Semper Fi Quotes

“The threat of force is worthless unless the person (or country) making the threats has both the demonstrated will and ability to actually carry out those threats. Talk is cheap; action rather less so. Indeed, the more threats a person makes that are ignored (and not then backed up) the more credibility they lose. Eventually, they reach a point where carrying out the threats becomes imperative, if only because no one believes that they will”
― Christopher G. Nuttall, Semper Fi

“all human societies are ruled by the strong, those who are both willing and able to enforce their demands by force. On the micro scale, a father willing to spank his children wields more authority than a condoning parent; on the macro scale, a political leader willing to use force to get his way wields more authority than a leader unwilling to back up his words with action. And actions always speak louder than words”
― Christopher G. Nuttall, Semper Fi

“The issues facing any state, therefore, required a balancing act. A state must have enough power to overawe the strong; conversely, it must also have limits on that power to prevent the politicians from becoming the strong. At the same time, it must reward hard work without accidentally suppressing it – or ruining its own economy. It must also be capable of heeding the will of the people while, at the same time, ignoring the ignorant. Sadly, this balancing act is very difficult to maintain. For one thing, how does one actually define 'ignorant?' -Professor Leo Caesius, Authority, Power and the Post-Imperial Era”
― Christopher G. Nuttall, Semper Fi

“This may seem absurd – after all, the motives are good.  But you may also wish to remember the parable of the cooked frog.  When dropped into boiling water, the frog jumped out and fled – scalded, but alive; when dropped into a slowly heating pot, the frog stayed put until it was too late.  And the cook had boiled frog for dinner.  It is rare for freedoms to be lost overnight.  Instead, they are traded away, piece by piece, until it is too late. -Professor Leo Caesius, Authority, Power and the Post-Imperial Era”
― Christopher Nuttall, Semper Fi

“And yet we have an never-ending series of politicians and political leaders who believe that they can not only make choices for their population, but override the will of the population whenever they see fit.  The justifications will vary – guns will be banned on grounds of public safety, for example, while drugs will be banned on grounds of personal health – yet the underlying motive will remain the same.  -Professor Leo Caesius, Authority, Power and the Post-Imperial Era”
― Christopher Nuttall, Semper Fi