The most absurd apology for authority and law is that they serve to diminish crime. Aside from the fact that the State is itself the greatest criminal, breaking every written and natural law, stealing in the form of taxes, killing in the form of war and capital punishment, it has come to an absolute standstill in coping with crime.

—Emma Goldman

war law apology authority crime taxes capital punishment

About Emma Goldman

Portrait of Emma Goldman

Emma Goldman (June 27, 1869 – May 14, 1940) was a Russian-born anarchist revolutionary, political activist, and writer. She played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in North America and Europe in the first half of the 20th century.

More quotations from Emma Goldman

So long as every institution of today, economic, political, social, and moral, conspires to misdirect human energy into wrong channels; so long as most people are out of place doing the things they hate to do, living a life they loathe to live, crime will be inevitable, and all the laws on the statutes can only increase, but never do away with, crime.

—Emma Goldman

law crime corruption

If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal.

—Emma Goldman

Order derived through submission and maintained by terror is not much of a safe guaranty; yet that is the only "order" that governments have ever maintained. True social harmony grows naturally out of solidarity of interests. In a society where those who always work never have anything, while those who never work enjoy everything, solidarity of interests is nonexistent; hence social harmony is but a myth. . . . Thus the entire arsenal of government — laws, police, soldiers, the courts, legislatures, prisons — is strenuously engaged in "harmonizing" the most antagonistic elements in society.

—Emma Goldman

Real wealth consists in things of utility and beauty, in things that help to create strong, beautiful bodies and surroundings inspiring to live in.

—Emma Goldman

strength wealth

I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck.

—Emma Goldman

flowers roses diamonds

More quotations tagged with “taxes”

The best way to teach your kids about taxes is by eating 30% of their ice cream.

taxes kids ice cream

There's always somebody who is paid too much, and taxed too little - and it's always somebody else.

—Cullen Hightower

Death is the most convenient time to tax rich people.

—David Lloyd George

politics death taxes

I wish the government would put a tax on pianos for the incompetent.

—Edith Sitwell

music government taxes pianos

The way taxes are, you might as well marry for love.

—Joe E. Lewis