“Governments, whatever their pretensions otherwise, try to preserve themselves by holding the individual down … Government itself, indeed, may be reasonably defined as a conspiracy against him. Its one permanent aim, whatever its form, is to hobble him sufficiently to…

“The government consists of a gang of men exactly like you and me. They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the business of government; they have only a talent for getting and holding office. Their principal device…

“The men the American people admire most extravagantly are the greatest liars: the men they detest most violently are those who try to tell them the truth.” H. L. Mencken, (1880-1956) American Journalist, Editor, Essayist, Linguist, Lexicographer, and Critic. Source…

“People often say that, in a democracy, decisions are made by a majority of the people. Of course, that is not true. Decisions are made by a majority of those who make themselves heard and who vote – a very…

“Democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people.” Oscar Wilde, (1854-1900) Source: The Soul of Man Under Socialism, 1891. Source Reference Oscar Wilde Quote

“The attempt to silence a man is the greatest honour you can bestow on him. It means that you recognise his superiority to yourself.” Joseph Sobran, (1946-2010) Columnist. Source: Universal Press Syndicate. Source Reference Joseph Sobran Quote

“Democracy, with its promise of international peace, has been no better guarantee against war than the old dynastic rule of kings.” Jan C. Smuts, (1870-1950) South African and British Commonwealth politician and military leader, Prime Minister of South Africa (1939-48),…

“The tendency of democracies is, in all things, to mediocrity.” James Fenimore Cooper, (1789-1851) American Novelist. Source: The American Democrat, XIV, 1838. Source Reference James Fenimore Cooper Quote

“Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.” George Bernard Shaw, (1856-1950) Irish comic dramatist. Source Reference George Bernard Shaw Quote

“Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security, or the rights of property; and have, in general, been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.”…

“Liberty has never lasted long in a democracy, nor has it ever ended in anything better than despotism.” Fisher Ames, (1758-1808), American statesman, orator and political writer. Source Reference Fisher Ames Quote

“Institutions purely democratic must, sooner, or later, destroy liberty or civilization or both.” Thomas Babington Macaulay, (1800-1859) [Lord Macaulay] 1st Baron Macaulay, British historian. Source: Letter to H.S. Randall, May 23, 1857. Source Reference Thomas Babington Macaulay Quote