Don Colacho’s Aphorisms

Nobody in politics can foresee the consequences either of what he destroys, or of what he constructs. Escolios a un Texto Implícito: Selecci...

In the modern state there now exist only two parties: citizens and bureaucracy. Escolios a un Texto Implícito: Selección , p. 475

Unlimited gullibility is required to be able to believe that any social condition can be improved in any other way than slowly, gradually, a...

Where the law is not customary law, it is easily turned into a mere political weapon. Escolios a un Texto Implícito: Selección , p. 471

Religion is socially effective not when it adopts socio-political solutions, but when it succeeds in having society be spontaneously influen...

The people is sometimes right when it is frightened; but is always wrong when it becomes enthusiastic. Escolios a un Texto Implícito: Selecc...

The golden rule of politics is to make only minimal changes and to make them as slowly as possible. Escolios a un Texto Implícito: Selección...

Boring, like an illustrious foreign visitor. Escolios a un Texto Implícito: Selección , p. 465

Public political discussion is not intellectually adult in any country. Escolios a un Texto Implícito: Selección , p. 462

The greater part of an age’s political ideas depends on the state of military technology. Escolios a un Texto Implícito: Selección , p. 460

History clearly demonstrates that governing is a task that exceeds man’s ability. Escolios a un Texto Implícito: Selección , p. 458

The majority of the tasks that this century’s typical ruler believes he is obliged to assume are nothing more than abuses of power. Escolios...

Political regimes become tolerable when they begin to hold their own principles in contempt. Escolios a un Texto Implícito: Selección , p. 4...

What is difficult about every moral or social problem is based on the fact that its appropriate solution is not a question of all or nothing...

Political activity ceases to tempt the intelligent writer, when he finally understands that there is no intelligent text that will succeed i...

A healthily constituted state is one where innumerable obstacles restrict and impede the freedom of the legislator. Escolios a un Texto Impl...

The state has not behaved with discretion and restraint except when it has been watched by rich bourgeoisies. Escolios a un Texto Implícito:...

To substitute a democratic government for another, non-democratic government comes down to substituting the beneficiaries of the pillaging. ...

The politician never says what he believes to be true, but rather what he considers to be effective. Escolios a un Texto Implícito: Selecció...

One can only speak of the sovereignty of the law where the legislator’s function is reduced to consulting the consensus of custom in the lig...