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Position:Home>History> What do these history quotes mean?Question: What do these history quotes mean!? ---"Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one!.”
---"man is not free unless government is limited!. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts" what do they mean!? i have to write a response if i agree with them or not, but i don't even know what the quotes mean!. thankS!Www@QuestionHome@Com Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Ok, so a 'necessary evil' is a common phrase meaning something we don't like or disagree with (evil), but need to have (necessary)!. I could say motorways are a necessary evil because they're stinky and cover up countryside (evil), but without them driving would be slow and difficult (necessary)!. Sorry if I'm sarting at too basic a level, but I wanted to make sure you understand it all ;) no offence meant!. So the first quote means that, under normal circumstances, the person saying it doesn't like the form of government, or maybe how it is conducted, but feels that it is often something we need (presumably to stop us sliding into chaos)!. When it goes badly or is abused, however (think of Mugabe for instance), they think it loses its 'necessary' status and is just 'evil' - so much so that they can't bear it ('intolerable')!. The second quote is saying that when a government gets too much power over its people (as in a dictatorship), the government stops looking after, or considering, the freedom and human rights of the people living in that country!. The bit about cause and effect is comparing this to a physical law, like: Cause - gravity pulls things to the Earth; Effect - if I let go of an object, it will fall to the floor!. This is something which always happens!. So this person is saying: Cause - governments get more power; Effect - people have less freedom!. There is no way the first thing can happen without the second thing automatically following on!. I think he's saying that the more a government knows about your life, and the more they control within it, the less chance you have of doing what you want to do without being restricted or punished!. Phew! That was a bit longer than I intended ;) Hope it helps!.Www@QuestionHome@Com A "necessary evil" is a thing that is inherently bad, but is needed to make life possible, or tolerable!. If you've ever used a fireplace for heat and cooking, then you know that it's a nasty, smelly, smoky, hot, eye-stinging mess, but if it's all you have for heat and cooking, then it's a necessary evil!. It beats freezing and starving!. Government is nasty, too!. It's intrusive, it requires attention (more than it gets, today) it's very costly, and yet we tolerate it because it helps provide for the common defense, promote free trade, and all the other things on which we rely today!. It really makes life, as we know it, possible!. For the second quote, the last sentence says it all!. When government gets big, it requires us to surrender our freedom!. The US Constitution says in the very first Right in the Bill of Rights that we have free speech, the freedom to assemble, and the freedom to petition our government, yet when the president goes anywhere, it's now illegal to protest where he can see it!. Demonstrations FOR him are allowed, but protests must be hidden where he can't see it!. That's liberty contracting: loss of free speech!.Www@QuestionHome@Com They are talking about the role of government in people's lives!. Take a look at the first one!.!.!. what is he saying!? At best- government is a necassary evil!. At worst, an intolerable evil!. Now take a look at the second oneWww@QuestionHome@Com |