Harry Browne Quotes

A free and prosperous society has no fear of anyone entering it. But a welfare state is scared to death of every poor person who tries to get in and every rich person who tries to get out.

~ Harry Browne

Government programs didn’t arise because the people demanded them or because the free market was unable to provide needed services. They arose because the politicians found them to be a convenient way to buy votes with other people’s money, a convenient way to enlarge their own power, a convenient way to reward their political cronies, and a convenient way to keep people dependent on government.

~ Harry Browne

The free market punishes irresponsibility. Government rewards it.

~ Harry Browne

If I could give you just one thing, I’d want it to be a simple truth that took me many years to learn. If you learn it now, it may enrich your life in hundreds of ways. And it may prevent you from facing many problems that have hurt people who have never learned it.The truth is simply this:No one owes you anything.

~ Harry Browne

A secure individual... knows that the responsibility for anything concerning his life remains with himself-and he accepts that responsibility.

~ Harry Browne

I'm old enough to remember the end of World War II. On Aug. 14, 1946, a year after the Japanese were defeated, most newspapers and magazines had single articles commemorating the end of the war.

~ Harry Browne

Libertarians know that a free country has nothing to fear from anyone coming in or going out - while a welfare state is scared to death of poor people coming in and rich people getting out.

~ Harry Browne

Left-wing politicians take away your liberty in the name of children and of fighting poverty, while right-wing politicians do it in the name of family values and fighting drugs. Either way, government gets bigger and you become less free.

~ Harry Browne

The American way was for commerce, personal relationships, and religion to be voluntary. No one was forced to participate in something he didn't want.

~ Harry Browne

A Libertarian society of unfettered individualism spreads its benefits to virtually everyone - not just those who have the resources to seize political power.

~ Harry Browne

You can't give the government the power to do good without also giving it the power to do bad - in fact, to do anything it wants.

~ Harry Browne

Security... it's simply the recognition that changes will take place and the knowledge that you're willing to deal with whatever happens.

~ Harry Browne

Like many people, most Libertarians feel empathy and sympathy for less fortunate people. But they know you can't have perfection in a world of limited resources.

~ Harry Browne

Since no one but you can know what's best for you, government control can't make your life better.

~ Harry Browne

The communitarians may say you've been enjoying too much individual freedom, and that you must give up some of that for the benefit of the community. But they really mean that they want more power over your life - to force you to subsidize, obey and conform to their choices.

~ Harry Browne