Top 15 James Bovard Quotes

Attention Deficit Democracy produces the attitudes, ignorance and arrogance that pave the way to political collapse.

The more that democracy is assumed to be inevitable, the more likely it will self-destruct.

Democracy unleashes the State in the name of the people.

As long as rulers are above the law, citizens have the same type of freedom that slaves had on days when their masters chose not to beat them.

Bogus fears can produce real servitude.

Instead of revealing the “will of the people,” election results are often only a one-day snapshot of transient mass delusions.

Rather than a democracy, we increasingly have an elective dictatorship. People are merely permitted to choose who will violate the laws and the Constitution.

People have been taught to expect far more from government than from freedom.

There are no harmless political lies about a war. The more such lies citizens tolerate, the more wars they will get.

We need a constitutional amendment to make the federal government obey the Constitution.

The arrogance of power is the best hope for the survival of freedom.

Truth is a lagging indicator in politics.

In the long run, people have more to fear from governments than from terrorists. Terrorists come and go, but power-hungry politicians will always be with us.

Citizens should distrust politicians who distrust freedom.

A lie that is accepted by a sufficient number of ignorant voters becomes a political truth.