William E. Borah Quotes

In a democracy the people choose a leader in whom they trust. Then the chosen leader says, 'Now shut up and obey me.' People and party are then no longer free to interfere in his business.

I am the government.

Where the law ends tyranny begins.

Freedom is won by violence, but needs mutual tolerance to survive.

What is a government for except to dictate. If it does not dictate, then it is not a government.

By the people for the people.

I believe in war, if the people want war. They have to do the fighting. I believe, first, in a referendum to the people, and failing that, a decision by the people's representatives in Congress assembled.

The people reign over the American political world as God rules over the universe. It is the cause and the end of all things; everything rises out of it and is absorbed back into it.

In no form of government is there an absolute identity of interest between the people and their rulers

A democracy cannot wage war. When you go to war, you pass a law giving extraordinary power to the President. The people of the country assume when the emergency is over, the rights and powers that were temporarily delegated to the Chief Executive will be returned to the states, counties and to the people.

This is not a democracy," I said, understanding he fear but unable to do anything about it. "It's a Maxocracy.

If one meets a powerful person - Adolf Hitler, Joe Stalin or Bill Gates - ask them five questions: 'What power have you got? Where did you get it from? In whose interests do you exercise it? To whom are you accountable? And how can we get rid of you?' If you cannot get rid of the people who govern you, you do not live in a democratic system.

Dictatorships are one-way streets. Democracy boasts two-way traffic.

I wish to make add my voice to the cry which rises up with increasing anguish from every part of the world, from every people, from the heart of each person, from the one great family which is humanity: it is the cry for peace!

It is in the nature of tyranny to deride the will of the people as the voice of the mob, and to denounce the cry for freedom as the roar of anarchy.

Any dictatorship would be better than modern democracy. There cannot be so incompetent a dictator, that he would show more stupidity than a majority of the people. Best dictatorship would be one where lots of heads would roll and government would prevent any economical growth.

If you've lived in a dictatorship for thirty years, you're used to people lying to you.

People keep saying, 'How'd you get power?' Nobody gives you power. I'll tell you what power is. Power in my estimation is if people will listen to you. That's it.

People are difficult to govern because they have too much knowledge.

Kings had always been involving and impoverishing their people in wars, pretending generally, if not always, that the good of the people was the object

Try to reject war and give peace a chance. Question the powers that be and find out why they make the dubious decisions they do that send young people to war.

Have you any idea how much tyrants fear the people they oppress?

Democracy is a danger to any powerful group.

Popular suffrage is in itself no guarantee of freedom. People can vote themselves into slavery.