Rose Wilder Lane Quotes

… we cannot conceive of the authority of a despot who knows all his subjects on sight.

The political lives of tyrants play out human affairs with a special intensity: the death of a democratic leader long after his retirement is a private matter, but the death of a tyrant is always a political act that reflects the character of his power.

As virtue is necessary in a republic, and honor in a monarchy, fear is what is required in a despotism. As for virtue, it is not at all necessary, and honor would be dangerous there.

A dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier, there's no question about it.

Fascism is itself less 'ideological', in so far as it openly proclaims the principle of domination that is elsewhere concealed.

There's a certain amount of tyranny in all of us to some extent, and in some people it's much more developed than in others. It's a different balance which makes us all different.

The more complete the despotism, the more smoothly all things move on the surface.

The strength and power of despotism consists wholly in the fear of resistance.

To assume all the powers is not good for anybody. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. All those experiments have a bad ending.

This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector.

Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it.

I would not like a king who could obey.

A state is not a state if it belongs to one man.

All executive power --- from the reign of ancient kings to the rule of modern dictators --- has the outward appearance of efficiency

Emperor Napoleon is nothing but an ordinary king who tramples on human rights.

... all of our human experience shows that no one with absolute power can be trusted to give it up even in part.

Oppressive government is more terrible than tigers.

You can't be a dictator any more; anyone who tries to play the part of God will stumble.

The army and the government needs a dictator.

Extensive and organized power over large populations does not suffice to make a nation

… autocrat of half the world

The people are so secure under the sultan's reign that no one fears his agents.

Government by one man: He is called a lord if he inclines to a good and common end; a tyrant if he is inclined to pursue bad or merely personal ends.

Rule with an iron first will inevitably come to an end.

Fear is in almost all cases a wretched instrument of government, and ought in particular never to be employed against any order of men who have the smallest pretensions to independency.