a self serving state. Serving other people and a higher cause is bullshit.
Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.
George Washington
Perhaps I am mistaken but it would appear that some may have missed the true meaning and significance of this particular quote. Having lived under the rule of British monarchy, Washington had seen firsthand the abuses of government power unchecked, and his concern for the overreach of government power as an affront to individual liberty can be demonstrated with other quotes.
“Over grown military establishments are under any form of government inauspicious to liberty, and are to be regarded as particularly hostile to republican liberty.” -George Washington
Please note that Washington is of course referring to the system of government known as a republic where the individual has certain inalienable rights, not the Republican Party. Clearly Washington was concerned about the government excising the military against its own people in order to oppress the people and impinge upon personal freedoms. This can be demonstrated with the quote:
“Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness.” -George Washington
This does not mean that Washington believed government to be inherently bad; clearly Washington understood the necessity of government to protect the rights and freedoms of a nation’s people as he fought to establish the federal government of the United States as detailed in the constitution. Washington flatly states this by saying:
“The Constitution is the guide which I never will abandon. “-George Washington
Furthermore, Washington’s views on taxation were clearly directly in opposition to the position of modern conservatives. Clearly Washington understood that an adequate and capable government is necessary to protect the rights and freedoms of individual citizens, and that protecting those rights is a primary responsibility of governments.
“The administration of justice is the firmest pillar of government. “-George Washington
Clearly Washington did not share the Ayn Rand based philosophy of modern conservatives who feel the wealthy shouldn’t pay taxes, in fact Washington said:
“It may be laid down as a primary position, and the basis of our system, that every Citizen who enjoys the protection of a Free Government owes not only a proportion of his property, but even of his personal services to the defense of it. “-George Washington
If a majority of the nation’s citizen’s feel that a certain level of taxation is necessary to support a government adequate to the task of protecting the best interests of the nation, we can safely assume he would have supported the citizens, as he said:
“The basis of our political system is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government. “-George Washington
Additionally, I think we can safely assume that Washington wouldn’t have held with 2% of the wealthiest citizens having such control of government that they may legislate away their own tax liabilities. as he also said:
“Laws made by common consent must not be trampled on by individuals.” -George Washington
In fact I think I’m going to add a couple of those quotes to my signature, after all I wouldn’t want George Washington to be taken out of context again.
