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Civil war Quote by Ayn Rand

“You called it selfish and cruel that men should trade value for value—you have now established an unselfish society where they trade extortion for extortion. Your system is a legal civil war, where men gang up on one another and struggle for possession of the law, which they use as a club over…” quote by Ayn Rand
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““You called it selfish and cruel that men should trade value for value—you have now established an unselfish society where they trade extortion for extortion. Your system is a legal civil war, where men gang up on one another and struggle for possession of the law, which they use as a club over rivals, till another gang wrests it from their clutch and clubs them with it in their turn, all of them clamoring protestations of service to an unnamed public’s unspecified good.””

Ayn Rand

About This Quote

Source Essay: "The Ethics of Money", 1970

Critiques a society where law becomes a weapon for power, creating a cycle of oppression.

In simple terms: Law used as a tool of domination.

Key Takeaway

Beware of legal systems that empower the few.

Themes

justice power law

Mood

critical skeptical

Type

philosophical political

When to use this quote

  • activism
  • policy reform
  • community organizing

Key Concepts

political philosophy anarchism

Questions to Reflect On

  • Is all law inherently oppressive?
  • How can we ensure law serves the public?
A Different Perspective

Complex ideas may oversimplify nuanced issues.

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