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I call this The Dictator Syndrome. You see suffering or danger, and in your imagination you see a government program eliminating it. But in the real world the program would operate as you expect only if you were an absolute dictator — having at your disposal all the government's power to compel everyone to do things your way.

— Harry Browne Why Government Doesn't Work (1995)

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More quotes by Harry Browne

Freedom is more often lost by false assumptions than by the power of one's enemies.

How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World (1973)

We should never define Libertarian positions in terms coined by liberals or conservatives — nor as some variant of their positions.

Freedom is the opportunity to live your life as you want to live it.

How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World (1973)

If an individual is required to give up his own happiness for society, of what value is society to him?

How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World (1973)

Taking risks is an inherent part of life; it's only dangerous when you act as though you're not taking a risk.

How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World (1973)

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Harry Browne (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.