Federal government Quote by Walt Whitman
““the swarms of cringers, suckers, doughfaces, lice of politics, planners of sly involutions for their own preferment to city offices or state legislatures or the judiciary or congress or the presidency, obtain a response of love and natural deference from the people whether they get the offices or no . . . . when it is better to be a bound booby and rogue in office at a high salary than the poorest free mechanic or farmer with his hat unmoved from his head and firm eyes and a candid and generous heart . . . . and when servility by town or state or the federal government or any oppression on a large scale or small scale can be tried on without its own punishment following duly after in exact proportion against the smallest chance of escape . . . . or rather when all life and all the souls of men and women are discharged from any part of the earth—then only shall the instinct of liberty be discharged from that part of the earth.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: Leaves of Grass, 1855
The passage critiques political corruption and the loss of liberty, urging vigilance against oppression.
In simple terms: Corruption erodes freedom.
Key Takeaway
Guard liberty against corrupt power.
Themes
politics
corruption
freedom
oppression
liberty
Mood
critical
thought‑provoking
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- voting
- activism
- community organizing
- public discourse
Key Concepts
social critique
political satire
civil rights
Questions to Reflect On
- What actions can individuals take to protect liberty?
- How does corruption affect everyday life?
A Different Perspective
Idealistic visions may overlook practical constraints.
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