The Abuse of Liberty

The great advantages of liberty causes that liberty itself to be abused.

• A moderate government produces admirable effects and so this moderation is laid aside
• A moderate government produces great taxes, and so they want raise even more
• They received such gifts from liberty, but they go to slavery who never gives such
  • Liberty produces high tax revenues
  • The effect of high tax revenues is slavery
  • Slavery reduces tax revenues

The eastern monarchs exempt every year some of their provinces from paying tribute as a favour. But in Europe, the edicts of princes are immediately disagreeable because they always mention their own wants, but none of ours.

The European ministers become indolent from:

• the nature of the government, and
• frequently the climate

This prevents people from being incessantly plagued with new demands.

• The public expence does not increase because the ministers do not create new projects
• If they did plan new projects, they are quickly executed.

The governors of the state do not perpetually torment the people; for they do not perpetually torment themselves. But it is impossible to have any fixed rule in our finances, since we do not know what we will do. We call a minister “great”, not if he can spend money, but if he is clever enough to do it by the ways and means. The continual series of extortions were devised by the subtle avarice of the Greek emperors