The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

by Robert A. Heinlein

A managed democracy is a wonderful thing, Manuel, for the managers … and its greatest strength is a “free press” when “free” is defined as “responsible” and the managers define what is “irresponsible.”

Comrades, if you were to spend five years in a study of history while thinking of more and more things that your government should promise never to do and then let your constitution be nothing but those negatives, I would not fear the outcome.

‘What I fear most are affirmative actions of sober and well-intentioned men, granting to government powers to do something that appears to need doing.

There is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not want merely because you think it would be good for him.’

when faced with a problem you do not understand, do any part of it you do understand, then look at it again.’