“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it”—Mark Twain
Since the time nation-states have come into existence, the concepts of loyalty, affiliation, animosity, prejudice, etc. have taken on bizarre meanings. Artificial boundaries generated by humans have merely created separation and disconnection, forcing people to look across borders with a ridiculous sense of arrogance and an artificially induced pride. These barriers and whatever goes around within have inspired sayings by persons from all walks of life that are reverberating and will continue to do so. A few of these words of wisdom are being reproduced here, and any semblance with Pakistan’s current affairs would be purely incidental.
“The megalomaniac differs from the narcissist by the fact that he wishes to be powerful rather than charming, and seeks to be feared rather than loved. To this type belong many lunatics and most of the great men of history.” Bertrand Russel.
"The greatest patriotism is to tell your country when it is behaving dishonorably, foolishly, viciously"— Julian Barnes (Flaubert's Parrot)
These days, there is a lot of talk going on about who are patriots and who are traitors. Decades of experience and our history have brought us face to face with both men and women who, in the beginning, strongly appear to be nationalists, but then they are later declared enemies of the state. Surprisingly, these include even those personalities whose contribution towards realising the dream of a separate nation state for Muslims has been acknowledged by different writers, but somehow or other, we are made to believe that they were and are traitors.
"Civil government, so far as it is instituted for the security of property, is in reality instituted for the defence of the rich against the poor, or of those who have some property against those who have none at all"— Adam Smith
"Governments, if they endure, always tend increasingly toward aristocratic forms. No government in history has been known to evade this pattern. And as the aristocracy develops, government tends more and more to act exclusively in the interests of the ruling class - whether that class be hereditary royalty, oligarchs of financial empires, or entrenched bureaucracy. Politics as Repeat Phenomenon: Bene Gesserit Training Manual"— Frank Herbert (Children of Dune (Dune #3)
"In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of"— Confucius
The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government, and I'm here to help
When laws are made with the intention of appeasing and safeguarding the elites, the ultimate result is that the weak shoulders of the poverty-stricken members of the public start bearing their burden. This phenomenon causes restlessness, injustice and insecurity in a society.
"Steal five dollars, and you're a common thief. Steal thousands, and you're either the government or a hero"—Terry Pratchett (Going Postal (Discworld, #33; Moist von Lipwig, #1))
"One thing is clear: The Founding Fathers never intended a nation where citizens would pay nearly half of everything they earn to the government"— Ron Paul
When governments become extortionist by levying extraordinary taxes, snatching these from those who, under the constitution, may not be liable to tax, then one can easily imagine the state of the economy. The likes of dacoits in the shape of government officials, whose approach is more like filling their own pockets rather than watching the treasury’s interest, have been let loose on the helpless. They conveniently rob both the people and the country while being paid salaries from taxes and secure their future by earning tax-free pensions. Since the price of paying taxes is much higher than that of evasion, people are forced to indulge in evasive techniques to avoid confronting revenue officials.
"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws"— Tacitus (The Annals of Imperial Rome)
"There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws"—Ayn Rand
Excessive regulations are detrimental, particularly for the economy. Some countries that were struggling with poor fiscal operations made a positive turnaround by reducing unnecessary rules that were preventing free trade, allowing for freedom to do business to boost commerce, for uplifting both the people and the state.
"The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government, and I'm here to help"— Ronald Reagan
"A government is the most dangerous threat to man's rights: it holds a legal monopoly on the use of physical force against legally disarmed victims."— Ayn Rand
When law enforcers’ guns are turned inwards, targeting their own people rather than protecting them from external threats, it is a sure recipe for complete disaster.
"All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are. Humility gives it its power. If you want to govern the people, you must place yourself below them. If you want to lead the people, you must learn how to follow them"— Lao Tzu (Tao Te Ching)
If only the governments could follow this advice, the Earth would definitely be a place worth living.