C. S. LewisC. S. Lewis, (1898-1963), British novelist

C. S. Lewis Quote

“'Useful,' and 'necessity' was always 'the tyrant's plea'.”

C. S. LewisC. S. Lewis
~ C. S. Lewis


Ratings and Comments


Anon
  • Reply
Anon    4/16/10

I think it would be very useful to rid ourselves of the parasites in DC and believe it necessary for freedom to once more reign in the land. Does that make me and others who plead this way tyrants?

Mike, Norwalk

Though 'useful' and 'necessity' can be used out side a tyrant's plea, no tyrant has ever explained to those that he is about to injure that his actions are 'not useful' or are 'unnecessary' for the good of the people.

J Carlton, Calgary

Along with other catch phrase's like "For the common good" or "For the good of the people". Yeah right! What they mean is for "our own" good.

jim k, Austin

My personal favorite is when some politician is trying to get some crazy spending bill passed by saying " the people demand this", and ,of course, the "people" never heard of it much less "demanded it. Here's a little limerick I came up with. "Obama said health care for all, Though the bill was enough to appall, Now let it be noted, That Congress has voted, And they all have to go in the fall".

Anonymous, Reston, VA, US

Sounds just like what King George W & Jester Dick said (and still are saying)... and jim k has it wrong, "the people" have indeed demanded better health care for many decades, and until Obama DC had a deaf ear!

Mike, Norwalk

Anonymous, only those patrons of the statist theocracy demanded their church and god give them better health care, the free sovereigns and majority did not. You're right, until Mr. Obamunist Goodwrench, with his despotic stars and czars, the Congress was rightfully deaf to the tyrannically immoral and unconstitutional pleas of its useful and necessary. "The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed, lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance." (Cicero - 55 BC)

E Archer, NYC

C'mon Anonymous, people aren't demanding 'better' medical services -- they are demanding money from others to pay for their medical care. And, you know, if the country were run the way the Constitution dictates, the government might actually have something to give from the treasury -- but the point is THERE IS NO MONEY! So what right do the people have to demand that the government borrow on the backs of their children to pay for their health today -- what about their children's health? Is that what we do now -- I get sick and I need a new heart so I take my child's heart? Or I am bankrupt and I need money, so I put a lien on my children's future income to pay for me now? I see no difference between these 2 examples and what the 'progressives' are demanding. ObamaCare has just raised the taxes of everyone making less than $200K a year by removing medical tax credits and mandating purchase of health insurance -- is that what you wanted Anonymous? Happy now? Are you healthier now? How about your kids? And another reason ObamaCare is a con is that it merely creates an insurance monopoly -- it is because of easy money from Medicare and Medicaid that medical care is so expensive in America (and why insurance companies do so well) -- if there was true competition in medical care, prices would come WAY down. Funny how regulated industries have not brought prices down at all -- they only protect the biggies. Farmers are paid not to grow anything, employers are forced to pay for the unemployed (thus requiring them to hire less employees), and the people get 'free' medical care that costs everyone $5000/year for all their lives... and the crazy part is that the country is still ever spiraling into debt and indentured servitude. Yes, hypocrisy and ignorance seem to be Americans' favored traits.

Big Ed, Willow Grove

Right on

Mike, Norwalk

A from Reston, Archer actually is more accurate than I was. Only those patrons of the statist theocracy demanded their church and god to unlawfully, unconstitutionally, and immorally by force, extract money from others to pay for their medical care, the free sovereigns and majority did not.

Waffler, Smith

Thank God we have never known tyranny or the rule of one or a few in this our Beloved American Democracy.

J Carlton, Calgary

Waffler - don't get too comfortable. Tyranny is almost here.

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