--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Liberals love to say things like, \"We're…" description: "\"Liberals love to say things like, \"We're just asking everyone to pay their fair share.\" But government is not about asking. It is about telling. The di..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/thomas-sowell-247_african-american_liberals-love-to-say-things-like-we-re-j_1912891.jpg" --- # Liberals love to say things like, "We're just asking… ![“Liberals love to say things like, "We're just asking everyone to pay their fair share." But government is not about asking. It is about telling. The difference is fundamental. It is the difference between making love and being raped, between working for a living and being a slave. The Internal…” quote by Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/thomas-sowell-247_african-american_liberals-love-to-say-things-like-we-re-j_1912891.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/thomas-sowell-247_african-american_liberals-love-to-say-things-like-we-re-j_1912891.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e8e/thomas-sowell-247_african-american_liberals-love-to-say-things-like-we-re-j_1912891.jpg) > “Liberals love to say things like, "We're just asking everyone to pay their fair share." But government is not about asking. It is about telling. The difference is fundamental. It is the difference between making love and being raped, between working for a living and being a slave. The Internal Revenue service is not asking anybody to do anything. It confiscates your assets and puts you behind bars if you don't pay.” [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author contrasts voluntary cooperation with coercive taxation, arguing that taxes are a forced extraction rather than a request, equating it with oppression. **In simple terms:** Taxes are forced, not asked. Key Takeaway Recognize the coercive nature of taxation. Themes politics economics freedom Mood skeptical provocative Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy debates - tax reform discussions - civil rights activism Key Concepts taxation coercion government authority Questions to Reflect On - Is all taxation inherently oppressive? - How do public services justify taxation? A Different Perspective The analogy may oversimplify complex fiscal policy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [African american](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/african-american/) [Anti liberal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anti-liberal/) [Conservative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservative/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Fair share](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fair-share/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Imprisonment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imprisonment/) [Libertarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/libertarian/) [Libertarianism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/libertarianism/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Working for a living](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-for-a-living/) ## Related quotes > [Another way of verbally masking elite preemption of other people's decisions is to use the word 'ask'-as in 'We are just asking everyone to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/another-way-of-verbally-masking-elite-preemption-of-other-people-s/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Liberals are very broadminded: they are always willing to give careful consideration to both sides of the same side](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/liberals-are-very-broadminded-they-are-always-willing-to-give-careful/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The biggest hypocrites on gun control are those who live in upscale developments with armed security guards - and who want to keep other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-biggest-hypocrites-on-gun-control-are-those-who-live-in-upscale/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [Instead of incentivizing quick, short-term decisions, the federal government should be asking the tough questions when governments turn over publicly funded transportation assets to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-durbin/instead-of-incentivizing-quick-short-term-decisions-the-federal/) [Dick Durbin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-durbin/) > [Our government is asking people to continue fighting wars for us but we don't always treat them as well as we do when they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-lamb/our-government-is-asking-people-to-continue-fighting-wars-for-us-but/) [Conor Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-lamb/) > [“Is it better to not get to know them?' 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