Voltairine de Cleyre Quotes

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

The tyrant is only the slave turned inside out.

The people always have some champion who they set over them and nurse into greatness …. This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears, he is a protector.

If you think of yourselves as helpless and ineffectual, it is certain that you will create a despotic government to be your master. The wise despot, therefore, maintains among his subjects a popular sense that they are helpless and ineffectual.

Fear of death has been the greatest ally of tyranny past and present.

Secrecy is the freedom tyrants dream of.

Conquerors never, never conquer a nation to bring freedom. They brought control.

Whatever crushes individuality is despotism, by whatever name it may be called and whether it professes to be enforcing the will of God or the injunctions of men.

Dictators free themselves, but they enslave the people.

Tyrants are seldom free; the cares and the instruments of their tyranny enslave them.

Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.

There are no tyrants where there are no slaves.

Tyrants are but the spawn of Ignorance, Begotten by the slaves they trample on.

It is the old practice of despots to use a part of the people to keep the rest in order.

The average bloke . . . hates and fears all freedom, not only for others but for himself, and stamps it out wherever possible.

Nothing is so loved by tyrants as obedient subjects.

The tyrant claims freedom to kill freedom, and yet keep it for himself.

The doctrine of blind obedience and unqualified submission to any human power, whether civil or ecclesiastical, is the doctrine of despotism, and ought to have no place among Republicans and Christians.

Any excuse will serve a tyrant.

Tyranny is always better organized than freedom.

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 world will not accept dictatorship or domination.

All men would be tyrants if they could.

Under conditions of tyranny it is far easier to act than to think.

Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty.