“Coercion for the sake of virtue is as repugnant as coercion for the sake of vice.”
— Harold Stearns
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”
Are people in poverty inferior beings? Can they not think for themselves?
Feeling good about yourself is not the same as doing good.
– Theodore Dalrymple
[I]n the modern world, the state claims the monopoly not only of force, but increasingly of compassion as well.
One part of government action is non-partisan: force. All government officials believe that their efforts to control people, observe people, and force people to bend to their will is justified.
. . .
The “administrative subpoena” is replacing the warrant signed by a judge. ‘Cause nobody in government thinks they should NEED no stinkin’ warrant. They are the good guys. Just ask them. That, in a nutshell, is why government is so terrifying. They are convinced they are the good guys, so anything they do, no matter how bad, is justified.
