The road to freedom lies in beating back the state, so that individuals may regain freedom of association, dominion over property, the absolute right of self-defense; the right to hire, fire, and generally, associate at will. As a paleolibertarian, however, my idea of liberty is never propositional–it is not a deracinated principle, unmoored from the realities of history, hierarchy, biology, tradition, culture, values.
Ilana MercerRelated topics
absolute associate association beating biology culture dominion fire freedom hierarchy hire history idea liberty principle property regain right road self-defense state tradition lies paleolibertarianRelated quotes
We are free, but not to be evil, not to be indifferent to human suffering, not to profit from the people, from the work created and sustained through their spirit of political association, while refusing to contribute to the political state that we profit from. We must say no once more. Man is not free to watch impassively the enslavement and dishonor of men, nor their struggles for liberty and honor.
José Martí
The road to socialism lies through a period of the highest possible intensification of the principle of the state ... Just as a lamp, before going out, shoots up in a brilliant flame, so the state, before disappearing, assumes the form of the dictatorship of the proletariat, i.e., the most ruthless form of state, which embraces the life of the citizens authoritatively in every direction.
Leon Trotsky
What America needs is to hold to its ancient and well-charted course. Our country was conceived in the theory of local self-government. It has been dedicated by long practice to that wise and beneficent policy. It is the foundation principle of our system of liberty. It makes the largest promise to the freedom and development of the individual. Its preservation is worth all the effort and all the sacrifice that it may cost.
Calvin Coolidge
I am a believer in liberty. That is my religion - to give to every other human being every right that I claim for myself, and I grant to every other human being, not the right - because it is his right - but instead of granting I declare that it is his right, to attack every doctrine that I maintain, to answer every argument that I may urge - in other words, he must have absolute freedom of speech.
Robert G. Ingersoll
I believe in only one thing and that thing is human liberty. If ever a man is to achieve anything like dignity, it can happen only if superior men are given absolute freedom to think what they want to think and say what they want to say. I am against any man and any organization which seeks to limit or deny that freedom ... the superior man can be sure of freedom only if it is given to all men.
H. L. Mencken
