Benjamin Tucker Quotes
There would be but one article in the constitution of a State Socialistic country: “The right of the majority is absolute.”
Benjamin Tucker, 1854–1939, Political Philosopher & Individualism Anarchist, “State Socialism and Anarchism: How Far They Agree, and Wherin They Differ“, Liberty 5.16, no. 120, March 10, 1888
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Statement regarding the situation the Mormons encountered where the majority of the citizens in the areas that they inhabited were not only opposed to Mormonism but felt it moral to attack, harass and even murder Mormons. Because the bigots were in the majority, the politicians and officials were loath to protect the Mormons. In Mormon religious prophesy, before the Second Coming of Christ the Mormons must settle in Zion and the Jews in Israel. So the persecution preventing them from settling in Zion was the work of Satan to prevent Christ’s coming.
1st Viscount Snowden. Nationalization is when a nation or state determines that certain industries of areas of the economy should be reserved for the government to operate. Private companies, if they have been operating a nationalized industry losse their rights to continue in that business and may even lose their physica assets in which case th form is supposed to be paid a fair price. In 21st century America we have very few nationalized industries. One of these is the manufacture of nuclear weapons. Communist counties have many if not most of the economy nationalized. From the 19th century socialism has evolved from a belief that most people will best be served by nationalization of most of th major economic functions. However, over time this did not meet Socialism’s other objectives and nationalism became less popular with socialists. Snowden, a leading socialist, wanted to get rid of the concept entirely, and today there are very few situations where there are calls for nationalis. Even the few remaining communist nations are privatizing (the opposite of nationalizing) some of their economy.
This quotation illustrates the "winner take all" conceopt of many political cultures that call themselves and think of theselves as a democracy. But a true democracy does not allow a tyranny of the majority--especially a very narrow minority.
Benjamin Ricketson Tucker was an American anarchist. A 19th-century proponent of individualist anarchism which he called "unterrified Jeffersonianism", Tucker was the editor and publisher of the American individualist anarchist periodical Liberty (1881–1908) as well as a member of the socialist First International.
