Excerpts from his address upon receiving the 2017 Bradley Prize:
Now for most of human history, mankind has been subject to arbitrary abuse and control by others,
It’s personal liberty that’s the rare state of affairs, and enjoyed by only a tiny part of mankind mostly in the western world, and for only a tiny part of its history — just a couple of centuries or so. We Americans bear an awesome burden to preserve liberty. If liberty dies in America, it will be dead for all times, everywhere.
Most of us accept that it’s ok for Congress to forcibly use one American to serve the purposes of another American. We just don’t think of it that way. But at least two-thirds of the federal budget can be described as Congress taking the earnings of one American and giving them to another American to whom they do not belong,
…Keep in mind that the forcible use of one person to serve the purpose of another is a fairly good working definition of slavery. Now don’t get me wrong, I personally believe in helping our fellow man in need. I believe that is praiseworthy and laudable to help one’s fellow man by reaching into one’s own pockets to do so. I think it’s worthy of condemnation to help one’s fellow man by reaching into someone else’s pocket to help.”
-Prof Walter E. Williams (Economics, George Mason University, author, columnist, speaker)
(H/T: CNSNews)
