1295: Ayn Rand – Businessmen vs. Bureaucrats

A businessman’s success depends on his intelligence, his knowledge, his productive ability, his economic judgment—and on the voluntary agreement of all those he deals with: his customers, his suppliers, his employees, his creditors or investors. A bureaucrat’s success depends on his political pull. A businessman cannot force you to buy his product; if he makes a mistake, he suffers the consequences; if he fails, he takes the loss. A bureaucrat forces you to obey his decisions, whether you agree with him or not—and the more advanced the stage of a country’s statism, the wider and more discretionary the powers wielded by a bureaucrat. If he makes a mistake, you suffer the consequences; if he fails, he passes the loss on to you, in the form of heavier taxes. —Ayn RandDownload Print Quality (6144×7680) 770KB  |  Normal Quality (3072×3840) 786KB

A businessman’s success depends on his intelligence, his knowledge, his productive ability, his economic judgment—and on the voluntary agreement of all those he deals with: his customers, his suppliers, his employees, his creditors or investors. A bureaucrat’s success depends on his political pull. A businessman cannot force you to buy his product; if he makes a mistake, he suffers the consequences; if he fails, he takes the loss. A bureaucrat forces you to obey his decisions, whether you agree with him or not—and the more advanced the stage of a country’s statism, the wider and more discretionary the powers wielded by a bureaucrat. If he makes a mistake, you suffer the consequences; if he fails, he passes the loss on to you, in the form of heavier taxes.

A businessman cannot force you to work for him or to accept the wages he offers; you are free to seek employment elsewhere and to accept a better offer, if you can find it. (Remember, in this context, that jobs do not exist “in nature,” that they do not grow on trees, that someone has to create the job you need, and that that someone, the businessman, will go out of business if he pays you more than the market permits him to pay you.) A bureaucrat can force you to work for him, when he achieves the totalitarian power he seeks; he can force you to accept any payment he offers—or none, as witness the forced labor camps in the countries of full statism.

The businessman’s tool is values; the bureaucrat’s tool is fear.

—Ayn Rand

	A businessman’s success depends on his intelligence, his knowledge, his productive ability, his economic judgment—and on the voluntary agreement of all those he deals with: his customers, his suppliers, his employees, his creditors or investors. A bureaucrat’s success depends on his political pull. A businessman cannot force you to buy his product; if he makes a mistake, he suffers the consequences; if he fails, he takes the loss. A bureaucrat forces you to obey his decisions, whether you agree with him or not—and the more advanced the stage of a country’s statism, the wider and more discretionary the powers wielded by a bureaucrat. If he makes a mistake, you suffer the consequences; if he fails, he passes the loss on to you, in the form of heavier taxes. —Ayn RandDownload Print Quality (803KB)
Normal Quality (755KB)

A businessman’s success depends on his intelligence, his knowledge, his productive ability, his economic judgment—and on the voluntary agreement of all those he deals with: his customers, his suppliers, his employees, his creditors or investors. A bureaucrat’s success depends on his political pull. A businessman cannot force you to buy his product; if he makes a mistake, he suffers the consequences; if he fails, he takes the loss. A bureaucrat forces you to obey his decisions, whether you agree with him or not—and the more advanced the stage of a country’s statism, the wider and more discretionary the powers wielded by a bureaucrat. If he makes a mistake, you suffer the consequences; if he fails, he passes the loss on to you, in the form of heavier taxes.

A businessman cannot force you to work for him or to accept the wages he offers; you are free to seek employment elsewhere and to accept a better offer, if you can find it. (Remember, in this context, that jobs do not exist “in nature,” that they do not grow on trees, that someone has to create the job you need, and that that someone, the businessman, will go out of business if he pays you more than the market permits him to pay you.) A bureaucrat can force you to work for him, when he achieves the totalitarian power he seeks; he can force you to accept any payment he offers—or none, as witness the forced labor camps in the countries of full statism.

The businessman’s tool is values; the bureaucrat’s tool is fear.

—Ayn Rand

1287: Henry Hazlitt – Needles Bureaucrats

When your money is taken by a thief, you get nothing in return. When your money is taken through taxes to support needless bureaucrats, precisely the same situation exists. —Henry HazlittDownload Print Quality (3840×2010) 2.02MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1005) 189KB
When your money is taken by a thief, you get nothing in return. When your money is taken through taxes to support needless bureaucrats, precisely the same situation exists. —Henry HazlittDownload Print Quality (3840×2744) 3.52MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1372) 286KB

When your money is taken by a thief, you get nothing in return. When your money is taken through taxes to support needless bureaucrats, precisely the same situation exists. —Henry Hazlitt

1248: Murray Rothbard – Statists are Really Opposed to Charity

Statists, in fact, are really opposed to charity. They often argue that charity is demeaning and degrading to the recipient, and that he should therefore be taught that the money is rightly his, to be given to him by the government as his due. An act of charity, when given voluntarily, is generally considered temporary and offered with the object of helping a man to help himself. But when the dole is ladled out by the State, it becomes permanent and perpetually degrading, keeping the recipients in a state of subservience. Anyone who considers private charity degrading must logically conclude that State charity is far more so. —Murray RothbardDownload Print Quality (7680×4020) 300KB  |  Normal Quality (3840×2010) 146KB
Statists, in fact, are really opposed to charity. They often argue that charity is demeaning and degrading to the recipient, and that he should therefore be taught that the money is rightly his, to be given to him by the government as his due. An act of charity, when given voluntarily, is generally considered temporary and offered with the object of helping a man to help himself. But when the dole is ladled out by the State, it becomes permanent and perpetually degrading, keeping the recipients in a state of subservience. Anyone who considers private charity degrading must logically conclude that State charity is far more so. —Murray RothbardDownload Print Quality (5800×7680) 319KB  |  Normal Quality (2900×3840) 157KB

Statists, in fact, are really opposed to charity. They often argue that charity is demeaning and degrading to the recipient, and that he should therefore be taught that the money is rightly his, to be given to him by the government as his due. An act of charity, when given voluntarily, is generally considered temporary and offered with the object of helping a man to help himself. But when the dole is ladled out by the State, it becomes permanent and perpetually degrading, keeping the recipients in a state of subservience. Anyone who considers private charity degrading must logically conclude that State charity is far more so. —Murray Rothbard

1235: Walter Williams – Draw a Line in the Sand

If we care about our remaining liberties we must at some point draw a line in the sand and let politicians and bureaucrats know we will not tolerate further encroachment on our liberty. —Walter WilliamsDownload Print Quality (3840×2010) 7.61MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1005) 253KB
If we care about our remaining liberties we must at some point draw a line in the sand and let politicians and bureaucrats know we will not tolerate further encroachment on our liberty. —Walter WilliamsDownload Print Quality (3840×2744) 9.94MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1372) 328KB

If we care about our remaining liberties we must at some point draw a line in the sand and let politicians and bureaucrats know we will not tolerate further encroachment on our liberty. —Walter Williams

1232: Vince Vaughn – As You Get Older You Trust the Government Less

I think that as you get older you just trust the government less at running anything. —Vince VaughnDownload Print Quality (3840×2010) 4.96MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1005) 210KB
I think that as you get older you just trust the government less at running anything. —Vince VaughnDownload Print Quality (3840×2744) 6.97MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1372) 260KB

I think that as you get older you just trust the government less at running anything. —Vince Vaughn

1217: Bob Murphy – You’re Not Helping

You don't help a depressed economy by giving control of its resources to politicians. —Bob MurphyDownload Print Quality (3840×2010) 1.76MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1005) 147KB
You don't help a depressed economy by giving control of its resources to politicians. —Bob MurphyDownload Print Quality (3840×2744) 2.72MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1372) 203KB

You don’t help a depressed economy by giving control of its resources to politicians. —Bob Murphy

1208: Jack Lloyd – Theft and Murder are called “Public Policy”

When a gang member steals, it is called theft. When the mafia calls a hit, it is called murder. When a politician orders the same, it is called “Public Policy” —Jack LloydDownload Print Quality (3840×2010) 9.51MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1005) 347KB
When a gang member steals, it is called theft. When the mafia calls a hit, it is called murder. When a politician orders the same, it is called “Public Policy” —Jack LloydDownload Print Quality (3840×2744) 12.02MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1372) 462KB

When a gang member steals, it is called theft. When the mafia calls a hit, it is called murder. When a politician orders the same, it is called “Public Policy” —Jack Lloyd

1201: F.A. Hayek – More Harm and Misery by Using Coercion

It is indeed probable that more harm and misery have been caused by men determined to use coercion to stamp out a moral evil than by men intent on doing evil. —F.A. HayekDownload Print Quality (3840×2010) 6.54MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1005) 344KB
It is indeed probable that more harm and misery have been caused by men determined to use coercion to stamp out a moral evil than by men intent on doing evil. —F.A. HayekDownload Print Quality (3840×2744) 8.27MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1372) 423KB

It is indeed probable that more harm and misery have been caused by men determined to use coercion to stamp out a moral evil than by men intent on doing evil. —F.A. Hayek

1199: Walter Williams – Tariff Victims are Invisible

Tariff policy beneficiaries are always visible, but its victims are mostly invisible. Politicians love this. The reason is simple: The beneficiaries know for whom to cast their ballots, and the victims don't know whom to blame for their calamity. —Walter WilliamsDownload Print Quality (3840×2010) 8.01MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1005) 355KB
Tariff policy beneficiaries are always visible, but its victims are mostly invisible. Politicians love this. The reason is simple: The beneficiaries know for whom to cast their ballots, and the victims don't know whom to blame for their calamity. —Walter WilliamsDownload Print Quality (3840×2744) 10.61MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1372) 472KB

Tariff policy beneficiaries are always visible, but its victims are mostly invisible. Politicians love this. The reason is simple: The beneficiaries know for whom to cast their ballots, and the victims don’t know whom to blame for their calamity. —Walter Williams

1198: Steven Clyde – Their Next Bid for Re-Election

The point of no return, they [politicians] claim, will soon dawn on us unless politicians are granted unlimited power to meddle in the affairs of the citizenry. It just so happens that this needs to occur prior to, but no later than, their next bid for re-election. —Steven ClydeDownload Print Quality (3840×2010) 3.10MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1005) 196KB
The point of no return, they [politicians] claim, will soon dawn on us unless politicians are granted unlimited power to meddle in the affairs of the citizenry. It just so happens that this needs to occur prior to, but no later than, their next bid for re-election. —Steven ClydeDownload Print Quality (3840×2744) 4.49MB  |  Normal Quality (1920×1372) 261KB

The point of no return, they [politicians] claim, will soon dawn on us unless politicians are granted unlimited power to meddle in the affairs of the citizenry. It just so happens that this needs to occur prior to, but no later than, their next bid for re-election. —Steven Clyde