach cats to bark and dogs to meow. Walter E. Williams cat government dog Malmo, with its 280,000 residents, is Sweden's third-largest city. To see a physician, a patient must go to one of two local clinics before they can see a specialist. The clinics have security guards to keep patients from getting unruly as they wait hours to see a doctor. The guards also prevent new patients from entering the clinic when the waiting room is considered full. Uppsala, a city with 200,000 people, has only one specialist in mammography. Sweden's National Cancer Foundation reports that in a few years most Swedish women will not have access to mammography. Walter E. Williams waiting-rooms cancer doctors If the States do not have the right to secede, then they have no rights at all. Walter E. Williams revolution political rights Politicians exploit economic illiteracy. Walter E. Williams illiteracy economic politician The message coming out of Washington, especially from our leftist politicians and the news media, is that we solve our budget problems by raising taxes on the rich. If Americans were more informed, such a message would be insulting to our intelligence. There are not enough rich people to satisfy Congress' appetite. Walter E. Williams insulting media people Politicians have immense power to do harm to the economy. But they have very little power to do good. Walter E. Williams economy politician littles The essence of government is force, and most often that force is used to accomplish evil ends. Walter E. Williams government essence evil Government is necessary, but the only rights we can delegate to government are the ones we possess. For example, we all have a natural right to defend ourselves against predators. Since we possess that right, we can delegate authority to government to defend us. By contrast, we don't have a natural right to take the property of one person to give to another; therefore, we cannot legitimately delegate such authority to government. Walter E. Williams government rights giving Reduced employment opportunities is one effect of minimum wage legislation. The minimum wage law has imposed incalculable harm on the disadvantaged members of our society. The only moral thing to do is to repeal it. Walter E. Williams employment law opportunity There are many farm handouts; but let's call them what they really are: a form of legalized theft. Essentially, a congressman tells his farm constituency, "Vote for me. I'll use my office to take another American's money and give it to you." Walter E. Williams liberty office giving Legislators aren't known for being rocket scientists. Walter E. Williams scientist rockets political An increasing amount of climate research suggests a possibility of global cooling. Walter E. Williams possibility climate research If there's a distinct group of Americans who harbor open contempt for constitutional principles and rule of law, it's lawyers, judges and members of Congress. Walter E. Williams political judging law Legality alone is no guide for a moral people. There are many things in this world that have been, or are, legal but clearly immoral. Slavery was legal. Did that make it moral? South Africa’s apartheid, Nazi persecution of Jews, and Stalinist and Maoist purges were all legal, but did that make them moral? Walter E. Williams slavery people world Maybe I'm overly pessimistic, but most of Africa is a continent without much hope for its people... What [Africa] needs, the West cannot give. ...what Africans need is personal liberty...[and] guarantees of private property rights and rule of law. Walter E. Williams rights law people Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed Walter E. Williams unalienable-rights independence men In explaining the Constitution, James Madison, the acknowledged father of the Constitution, wrote in Federalist Paper 45: 'The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the Federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peach, negotiation, and foreign commerce.' Has the Constitution been amended to permit Congress to tax, spend and regulate as it pleases or have Americans said, 'To hell with the Constitution'? Walter E. Williams government war father Experts and the educated elite have replaced what worked with what sounded good. Society was far more civilized before they took over our schools, prisons, welfare programs, police departments and courts. It's high time we ran these people out of our lives and went back to common sense. Walter E. Williams welfare-programs people school The difference between a thief and a congressman: When a thief steals your money, he doesn't expect you to thank him. Walter E. Williams thieves stealing differences Conservatives and liberals are kindred spirits as far as government spending is concerned. First, let's make sure we understand what government spending is. Since government has no resources of its own, and since there's no Tooth Fairy handing Congress the funds for the programs it enacts, we are forced to recognize that government spending is no less than the confiscation of one person's property to give it to another to whom it does not belong - in effect, legalized theft. Walter E. Williams liberty government giving
