Posted: 11/7/2008 8:12:14 PM EDT
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This article states: "The Greeks, the Founding Fathers, Austrian economists, and history all tell us that democracies end in bankruptcy or hyperinflation whenever the public learns to vote themselves benefits from the public treasury."
http://padre-island.us/padre-island.us/publicfolder/FRphase/hopefulpatriot/2006/planparts/greatdebate.htm There is a famous quote from one of the Founding Fathers that is worded similarly. Anyone know what it is? Thanks |
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When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.
Benjamin Franklin A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been about 200 years. These nations have progressed through this sequence: '>From bondage to spiritual faith; From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to liberty; From liberty to abundance; From abundance to selfishness; From selfishness to apathy; From apathy to dependence; From dependence back into bondage. Alexander Fraser Tytler (1747–1813) |
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Two that apply to today's headlines.
"The only way Governments can induce citizens to surrender their rights is convincing them that by doing so, they will gain a measure of safety in exchange"-Thomas Jefferson "The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." – Thomas Jefferson |
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Quoted:
When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic. Benjamin Franklin A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been about 200 years. These nations have progressed through this sequence: '>From bondage to spiritual faith; From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to liberty; From liberty to abundance; From abundance to selfishness; From selfishness to apathy; From apathy to dependence; From dependence back into bondage. Alexander Fraser Tytler (1747–1813) The second one is the one I had heard. Thanks |
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"Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." – John Adams
"There are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by the gradual and silent encroachment of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpation." – James Madison "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." – Thomas Jefferson "When all government, in little as in great things, shall be drawn to Washington as the Center of all power, it will render powerless the checks provided of one government on another and will become as venal and oppressive as the government from which we separated." – Thomas Jefferson ETA: And this post and the other are a prime example of not reading the whole O.P. 
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