Selected Works on Tyranny
To understand the principles of constitutional republican
government, one must understand the principles of its opposite. The
Founders of the United States generally called it tyranny,
but the 19th and 20th centuries have developed supporting doctrines or
ideologies of tyranny. Such doctrines go by various names, reflecting
subtleties of exposition and ostensible purpose: fascism,
national socialism, totalitarianism,
authoritarianism, collectivism, communism,
or statism. For the tyranny of the majority we have
majoritarianism, which has often appeared under the
labels of "socialism", "progressivism" or "liberalism", the last
originally referring to its opposite. That opposite today is usually
referred to as "libertarianism" or "constitutionalism". The following
are some works that examine the principles of tyrannical government.
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- Principles
of Tyranny, Jon Roland (2000) — Introduction and
analysis.
- Quotes
on Tyranny — Brief statements that make important
points.
- Of Tyranny (Della
tirannide), Vittorio Alfieri, (1777) tr. Julius Molinaro &
Beatrice Corrigan — Work of an Italian dramatist which led to the
establishment of an Italian republic.
- Communist
Manifesto, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (1848) —
Statement of their objectives.
- The
Man versus the State, Herbert Spencer (1884) — How
the servants try to become the masters and majorities become oppressive.
- The
Doctrine of Fascism, Benito Mussolini (1932) —
Provided tyranny a formal doctrine.
- History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire--summary of the history of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire
- Undermining the Constitution: A History of Lawless Government --Thomas James Nelson
- The Creature from Jekyl Island --G. Edward Griffin
- Highlights of American Legal and Political History, Form #11.202 --SEDM
- Hitler
Site — Collection of works, useful for scholars.
- Mein
Kampf, Adolph Hitler (1939) — The doctrine of
national socialism.
- Animal
Farm, George Orwell [Eric Blair] (1946) —
Cautionary tale of how revolutions are betrayed.
- Nineteen
Eighty-Four, George Orwell [Eric Blair] (1949) —
Dystopian tale of endless totalitarian nightmare and the logic and
methods of tyranny.
| Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of
its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under
robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber
baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be
satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us
without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.
— C.S. Lewis |
| Good intentions will always be pleaded for every
assumption of authority. It is hardly too strong to say that the
Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good
intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they
mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be
masters. — Daniel Webster |
| I am sure there was no man born marked of God above
another for none comes into the world with a saddle upon his back,
neither any booted and spurred to ride him. — Last words of Richard
Rumbold before being hanged for planning an insurrection against the
tyrant Charles II, 1679 |
| Of course the people don't want war... That is
understood. But... it's always a simple matter to drag the people along
whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, a parliament, or a
communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be
brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do
is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for
lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the
same in any country. — Hermann Goering at the Nuremberg trials, 1946
from Nuremberg Diary, by G. M. Gilbert. |