How does something immoral, when done privately, become moral when it is done collectively? Furthermore, does legality establish morality? Slavery was legal; apartheid is legal; Stalinist, Nazi, and Maoist purges were legal. Clearly, the fact of legality does not justify these crimes. Legality, alone, cannot be the talisman of moral people. —Walter Williams
If even a sizeable minority simply refuses to comply, the order becomes unenforceable, and eventually gets repealed. We saw this with mask mandates in many places across the US, where they were ignored by a few, then by many, then by almost everyone, then were repealed. —Spike Cohen (Libertarian Party Vice-Presidential Candidate 2020)
Governments claim to write laws to protect us. A law for this, a law for that. But are they working? I don’t think so. ―Vince Vaughn
When a gang member steals, it is called theft. When the mafia calls a hit, it is called murder. When a politician orders the same, it is called “Public Policy” —Jack Lloyd
It is indeed probable that more harm and misery have been caused by men determined to use coercion to stamp out a moral evil than by men intent on doing evil. —F.A. Hayek
Tariff policy beneficiaries are always visible, but its victims are mostly invisible. Politicians love this. The reason is simple: The beneficiaries know for whom to cast their ballots, and the victims don’t know whom to blame for their calamity. —Walter Williams
Minimum wage laws make it illegal for a worker to accept a job that pays less, even if the worker needs that job. —Peter Schiff
Prohibiting something that is highly desired does not make the desire go away but merely ensures that the supply of that good is provided in the most dangerous and undesirable manner possible, and endows criminal sectors of society with additional wealth and power. —Ron Paul (The Revolution: A Manifesto)
If you must ask for permission, it isn’t a right. It’s a privilege. And if you take a look around, every single pursuit that is supposed to be a fundamental right has been taken from us and turned to a subservient “license” or “permit.” —Jack Lloyd
Minimum-wage laws are one of the most powerful tools in the arsenal of racists. —Walter Williams