Category Archives: Quotes

Quotes from my reading which may or may not have a bit of my own commentary.

Quote of the Day – End of Government Monopoly

I am taking a break from reading Ayn Rand’s “Captialism: The Unknown Ideal” and have started in on “The Myth of the Robber Barons” by Burt Folsom.  I have not read a great deal as yet, just the first couple of chapters, but it is fascinating reading.  The author gives a pretty complete picture of the big businessmen read more

A Perfect Example of Leftist Philosophy

I came across this little tidbit following a link from a Reason.com article about the absence of high profile Hollywood anti-war celebrities speaking out against President Obama’s proposed strikes against Syria.

I came across this quote and had to go back and reread it.  To me it perfectly sums up the leftist philosophy of altruism, or self-sacrifice.  Actor Ed Asner is quoted in the Hollywood Reporter as saying, in regards to President Obama:

I voted for him, but I’m not proud. He read more

Quote of the Day – Tariffs Do Not Help Domestic Industry

As I write this, I have actually finished reading “The Myth of the Robber Barons” but I have a lot of quotes built up that I think deserve to be shared.

When I read this quote, I could not help but think of the recent tariffs imposed on Chinese made solar panels.  This was done supposedly to help protect domestic solar panel producers against “dumping” done by Chinese companies that receive a large amount of support from their government.

First the quote:

One of the traditional read more

Quote of the Day – Ayn Rand on “Public Interest”

In her essay “The Pull Peddlers” which is part of “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal,” Ayn Rand discusses the phenomena of lobbying.  This is a very interesting essay and as applicable today as when it was written more than 50 years ago.

The first quote I want to share is her definition of lobbying:

“Lobbying” is the activity of attempting to influence legislation by privately influencing the legislators.  It is the result and creation of a mixed economy–of read more

Quote of the Day – A Great Summary of the Effect of Property Rights

I came across this 1792 quote from British agricultural writer Arthur Young while reading, still, “Locavore’s Dilemma: In Praise of the 10,000 Mile Diet.” As with so much in this book, it is applicable to more than just agriculture and food.

I thought this quote was a great one sentence summary of what happens when property rights are protected.

Give a man the secure possession of a bleak rock and he will turn it into a garden; Give him a nine years’ lease of a garden and read more

Quote of the Day – Small Scale Agriculture is not That Enjoyable

In doing some research for my upcoming post about food inspired by my recent vacation, I have been reading “The Locavore’s Dilemma: In Praise of the 10,000 Mile Diet” by Piere Desrochers and Hiroku Shimizu.  It does a good job looking at the downside of the growing push for more local food and less big agribusiness.

From the perspective of individuals caught in the urban rat race, small-scale farming and the promise of a simpler life looks appealing.  But the harsh reality is read more

Quote of the Day – Alan Greenspan on the Hallmark of Collectivists

Yet another quote from Ayn Rand’s “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal,” also from Alan Greenspan’s essay “The Assault on Integrity,” I cannot help but think of Mayor Bloomberg and his various attempts at “protecting” consumers, whether it be from saturated fats, sugary drinks (some of them any way), or lack of exercise (by passing a law “encouraging” the use of stairs).

The hallmark of collectivists is their deep-rooted distrust of freedom read more

Quote of the Day – Alan Greenspan on “Consumer Protection”

Here is another of the many quotes I accumulated while reading Ayn Rand’s “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal.”  This particular quote is from Alan Greenspan’s essay “The Assualt on Integrity.”   While this was originally written in 1963, it is still applicable today.  Anytime you hear that the government is regulating companies in order to “protect consumers” you should think of this quote and then ask yourself if you are truly better off.

The attempt read more

Quote of the Day – Ayn Rand on Big Business Stifling Innovation

On my return flight from vacation, I had time to read more in Ayn Rand’s “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal,” and I was amazed how much of my Kindle copy I ended up highlighting in the chapters I read, so expect a fair number of quotes to come.

This first is from the essay “Notes on the History of American Free Enterprise” by Ayn Rand, and references something I see a lot of among my conspiracy theory loving friends on Facebook, especially in regards to oil companies and read more

Quote of the Day – Alan Greenspan on Antitrust

In Ayn Rand’s “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal” Alan Greenspan ends his essay on antitrust legislation with the following:

Whatever damages the antitrust laws may have done to our economy, whatever distortions of the structure of the nation’s capital markets they have created, these are less disastrous than the fact that the effective purpose, the hidden intent, and the actual practice of the antitrust laws in the United States have led to the condemnation of the productive read more