The Generalist

Great Quotes: Malo periculosam…

I’m currently reading “For Good and Evil: The Impact of Taxes on the Course of Civilization” by Charles Adams and I happened to come across this quote, which seems rather appropriate for the times.

Thomas Jefferson, an Anti-federalist, believed that (tax) rebellions every twenty years or so were “good medicine” for government. He further believed that rebels ought not be punished too harshly. To this end he referred to a Latin maxim which might come in handy when you need to dazzle naive fools.

Malo periculosam libertatem quam quietam servitutem
(“Rather a dangerious liberty than a peaceful servitude”)

Be sure always to repeat it in Latin. Fools won’t understand it anyway. Those who are simply ignorant will look it up.

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