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The smallest minority on earth is the
individual. Those who deny individual rights, cannot claim to be defenders
of minorities.
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-Ayn Rand
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Words are a lens to focus one's mind.
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-Ayn Rand
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Civilization is the progress of toward a
society of privacy. The savage's whole existence is public, ruled by the
laws of his tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from
men.
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-Ayn Rand
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The right of a nation to determine its own
form of government does not include the right to establish a slave society
(that is, to legalize the enslavement of some men by others). There is no
such thing as "the right to enslave." A nation can do it, just as a man can
become a criminal- but neither can do it by right.
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-Ayn Rand
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~Under a proper social
system, a private individual is legally free to take any action he pleases
(so long as he does not violate the rights of others), while a government
official is bound by law in his every official act. A private individual may
do anything except that which is legally forbidden; a government official
may do nothing except that which is legally permitted.
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-Ayn Rand
The Objectivist Newsletter, December
1963
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*It is only by means of
principles that one can set one's long-range goals and evaluate the
concrete alternatives of any given moment. It is only principles that
enable a man to plan his future and to achieve it.
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-Ayn Rand
Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, 1966
"Current State", Ch. 14, "The Anatomy of Compromise", 1964
Originally appeared in
The Objectivist Newsletter, January,
1964
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Today, racism is regarded as a crime if
practiced by a majority - but as an inalienable right if practiced by a
minority. The notion that one's culture is superior to all others solely
because it represents the traditions of one's ancestors, is regarded as
chauvinism if claimed by a majority - but as 'ethnic' pride if claimed by
a minority. Resistance to change and progress is regarded as reactionary
if demonstrated by a majority - but retrogression to a Balkan village, to
an Indian teepee or to the jungle is hailed if demonstrated by a majority.
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-Ayn Rand
The Age of Envy
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