A great empire and little minds go ill together.
Edmund BurkeRead
Taxing is an easy business. Any projector can contrive new impositions; any bungler can add to the old; but is it altogether wise to have no other bounds to your impositions than the patience of those who are to bear them?
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote questions the wisdom of imposing taxes solely based on the limits of people's tolerance.
Edmund Burke's quote critiques the nature of taxation, suggesting that while it may be easy to create and increase taxes, doing so without considering the citizens' ability to endure such burdens is unwise. It prompts reflection on the moral and ethical responsibilities of those in power, urging a deeper understanding of fairness and the potential consequences of relentless taxation.
Themes
TaxationWisdomBurdenPoliticsEthics
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about fiscal policy, one might use this quote to highlight the need for prudent taxation.
More from Edmund Burke
All quotes →To read without reflecting is like eating without digesting.
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Flattery corrupts both the receiver and the giver.
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The hottest fires in hell are reserved for those who remain neutral in times of moral crisis.
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Society can overlook murder, adultery or swindling; it never forgives preaching of a new gospel.
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The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
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