Eugene McCarthy Quote

“The only thing that saves us from the bureaucracy is inefficiency. An efficient bureaucracy is the greatest threat to liberty.”

~ Eugene McCarthy

Time Magazine, 12 February 1979

Ratings and Comments


J Carlton, Calgary

Unionized, work to rule bureaucracies are one of the greatest plagues on a free people. Administrations are necessary, but should be held accountable and subject to performance review.

Anon
  • Reply
Anon    3/31/10

It's easy to see why our bureaucracies are inefficient. Efficiency means accountability whereas inefficiency allows everyone to point fingers at each other and there is no evidence of who exactly is responsible. This way they can lose 2.3 trillion dollars and get away with it til this day.

Anonymous, Reston, VA, US

This is perhaps the biggest thing wrong with America... that we seem to worship inefficiency...

jim k, Austin

We do not worship inefficiency except when it comes to government bureaus. The above quote is correct. As to efficient government, Adolph Hitler sure enough had a VERY efficient one much to the sorrow of millions of people.

RBESRQ
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  • Reply
RBESRQ    3/31/10

The other great threat to Liberty are the radical libertarians.

J Carlton, Calgary

For sure RBE...those who adhere to the Constitution are definitely "radical". BTW, what color is the sky on your planet?

E Archer, NYC

The corporatization of government and its incessant growth are the ways politicians get to put money into their supporters pockets (at the expense of everyone else, of course). Perhaps efficiency isn't the evil but the fact that our government operates outside of its Constitutional limits and therefore if efficient, our servitude is guaranteed. The purpose of the US government is to spend money, period. Money that is interest-bearing, that is. And since the Federal Reserve controls the government and the economy, their goal is simple: increase the debt of the People to the bank and continually suck as much of the life-blood of the nation as it can without killing it entirely. Be glad that the enablers for this scheme are inefficient. If only the people were smart enough to see the con and run these rascals out on a rail tarred and feathered....

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