Charles Caleb Colton Quotes

When dictatorship is a fact, revolution becomes a right.

Moammar Gaddafi, who has called himself the 'Guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya,' should go down in history with the Emperor Bokassa and Idi Amin as a grotesque reminder of why people have the right to change their government.

It is difficult to violently suppress people in the long run, as the example of the Soviet Union and the Eastern European countries has shown.

Old forms of government finally grow so oppressive, that they must be thrown off even at the risk of reigns of terror.

Have you any idea how much tyrants fear the people they oppress?

The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny.

Military dictatorship, you can focus on it, you can fight it directly. It's a band of power-driven people.

We are not to expect to be translated from despotism to liberty in a featherbed.

Death to Pharaoh!

If officials are too forceful, people will revolt.

The ultimate failures of dictatorship cost humanity far more than the temporary failures of democracy.

Tyranny may precipitate a revolutionary movement at any time.

Rebellion! the very word is a confession; an avowal of tyranny, outrage, and oppression. It is taken from the despot's code, and has no terror for others than slavish souls.

The limits of tyrants are proscribed by the endurance of those whom they suppress.

Revolution is engendered by an indignation with tyranny, yet is itself pregnant with tyranny

An attempt to scrutinize men’s thoughts and punish their opinions is of all kinds of despotism the most odious: yet this is peculiarly character of a period of revolution.... There is no period more at war with the existence of liberty.

The unsuccessful strugglers against tyranny have been the chief martyrs of treason laws in all countries.

These wars and mass murders that the horrible Kaisers and kings with their authorities have been the source of, have in general been started to solidify their staggering thrones, or to suppress the people.

Force, no matter how concealed, begets resistance.

When people rise, they must have a goal worthy of them. Must paltry goods be of concern to them?... The people must rise up not to collect sugar, but to bring down the tyrants.

We must organize against the progress of revolutionary barbarism a government of combat.

At the end of the day, violence was the only weapon that would destroy apartheid.

We grow tyrannical fighting tyranny.

One must not forget, however, that Russia had to free herself from the most frightful mis-government ever inflicted upon a long-suffering people.

So benevolent, enlightened, wise dictators are the most efficient form of government. The problem is what comes afterwards, right?