Robert LeFevre Quotes

If men are capable of committing evil actions, granting them power over others makes evil actions certain. But there is a difference. When men in government commit and evil act, they are legally shielded from their consequences of the act. ** p. 487

I demonstrated that slavery is rationalized, under the name of government and politics, because of the belief that if we didn’t enslave others, the others would enslave us. Thus, we practice slavery on some in order that others should be free.

The single merit I can claim at this junction is that I am not seeking to obtain agreement. I am seeking only to outline the reality that exists, not to win support, start a movement, or contrive concurrence. The reason is clear. It can’t be done. Additionally I do not know everything. Therefore, I can be wrong. What evil I could impose if I obtain agreement on a point that happened to be in error! I do not intend to be wrong, but the mind and the memory are both fallible. So I propose to set down what is so, to the degree I am capable of recognizing it.

The aim of the anarchist is to eliminate private ownership.

Very few men advocate government control over themselves. But they constantly believe that others must be controlled by some outside force.

Hundreds if not thousands of zealots seeking ever to create universal harmony and understanding, have offered their particular theology as the truth faith. The justification has been that, once men all agree on a particular series of concepts or beliefs, they will stop imposing on one another. To date, this effort has also fallen short.

If men were basically good, we would not require government; if men were basically evil, we could not afford to grant any man the power of government.

If men are good, you don’t need government; if men are evil or ambivalent, you don’t dare have one.

I am constantly staggered by those who say they are libertarian and are trying to set up their own particular way of providing a ‘good government.’ It is a contradiction in terms. To say ‘unlimited government’ is a redundancy and to say ‘limited government’ is a contradiction. All you have to say is ‘government.’ And that takes care of the whole thing.

Government doesn't cure problems. It aggravates them.

Many times when I use the term 'government', people think that I mean law and order. And so, if they hear me say: 'We don't need government', they think I mean we don't need law and order. Well, this is probably what makes me an 'autarchist' rather than an anarchist. I think we need law and order. You see, I am dedicated to the idea of lawful and orderly procedures. And because of that I have to stand against government. Because government doesn't provide either law or order.

If you have a government of good laws and bad men, you will have a bad government. For bad men will not be bound by good laws.

But the thing all members of governments desire to do is to rule their own people and to collect money from them. This is inherent in their natures. So the United Nations, perforce, will aid and abet the member governments in their universal desire to maintain a coercive hold over their individual subjects. Thus, the United Nations is a government of the governments, by the governments, and for the governments. And it cannot and will not restrain their governments,…

And thus we see the government is at once both protector and predator. It is not that governments begin in virtue only to end in sin. Government begins by protecting some against others and ends up protecting itself against everyone. This is the course of history.

Government, when it is examined, turns out to be nothing more nor less than a group of fallible men with the political force to act as though they were infallible.