Quotation by

Ayn Rand

The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.
Men

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Understanding this quote AI Analysis

Ayn Rand is saying that governments rely on punishing people to maintain control, so if there aren’t enough real criminals, they create more by making too many actions illegal. This overcriminalization forces ordinary people to break laws just by living their daily lives.

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In a free society the state does not administer the affairs of men. It administers justice among men who conduct their own affairs.

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