Edward Brooke Quotes

I truly believe that all power corrupts. Such is probably the thinking behind every political film ever made in Hollywood.

Power does not corrupt men; fools, however, if they get into a position of power, corrupt power.

I have always been fascinated by the corruption of power.

Power is always a corrupting influence.

basically, the more power politicians have, the hornier they get

Power is always dangerous. It attracts the worst and corrupts the best..

Absolute power should never be trusted to man. It has perverted the wisest heads, and corrupted the best hearts in the world. I should be afraid to commit my property, liberty and life to a body of angels for one whole year.

The most powerful person can wind up in jail.

It is impossible to deny that people in power face more temptations than ordinary citizens.

Power will intoxicate the best hearts, as wine the strongest heads. No man is wise enough, nor good enough to be trusted with unlimited power.

Unlimited power corrupts the possessor.

The American people do not begrudge anyone his or her power until they start abusing it.

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

But constant experience shows us that every man invested with power is apt to abuse it, and to carry his authority as far as it will go.

The number of illegal activities were so large that one was bound to come out and lead to the uncovering of the others. Nixon was too willing to use the power of government to settle scores and get even with enemies.

Occupants of public offices love power and are prone to abuse it.

So easily do weak men put in high positions turn villains

Since the origin of the world there has never been a king—even if you were to select the very best—who did not in some measure abuse his authority…

There are no necessary evils in government. It's evils exist only in its abuses.

The essence of government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse

Experience constantly proves that every man who has power is impelled to abuse it.

All governments are more or less corrupt.

Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority.

We're taught Lord Acton's axiom: all power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. I believed that when I started these books, but I don't believe it's always true any more. Power doesn't always corrupt. Power can cleanse. What I believe is always true about power is that power always reveals.

Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who posses it; and this I know, my lords: that where law ends, tyranny begins.