Quotation by
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Government is an evil it is only the thoughtlessness and vices of men that make it a necessary evil. When all men are good and wise, government will of itself decay.
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Understanding this quote AI Analysis
Shelley is saying that government itself is harmful, but it becomes needed because people are often careless and flawed. If everyone were perfectly good and wise, there would be no need for government, and it would naturally disappear.
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