--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The government has incredible powers at…" description: "\"“The government has incredible powers at its disposal, and when it abuses those powers, someone has to stand up.”\" — Mark Hertsgaard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/mark-hertsgaard-55219_politics_the-government-has-incredible-powers-at_1657248.jpg" --- # The government has incredible powers at its disposal, and… ![“The government has incredible powers at its disposal, and when it abuses those powers, someone has to stand up.” quote by Mark Hertsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/mark-hertsgaard-55219_politics_the-government-has-incredible-powers-at_1657248.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/mark-hertsgaard-55219_politics_the-government-has-incredible-powers-at_1657248.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d31/mark-hertsgaard-55219_politics_the-government-has-incredible-powers-at_1657248.jpg) > ““The government has incredible powers at its disposal, and when it abuses those powers, someone has to stand up.”” [Mark Hertsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hertsgaard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When governments overreach, individuals must oppose to protect liberty. **In simple terms:** Stand up against government abuse. Key Takeaway Defend democratic freedoms. Themes politics freedom activism Mood determined urgent Type political inspirational When to use this quote - protest movements - whistleblowing - legal challenges Key Concepts Civil disobedience checks and balances Questions to Reflect On - When should you intervene? - What are effective peaceful resistance methods? A Different Perspective Opposition can be risky and may face repression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuses/) [Abuses Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuses-powers-719116/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Incredible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-incredible-719117/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Powers Stand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powers-stand-719118/) ## Related quotes > [We must not allow the practices of an anti-democratic State that abuses the powers of government to violate the human rights of Venezuelans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leopoldo-lopez/we-must-not-allow-the-practices-of-an-anti-democratic-state-that/) [Leopoldo Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leopoldo-lopez/) > [All governments should be pressured to correct their abuses of human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/all-governments-should-be-pressured-to-correct-their-abuses-of-human/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [As the list of abuses by federal agencies grows, Americans are rapidly losing trust in government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-meadows/as-the-list-of-abuses-by-federal-agencies-grows-americans-are-rapidly/) [Mark Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-meadows/) > [But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-when-a-long-train-of-abuses-and-usurpations-pursuing-invariably/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Do not suppose that abuses are eliminated by destroying the object which is abused. Men can go wrong with wine and women. Shall we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/do-not-suppose-that-abuses-are-eliminated-by-destroying-the-object/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [The disposition of all power is to abuses, nor does it at all mend the matter that its possessors are a majority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/the-disposition-of-all-power-is-to-abuses-nor-does-it-at-all-mend-the-2/) [James F. 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Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [The arts of power and its minions are the same in all countries and in all ages. It marks its victim; denounces it; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-clay/the-arts-of-power-and-its-minions-are-the-same-in-all-countries-and/) [Henry Clay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-clay/) > [“There have been extensive human rights violations by American psychiatrists over the last 70 years. These doctors were pad by the American taxpayer through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-a-ross/there-have-been-extensive-human-rights-violations-by-american/) [Colin A. Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-a-ross/) > [It is impossible to correct abuses unless we know that theyre going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/it-is-impossible-to-correct-abuses-unless-we-know-that-theyre-going-on/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [Pity those whom nature abuses, never those who abuse nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/pity-those-whom-nature-abuses-never-those-who-abuse-nature/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) ## More by Mark Hertsgaard > [During Mr. Reagan's trip to Europe...members of the traveling press corps watched him doze off so many times--during speeches by French President Francois Mitterrand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hertsgaard/during-mr-reagan-s-trip-to-europe-members-of-the-traveling-press/) [Mark Hertsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hertsgaard/) > [Travel is like knowledge. The more you see, the more you know you haven’t seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hertsgaard/travel-is-like-knowledge-the-more-you-see-the-more-you-know-you-haven/) [Mark Hertsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hertsgaard/) > [In fact, every child on earth born after June 23, 1988 belongs to what I call Generation Hot. This generation includes some two billion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hertsgaard/in-fact-every-child-on-earth-born-after-june-23-1988-belongs-to-what/) [Mark Hertsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hertsgaard/) > [Americans cannot escape a certain responsibility for what is done in our name around the world. 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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/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [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/) > [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [Louisiana's spicy, colorful politics have saddled our state with a reputation for tolerating lax ethical standards in government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kennedy/louisiana-s-spicy-colorful-politics-have-saddled-our-state-with-a/) [John Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kennedy/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [He is almost a statesman. 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