--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Those who use the word 'anarchy' to mean…" description: "\"“Those who use the word 'anarchy' to mean disorder or misrule, are not in correct. If they regard government as necessary, if they think that we could ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fe/albert-meltzer-39715_politics_those-who-use-the-word-anarchy-to-mean-d_1723166.jpg" --- # Those who use the word 'anarchy' to mean disorder or… ![“Those who use the word 'anarchy' to mean disorder or misrule, are not in correct. If they regard government as necessary, if they think that we could not live without Whitehall or the White House directing our affairs, if they think politicians are essential to our well-being and that we could not…” quote by Albert Meltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fe/albert-meltzer-39715_politics_those-who-use-the-word-anarchy-to-mean-d_1723166.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fe/albert-meltzer-39715_politics_those-who-use-the-word-anarchy-to-mean-d_1723166.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fe/albert-meltzer-39715_politics_those-who-use-the-word-anarchy-to-mean-d_1723166.jpg) > ““Those who use the word 'anarchy' to mean disorder or misrule, are not in correct. If they regard government as necessary, if they think that we could not live without Whitehall or the White House directing our affairs, if they think politicians are essential to our well-being and that we could not behave socially without policemen, they are right in assuming that anarchy means the opposite to what government guarantees. But those who take the reverse opinion, and consider government to be tyranny, are right too in considering anarchy, no government, to be liberty. If government is the maintenance of privilege and exploitation--and inefficiency of distribution its tool then only anarchy is order.”” [Albert Meltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-meltzer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Anarchy can be seen as either chaos or true freedom, depending on whether government is viewed as protective or oppressive. **In simple terms:** Anarchy means opposite of government, either disorder or liberty. Key Takeaway Recognize how definitions shift with political views. Themes politics freedom government anarchy liberty Mood critical thoughtful Type philosophical political When to use this quote - activism - policy debate - community organizing - academic discussion - public protest Key Concepts social contract power dynamics state legitimacy libertarianism Questions to Reflect On - How do you define liberty? - Can a society function without any authority? A Different Perspective If government truly serves privilege, anarchy may not bring order but further instability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Anarchy Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchy-government-1357681/) [Anarchy Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchy-mean-1357678/) [Anarchy Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anarchy-means-1357679/) [Assuming Anarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assuming-anarchy-1357677/) [Considering Anarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/considering-anarchy-1357680/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [White house](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-house/) ## Related quotes > [The worst thing in the world, next to anarchy, is government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/the-worst-thing-in-the-world-next-to-anarchy-is-government/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [The worst thing in this world, next to anarchy, is government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/the-worst-thing-in-this-world-next-to-anarchy-is-government/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [ANARCHY, or the government of each man by himself or as the English say, self -government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/anarchy-or-the-government-of-each-man-by-himself-or-as-the-english/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) > [“ Eve: All this riot and uproar, V... is this Anarchy? Is this the Land of Do-As-You-Please? V: No. This is only the land…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/eve-all-this-riot-and-uproar-v-is-this-anarchy-is-this-the-land-of-do/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [The notion of anarchy ...means that once industrial functions have taken over from political functions, then business transactions and exchange alone produce the social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/the-notion-of-anarchy-means-that-once-industrial-functions-have-taken/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) > [In the sense that anarchy equals freedom, yes. Anarchy means freedom, but it also means chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rei-kawakubo/in-the-sense-that-anarchy-equals-freedom-yes-anarchy-means-freedom/) [Rei Kawakubo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rei-kawakubo/) > [The public should begin to understand that there's nothing that comes out of this campaign, or this Obama White House, that they can believe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-sununu/the-public-should-begin-to-understand-that-there-s-nothing-that-comes/) [John Sununu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-sununu/) > [I am a member of that small, little group that covers - I'm a member of the White House correspondents association. I go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-am-a-member-of-that-small-little-group-that-covers-i-m-a-member-of/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Since I came to the White House, I got two hearing aids, a colon operation, skin cancer, a prostate operation, and I was shot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/since-i-came-to-the-white-house-i-got-two-hearing-aids-a-colon/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I think that if you look at all of the books that have ever been written about people working in the White House, they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyssa-mastromonaco/i-think-that-if-you-look-at-all-of-the-books-that-have-ever-been/) [Alyssa Mastromonaco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyssa-mastromonaco/) > [So, President Obama wants to change America. I understand that. We don't need to change America. We need to change the White House. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-diaz-balart/so-president-obama-wants-to-change-america-i-understand-that-we-don-t/) [Mario Diaz-Balart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-diaz-balart/) > [I don't think they need to be nice to reporters, but the White House seems to imagine that releasing information is like a tap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/i-don-t-think-they-need-to-be-nice-to-reporters-but-the-white-house/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [How do you, on the one hand, not object to Hillary Clinton being elected, and then, on the other hand, tell people, "Elect me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/how-do-you-on-the-one-hand-not-object-to-hillary-clinton-being/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I had to perform at the White House for the president, That's always kind of a weird set to try to put together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-foxworthy/i-had-to-perform-at-the-white-house-for-the-president-that-s-always/) [Jeff Foxworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-foxworthy/) > [“Fortunately, I knew the cardinal rule of getting on with one’s fellow cooks. It applies in any kitchen and can be summed up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-p-pin/fortunately-i-knew-the-cardinal-rule-of-getting-on-with-one-s-fellow/) [Jacques Pépin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-p-pin/) ## More by Albert Meltzer > [Optimism is inevitably the last hope of the defeated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-meltzer/optimism-is-inevitably-the-last-hope-of-the-defeated/) [Albert Meltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-meltzer/) > [“Personally, I want to die in dignity but my passing celebrated jollity. I've told my executors that I want a stand up comedian in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-meltzer/personally-i-want-to-die-in-dignity-but-my-passing-celebrated-jollity/) [Albert Meltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-meltzer/) > [“An anarchist society is by definition a Free Society, but a Free Society is not necessarily Anarchist. It might fall short in several respects.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-meltzer/an-anarchist-society-is-by-definition-a-free-society-but-a-free/) [Albert Meltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-meltzer/) > [Though I knew so far as Anarchism was concerned I was backing a lost cause, it didn't seem to matter as every other cause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-meltzer/though-i-knew-so-far-as-anarchism-was-concerned-i-was-backing-a-lost/) [Albert Meltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-meltzer/) > [Nobody is fit to rule anybody else. It is not alleged that Mankind is perfect, or that merely through his/her natural goodness (or lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-meltzer/nobody-is-fit-to-rule-anybody-else-it-is-not-alleged-that-mankind-is/) [Albert Meltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-meltzer/) > [If I can't have a revolution, what is there to dance about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-meltzer/if-i-can-t-have-a-revolution-what-is-there-to-dance-about/) [Albert Meltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-meltzer/) > [There are sermons in stones, but it depends on how good your aim is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-meltzer/there-are-sermons-in-stones-but-it-depends-on-how-good-your-aim-is/) [Albert Meltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-meltzer/) > [“...the "allies" of today would be the bureaucrats of tomorrow ...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-meltzer/the-allies-of-today-would-be-the-bureaucrats-of-tomorrow/) [Albert Meltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-meltzer/) > [In the opinion of the anarchist, the sum total of human ills is expressed in one word-authority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-meltzer/in-the-opinion-of-the-anarchist-the-sum-total-of-human-ills-is/) [Albert Meltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-meltzer/) > [“There is no limit of degradation to which power cannot bring anyone even with the loftiest principles. We would hope that being unprepared for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-meltzer/there-is-no-limit-of-degradation-to-which-power-cannot-bring-anyone/) [Albert Meltzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-meltzer/) [Explore all 11 Albert Meltzer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-meltzer/) ## More Politics quotes > [Sentiment is the mightiest force in civilization; not sentimentality, but sentiment. Women will bring this into politics. Home, sweet home, is as powerful on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-ellen-foster/sentiment-is-the-mightiest-force-in-civilization-not-sentimentality/) [Judith Ellen Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-ellen-foster/) > [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [“Only careful political manoeuvring will be able to manage the situation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davan-yahya-khalil/only-careful-political-manoeuvring-will-be-able-to-manage-the/) [Davan Yahya Khalil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davan-yahya-khalil/) > [We could form a government of national unity fighting corruption. The ordinary Afghan is sick and tired of it, because it's she or he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/we-could-form-a-government-of-national-unity-fighting-corruption-the/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) > [Politics is not an issue whether you like or dislike , but every citizen must involve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khem-veasna/politics-is-not-an-issue-whether-you-like-or-dislike-but-every/) [Khem Veasna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khem-veasna/) > [For the Scottish government, the practice of having meetings in different parts of the country is well established, but for the U.K. government, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/for-the-scottish-government-the-practice-of-having-meetings-in/) [Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/) > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Scepticism and cynicism about politics is so great that one of the best counters to it is what you can do at a local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-miliband/scepticism-and-cynicism-about-politics-is-so-great-that-one-of-the/) [Ed Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-miliband/) > [Right now we're concerned about budget. Right now we're concerned about the prospect of interest rate rise. We're concerned about government corruption, government handing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/right-now-we-re-concerned-about-budget-right-now-we-re-concerned/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/) [Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/) > [“Jim Reston: Walking through the crowds of air-kissing politicians, actors and high fliers, it was tough to tell where the politics stopped and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-morgan/jim-reston-walking-through-the-crowds-of-air-kissing-politicians/) [Peter Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-morgan/) > [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [The notion of a non-religious Christmas is ridiculous. But so is the insistence on the part of Christians that politicians and retailers carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-campos-duffy/the-notion-of-a-non-religious-christmas-is-ridiculous-but-so-is-the/) [Rachel Campos-Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-campos-duffy/) > [A man who kills on his own is a murderer. A man who kills at his government's request is a national hero.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramman-kenoun/a-man-who-kills-on-his-own-is-a-murderer-a-man-who-kills-at-his/) [Ramman Kenoun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramman-kenoun/) > [Politics in Philadelphia is a contact sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-nutter/politics-in-philadelphia-is-a-contact-sport/) [Michael Nutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-nutter/) [Browse all 44,914 Politics quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Those who use the word 'anarchy' to mean disorder or misrule, are not in correct. If they regard government as necessary, if they think that we could not live without Whitehall or the White House directing our affairs, if they think politicians are essential to our well-being and that we could not behave socially without policemen, they are right in assuming that anarchy means the opposite to what government guarantees. But those who take the reverse opinion, and consider government to be tyranny, are right too in considering anarchy, no government, to be liberty. If government is the maintenance of privilege and exploitation--and inefficiency of distribution its tool then only anarchy is order.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Albert Meltzer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-meltzer/those-who-use-the-word-anarchy-to-mean-disorder-or-misrule-are-not-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Politics" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-meltzer/those-who-use-the-word-anarchy-to-mean-disorder-or-misrule-are-not-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fe/albert-meltzer-39715_politics_those-who-use-the-word-anarchy-to-mean-d_1723166.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fe/albert-meltzer-39715_politics_those-who-use-the-word-anarchy-to-mean-d_1723166.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fe/albert-meltzer-39715_politics_those-who-use-the-word-anarchy-to-mean-d_1723166.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Those who use the word 'anarchy' to mean disorder or misrule, are not in correct. If they regard government…” — Albert Meltzer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Albert Meltzer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-meltzer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Those who use the word 'anarchy'...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-meltzer/those-who-use-the-word-anarchy-to-mean-disorder-or-misrule-are-not-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-meltzer/those-who-use-the-word-anarchy-to-mean-disorder-or-misrule-are-not-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```