Quotes About Authority

I'm going to set up a Commission of Inquiry," said the Sow. "What's that?" asked Lorina. "It's a way of putting things off, said the Sow, "in the hope that the problem will go away.

There is no such thing as liberty. You only change one sort of domination for another. All we can do is to choose our master.

The law always limits every power it gives.

The heights of popularity and patriotism are still the beaten road to power and tyranny.

Among well bred people a mutual deference is affected, contempt for others is disguised; authority concealed; attention given to each in his turn; and an easy stream of conversation maintained without vehemence, without interruption, without eagerness for victory, and without any airs of superiority.

Extensive conquests, when pursued, must be the ruin of every free government

Nothing appears more surprizing to those, who consider human affairs with a philosophical eye, than the easiness with which the many are governed by the few; and the implicit submission, with which men resign their own sentiments and passions to those of their rulers.

starting with Martin Luther's rebellion against the Church of Rome in 1517, led to widespread religious wars founded on philosophical differences: one side took Church authority and tradition as the criterion of truth, the other appealed instead to the Spirit of God acting within the individual believer.

Governments too steady and uniform, as they are seldom free, so are they, in the judgment of some attended with another sensible inconvenience: they abate the active powers of men; depress courage, invention, and genius; and produce a universal lethary in the people.

I]f subjects must never resist, it follows that every prince, without any effort, policy, or violence, is at once rendered absolute and uncontrollable;

Thirdly. It forms a strong presumption against all supernatural and miraculous relations, that they are observed chiefly to abound among ignorant and barbarous nations; or if a civilized people has ever given admission to any of them, that people will be found to have received them from ignorant and barbarous ancestors, who transmitted them with that inviolable sanction and authority, which always attend received opinions.

Nothing is more surprising than the easiness with which the many are governed by the few.

It is well known, that every government must come to a period, and that death is unavoidable to the political as well as to the animal body.

In all governments, there is a perpetual intestine struggle, open or secret, between authority and liberty; and neither of them can ever absolutely prevail in the contest.

Commerce, . . . in my opinion, is apt to decay in absolute governments not because it is there less secure, but because it is less honourable.

L]iberty is the perfection of civil society; but still authority must be acknowledged essential to its very existence...

The Homeland Security department doesn't have tasking authority in the intelligence community. They can ask for stuff, but they can't direct anything except inside their bureau.

For all their obvious differences, the pope and Mussolini were alike in many ways. Both could have no real friends, for friendship implied equality.

the Vatican's cooperation.

the pope, speaking in English

No such criticism of the racial laws would ever escape the pope's lips or pen, not in 1939, nor over the following years in which they were in force.

observed the pope. "Some remain secret, others are exploited. Whenever we are told of such cases, we intervene immediately. And severely.

the Church acts immediately.

No one rules if no one obeys