Corruption, the most infallible symptom of constitutional liberty.

-Edward Gibbon


How does this pertain to present times?

7/29/2006 10:25:35 PM

It's probably being used today by GOP apologists to assure people that corruption is normal in a free society.

I bet it's extra effective since stupid people tend to take quotes from famous dead people as gospel.


But as far as the quote itself? Meh? I don't see how constitutional rights cause corruption. Seems more like a symptom of totalitarian governments.



[Edited on July 29, 2006 at 11:02 PM. Reason : .]

7/29/2006 10:56:20 PM

I don't particularly like the quote, but I think it means that people will always take advantage of the freedoms they have. Kinda like "give them an inch, they take a mile" kinda shit. But I'd rather have freedoms that people abuse sometimes than none at all.

7/29/2006 11:05:06 PM

corruption is an infallible symptom of government, no matter what form it takes.

7/29/2006 11:06:47 PM

^ oooh


[Edited on July 29, 2006 at 11:11 PM. Reason : .]

7/29/2006 11:08:36 PM

Carter this guy's deep, where'd ya find him?

7/30/2006 2:11:07 AM

^^^ Ding ding ding!

I would be shocked to hear that western countries with liberty suffer greater degrees of corruption than, say, Somalia.

He may have meant large scale corruption, because all though North Carolina, as an example, may have much less corruption as a percentage of the economy, that economy is massive compared to Somalia. The Somali rulers could steal literally everything in the country (I think they have) and only barely get the same value as a single corrupt politician embezzling from some programs.

Is this quote a lament that liberty breeds wealth?

7/30/2006 8:56:17 AM