Quotation by

Thomas Jefferson

The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive.

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Understanding this quote AI Analysis

Thomas Jefferson is saying that opposing government actions can be very important in some situations to protect people's rights or prevent abuse. He believes this attitude should never disappear because it helps keep the government accountable.

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A wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take …
I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial by strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country.

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Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil in its worst state, an intolerable one.