Jean-Jacques Rousseau Quotes

I would not be beholden to a tyrant, for his acts of tyranny. For it is but usurpation in him to save, as their rightful lord, the lives of men over whom he has no title to reign.

For 73 years a totalitarian regime ruled the country. Totalitarian regime.

Freedom only for the members of the government, only for the members of the Party - though they are quite numerous - is no freedom at all.

You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police. Yet in their hearts there is unspoken – unspeakable fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts!

That nation where among forests of hands the tyrant of the State, is voted in, its only candidate, And spit goes ice-cold on the tongue

A king, from being a father to his people, degenerates into a tyrant, and forfeits all right to obedience.

Why does every nation on earth move to change their conditions except us [Arabs]. Why do we always submit to the batons of the rulers and their repression. How long will Arabs wait for foreign saviors?

Maintaining legitimacy in an authoritarian state is very difficult.

Spineless politics do not change the mind of a tyrant.

Muslims have been subjected to so many tyrants and oppressive regimes. That's what the Arab Spring was about, but the problem comes in trying to direct a revolution.

Were we ever to find ourselves living under a totalitarian regime, place no faith in the mercy of your fellow citizens.

The hand of Vengeance found the Bed To which the Purple Tyrant fled The iron hand crush'd the tyrant's head And became Tyrant in his stead.

Despotic governments do not recognize the precious human component of the state, seeing its citizens only as a faceless, mindless -- and helpless -- mass to be manipulated at will. It is as though people were incidental to a nation rather than its very life-blood.

People will endure their tyrants for years, but they tear their deliverers to pieces if a millennium is not created immediately.

A rebellion against a tyrant is only immoral when it hasn't got a chance.

The government is a tyrant living by theft, and therefore has no business to engage in any business.

Tis time to fear when tyrants seem to kiss.

Government has within it a tendency to abuse its powers.

O sir, we should have fine times, indeed, if, to punish tyrants, it were only sufficient to assemble the people! Your arms, wherewith you could defend yourselves, are gone.

Tyrants always condemn and seek to replace the market process with government coercion because tyrants do not trust that people behaving voluntarily will do what the tyrants think they should do.

A wicked tyrant is better than a wicked war.

[It is a basic principle of a tyrant] to unarm his people of weapons, money and all means whereby they resist his power.

There is also a doubt as to what is to be the supreme power in the state: - Is it the multitude? Or the wealthy? Or the good? Or the one best man? Or a tyrant?

When you stop a dictator, there are always risks. But there are greater risks in not stopping a dictator.