David Mamet Quotes

One authority, one gun…

Exploitation and government are two inseparable expressions of what is called politics.

Government is an association of men who do violence to the rest of us.

In every sort of politics, in history, it has its own problems, its leaders, its own opposition.

Politics and power is a realm of relative influence.

I'm not a fan of identity politics.

It's not the sentiments of men which make history but their actions.

All government, of course, is against liberty.

I rebelled against all form of authority, against my grandfather, my step-father, the Church, the police, the government, the bosses. Everything male that was there, and was determining my life.

Kings will be tyrants from policy, when subjects are rebels from principle.

Fear is the foundation of most governments.

We kind of agree with Mao that political power comes largely from the barrel of a gun. And we get it that if you want a friend you should get a dog.

As people get more desperate, history suggests that they're not going to rise in a mighty proletarian tidal wave and wash away their oppressors. They're gonna turn on each other.

Remember that this White house is populated with … control freaks.

The paradox of American democracy has been that its slogan of equal opportunity has meant, often, equal opportunity to get power over your fellows.

The history of government is the history of two conflicting principles: one is the supreme importance of the State; the other is the supreme importance of the individual.

History dictates that unresponsive governments force ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

Governments rather depend upon men, than men upon governments.

What is government itself but the great reflection of human nature.

The people in power will not disappear voluntarily, giving flowers to the cops just isn't going to work. This thinking is fostered by the establishment; they like nothing better than love and nonviolence.

You are afraid of the one, I, of the few.... You are apprehensive of monarchy, I, of aristocracy.

When socialism comes into power, the Roman Church will advocate socialism with the same vigor [with which] it is now favoring feudalism and slavery.

The worst thing in this world, next to anarchy, is government.

History, in general, only informs us what bad government is.

The struggle between Liberty and Authority is the most conspicuous feature in the portions of history with which we are earliest familiar.