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"Who will govern the governors? There is only one force in the nation that can be depended upon to keep the government pure and the governors honest, and that is the people themselves. They alone, if well informed, are capable of preventing the corruption of power, and of restoring the nation to its rightful course if it should go astray. They alone are the safest depository of the ultimate powers of government."

Thomas Jefferson



"It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance."

- John Philpot Curran, 1790 (attributed by Lord Denning, 1988)


I'm not sure I understand your quote, and if is a rebuttal or agreement with the above quote.


It's potentially a statement adding to or qualifying the first. Yes, the people must keep government in line, but the people are lazy and corporate interests or political parties have a stronger interest in remaining active and powerful.

It's possible that the active party eating away at rights are terrorists, but I don't think that is ever a key interest of those actors.


It's an additional point. People are allowed to do that.


Me neither, but I imagine he's a blast at parties..


Come on, that's unwarranted. Don't be a jerk.




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