Looking for a Quote

[Lpe04]

Hey guys,
I'm looking for a quote. It's either Ben Franklin or Tom Jefferson. Basically it says that as soon as politicians find that they can promise people money to get elected, that will be the downfall, or something like that. Any help is greatly appreciated.

God bless!

 

[MrJim]

You might check over in the history or political forums~I'm not familiar with the quote..

 

[Nadiine]

You might check over in the history or political forums~I'm not familiar with the quote..

me either...

if a Google word search of the words it has in it doesn't do it...
I wouldn't know how else to find it...

 

[Cris413]

I think this may be the quote you're looking for:

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years.

Great nations rise and fall. The people go from bondage to spiritual truth, to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependence, from dependence back again to bondage.

More info here

It's unclear who actually wrote this.

 

[Nadiine]

I think this may be the quote you're looking for:

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years.

Great nations rise and fall. The people go from bondage to spiritual truth, to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependence, from dependence back again to bondage.

More info here

It's unclear who actually wrote this.

Dear Lord! I'd say that sums this nation right up.

*frightening*
How long did Rome last?

 

[tisamy]

To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee to everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it.” — Thomas Jefferson, letter to Joseph Milligan, April 6, 1816

When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.” — Benjamin Franklin

http://motls.blogspot.com/2008/10/founding-fathers-on-redistribution-of.html

 

[Lpe04]

When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic

That's the one I was looking for. Thanks! It's true.

Cris, that made me think What a handful, haha. I would have said 400 years, but who's counting? Good quote. God bless.

 

[Nadiine]

To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee to everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it.” — Thomas Jefferson, letter to Joseph Milligan, April 6, 1816

When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.” — Benjamin Franklin

http://motls.blogspot.com/2008/10/founding-fathers-on-redistribution-of.html

maybe we will end up moving to Mexico after all!

 

[brinny]