Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Quotables - The George Washington Edition

George Washington – “A free people ought to be armed, but disciplined.” 71

George Washington – “Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness.” 114

George Washington
Image by History Rewound via Flickr
George Washington – “Do not conceive that fine clothes make fine men, any more than fine feathers make fine birds.” 115

George Washington – “Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder.” 74

George Washington – “Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty's teeth.” 120

George Washington – “Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.” 75

George Washington – “Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected.” 73

George Washington – “If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” 125

George Washington – “In a free and republican government, you cannot restrain the voice of the multitude.” 106

George Washington – “It is impossible to govern rightly without God and the Bible.” 83

George Washington – “Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience.” 111

George Washington – “Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair; the rest is in the hands of God.” 119

George Washington – “Let your heart feel for the afflictions and distress of everyone, and let your hand give in proportion to your purse.” 139

George Washington - “Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.” 87

George Washington – “Mankind, when left to themselves, are unfit for their own government.” 91

George Washington – “Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.” 110

George Washington – “The administration of justice is the firmest pillar of government.” 88

George Washington – “The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government.” 139

George Washington – “The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon.” 79

George Washington – “There can be no greater error than to expect or calculate upon real favors from nation to nation.” 119

George Washington – “To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.” 100

George Washington – “Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light.” 94

George Washington – “When we assumed the Soldier, we did not lay aside the citizen.” 84
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Friday, February 18, 2011

Quotables 7

Ernest Hemingway – “Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.” 111

Ernest Hemingway – “A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” 61

Ernest Hemingway – “Because Fascism is a lie, it is condemned to literary sterility.” 85

Ernest Hemingway – “Courage is grace under pressure.” 53

Ernest Hemingway – “Never mistake motion for action.” 53

O. Henry – “A straw vote only shows which way the hot air blows.” 65

Patrick Henry – “Give me liberty or give me death.” 51

Heraclitus – “Character is destiny.” 36

Heraclitus – “There is nothing permanent except change.” 56

Heraclitus – “This alone is wise, to understand the intelligence by which all things are steered through all things.” 117

Herodotus – “All men's gains are the fruit of venturing.” 57

Herodotus – “Force has no place where there is need of skill.” 62

Herodotus – “Great deeds are usually wrought at great risks.” 61

Herodotus – “I am bound to tell what I am told, but not in every case to believe it.” 85

Herodotus – “In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons.” 81

Herodotus – “It is clear that not in one thing alone, but in many ways equality and freedom of speech are a good thing.” 120

Herodotus – “Of all possessions a friend is the most precious.” 63

Herodotus – “The most hateful human misfortune is for a wise man to have no influence.” 87

Herodotus – “The only good is knowledge, and the only evil is ignorance.” 73

Herodotus – “The worst pain a man can suffer: to have insight into much and power over nothing.” 96

Hermann Hesse – “Some people regard themselves as perfect, but only because they demand little of themselves.” 110

Hermann Hesse – “When two cultures collide is the only time when true suffering exists.” 88

Cullen Hightower – “We may not imagine how our lives could be more frustrating and complex, but Congress can.” 110

Napoleon Hill – “No man is ever whipped, until he quits – in his own mind.” 75

Burton Hillis – “Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life.” 73

Burton Hillis – “There's a mighty big difference between good, sound reasons and reasons that sound good.” 106

Thomas Hobbes – “Covenants without swords are but words.” 57

Eric Hoffer – “A society becomes stagnant when its people are too rational or too serious to be tempted by baubles.” 116

Eric Hoffer – “I doubt if the oppressed ever fight for freedom. They fight for pride and power – the power to oppress others.” 126

Eric Hoffer – “In every passionate pursuit, the pursuit counts more than the object pursued.” 93

Eric Hoffer – “It is easier to love humanity as a whole than to love one's neighbor.” 85

Eric Hoffer – “It is futile to judge a kind deed by its motives. Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind.” 133

Eric Hoffer – “The aspiration toward freedom is the most essentially human of all human manifestations.” 104

Eric Hoffer – “The sick in soul insist that it is humanity that is sick, and they are the surgeons to operate on it.” 117

Eric Hoffer – “The world leans on us. When we sag, the whole world seems to droop." 83

Eric Hoffer – “There can be no freedom without freedom to fail.” 64

Eric Hoffer – “There is always a chance that he who sets himself up as his brother’s keeper will end up being his jailkeeper.” 126

Eric Hoffer – “We cannot win the weak by sharing our wealth with them. They feel our generosity as oppression.” 111

Eric Hoffer – “Where things have not changed at all, there is the least likelihood of revolution.” 98

J. G. Holland – “God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into the nest.” 88

Oliver Wendell Holmes – “Every calling is great when greatly pursued.” 70

Oliver Wendell Holmes – “It is the province of knowledge to speak, and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen.” 112

Oliver Wendell Holmes – “The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins.” 92

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Quotables - The Ronald Reagan Edition

Ronald Reagan – “A people free to choose will always choose peace.” 67

Ronald Reagan – “Abortion is advocated only by persons who have themselves been born.” 86

Official Portrait of President Ronald Reagan
Image via Wikipedia
Ronald Reagan – “Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth!" 114


Ronald Reagan – “Before I refuse to take your questions, I have an opening statement.” 86

Ronald Reagan – “Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” 110

Ronald Reagan – “Coercion, after all, merely captures man. Freedom captivates him.” 83

Ronald Reagan – “Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty.” 74

Ronald Reagan – “Democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man.” 126

Ronald Reagan – “Double – no, triple – Our troubles and we'd still be better off than any other people on earth.” 113

Ronald Reagan – “Facts are stubborn things.” 44

Ronald Reagan – “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” 81

Ronald Reagan – “Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged." 106

Ronald Reagan – “Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them." 73

Ronald Reagan – “Government is like a big baby - an alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other.” 136

Ronald Reagan – “Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.” 88

Ronald Reagan – “I am totally unwilling to see this country fail in its obligation to itself and to the other free peoples of the world.” 137

Ronald Reagan – “I hope we once again have reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited.” 110

Ronald Reagan – “I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph.” 105

Ronald Reagan – “I've often said there's nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse.” 109

Ronald Reagan – “If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.” 106

Ronald Reagan – “If we love our country, we should also love our countrymen.” 77

Ronald Reagan – “If you’re afraid of the future, then get out of the way; stand aside. The people of this country are ready to move again.” 139

Ronald Reagan – “Inflation is as violent as a mugger, as frightening as an armed robber and as deadly as a hit man." 116

Ronald Reagan – “It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” 113

Ronald Reagan – “Money can't buy happiness but it will certainly get you a better class of memories.” 101

Ronald Reagan – “Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong." 99

Ronald Reagan – “One way to make sure crime doesn't pay would be to let the government run it.” 95

R Reagan – “Our Constitution is a document in which ‘We the people’ tell the government what it is allowed to do. ‘We the people’ are free.” 140

Ronald Reagan – “Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July, but the Democrats believe every day is April 15th.” 121

Ronald Reagan – “Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don’t interfere.” 111

Ronald Reagan – “Status quo, you know, that is Latin for 'the mess we’re in'." 78

Ronald Reagan – “The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would steal them away.” 100

Ronald Reagan – “The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.” 118

Ronald Reagan – “The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much.” 118

Ronald Reagan – “The taxpayer – that’s someone who works for the federal government but doesn’t have to take a civil service examination.” 138

Ronald Reagan – “There are no easy answers' but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right.” 136

Ronald Reagan – “There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder.” 129

Ronald Reagan – “They say the world has become too complex for simple answers. They are wrong.” 95

Ronald Reagan – “Today, if you invent a better mousetrap, the government comes along with a better mouse.” 106

Ronald Reagan – “Trust, but verify.” 36

Ronald Reagan – “We are the land of the free because we are the home of the brave.” 83

Ronald Reagan – “We cannot play innocents abroad in a world that is not innocent." 82

Ronald Reagan – “We make history and changing it is within our power.” – Remark to M. Gorbachev 95

Ronald Reagan – “We must not look to government to solve our problems. Government is the problem.” 99

Ronald Reagan – “Welfare's purpose should be to eliminate, as far as possible, the need for its own existence.” 111

Ronald Reagan – “We're the party that wants to see an America in which people can still get rich.” 98

Ronald Reagan – “When you can't make them see the light, make them feel the heat.”

Ronald Reagan – “While I take inspiration from the past, like most Americans, I live for the future.” 101

Ronald Reagan – “Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.” 95
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