As long as enough people can be frightened, then all people can be ruled. That is how it works in a democratic system and mass fear becomes the ticket to destroy rights across the board.
James Bovard

Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.
James Bovard

Entire generations of Americans have come of age since the ancient time when the president's power was constrained by a duty of candor to the American people.
James Bovard

How many McDonald's gift certificates would it take to sway a lot of Americans to pledge to never publicly criticize the U.S, President?
James Bovard

I was amazed at how easy it was for the Clinton Administration to basically cover what they did at Waco in the fog of lies and avoid any responsibility for it.
James Bovard

If an election is simply a one-day snapshot of transient mass delusions, then this is not a very noble form of government.
James Bovard

If so many Americans are looking for the government to save them, then it is hard to have a dignified search for a shepherd in chief.
James Bovard

It has been surprising to me that so few conservatives have voiced concern over the precedence that are being set in favor of suppression by this so-called conservative administration.
James Bovard

It is amazing to think after all that has happened in this country in the last few years, the last few decades, that so many people have this blind faith that government is our friend and therefore, so we don't need protections against it.
James Bovard

It is hard to know how many people do, but given that the people are so docile towards the rulers, nowadays, very few Americans show the passion for freedom that our forefathers had.
James Bovard


It is important to recognize and politics positive thinking is often the slaves' virtue - something that people do to con themselves about the burden and change being placed upon them.
James Bovard

It is like we are obliged to assume that the government is only doing what it says it is doing.
James Bovard

It is one of the great tragedies of the US, that most learn most of what they know about the government from the government.
James Bovard

It is unfortunate that Americans are no longer aware of what the constitution says and what their rights are. Because of that, we are often very passive about what happens when the government violates those rights.
James Bovard

Part of the reason that the government's fear mongering is succeeding is because so many people are so ignorant, that it is easier for government to frighten people in submission.
James Bovard

People are so docile right now. It is almost as if good government means when the politicians lie to us for our own good, for the public good, and bad government is when politicians lie for their own selfish interests.
James Bovard

Politicians as a class are dangerous, that people who are seeking power over us are not, by definition, our friends.
James Bovard

Some of the folks on both sides might be sincere, but it does seem as if it is only the opposition that cares about the Bill of Rights most of the time.
James Bovard

Some politicians are aware of the Bill of Rights. It seems that the opposition party is far more likely to invoke it, to wave it in the air, this is what we saw from a lot of republicans during the Clinton Administration, and we are seeing the same from Democrats under Bush.
James Bovard

The Federal Government is exploiting public fear to redefine the relationship between the rulers and the American people.
James Bovard