David Harsanyi Quotes

Powerful David Harsanyi for Daily Growth

About David Harsanyi

David Harsanyi is an acclaimed American author, political columnist, and cartoonist whose work frequently appears in The Federalist, a popular online conservative-libertarian publication. Born on September 16, 1978, in Budapest, Hungary, Harsanyi emigrated to the United States with his family when he was just six years old. They settled in Chicago, Illinois, where Harsanyi would later study journalism at the Columbia College Chicago. Before delving into political commentary, Harsanyi honed his writing skills as a cartoonist and humor columnist for The Daily Herald in Arlington Heights, Illinois. His unique perspective on current events, politics, and culture soon caught the attention of broader audiences when he began contributing to National Review Online. In 2007, Harsanyi published his first book, "Nobody Left: How to Reclaim Our Time, Our Politics, and Our Country," a collection of essays exploring the cultural divide in America. His subsequent works include "Obama's Four Horsemen: The Disastrous Legacy of Barack Obama's Presidency" (2015) and "First Things: A Marine's Understanding of the American Way of Life" (2019), a memoir reflecting on his upbringing, military service, and evolving political views. Throughout his career, Harsanyi has been recognized for his insightful commentary on contemporary issues and his ability to bridge the ideological gap between conservatives and liberals. His work often highlights the importance of individual liberty, limited government, and free markets, making him a respected voice within conservative political circles. Today, David Harsanyi continues to write for The Federalist and is a frequent guest on Fox News and other national television outlets. He resides in Colorado with his wife and three children.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Civilization's great achievement is not that it protects the weak from the strong, but that it allows the two to cooperate for mutual gain."

This quote emphasizes the unique strength of civilization as a system that encourages cooperation between individuals with differing levels of power or resources, rather than just focusing on survival of the fittest. It suggests that civilization offers an environment where the strong and the weak can work together for mutual benefit, fostering progress and growth beyond what could be achieved through individual efforts alone. In essence, it highlights the power of cooperation as a means to advance society.

"The greatest enemy of freedom is the illusion of safety."

This quote suggests that when people believe they are safe, they may become complacent, allowing their freedoms to be gradually eroded. The 'illusion of safety' refers to a perception that one is protected from harm or danger, leading individuals to willingly surrender certain liberties in the belief that it ensures their security. However, this perceived safety can often be an illusion, and by surrendering freedom, one may ultimately find themselves less safe, as freedoms are the very foundations of a thriving society.

"Liberalism demands tolerance in all things except intolerance."

This quote from David Harsanyi suggests that while liberal ideology champions open-mindedness, understanding, and acceptance of diverse perspectives, it draws the line at intolerance. In other words, liberals encourage tolerance for all beliefs and behaviors, but they will not tolerate intolerance itself - intolerance being the unwillingness to accept or respect differing opinions or individuals. This highlights a fundamental aspect of liberal philosophy: promoting unity through diversity while also upholding respect and fairness in interactions among different groups.

"In America, if you want a sense of community, you have to build it."

This quote emphasizes the self-reliant nature of American society. It suggests that while there may be an inherent individualism in the United States, building a sense of community is ultimately the responsibility of its citizens. In other words, if you want to feel part of a community, you have to take the initiative and make it happen. This could involve joining local organizations, volunteering, or simply being more engaged with your neighbors. It's a call to action for individuals to play an active role in shaping their own social environment.

"If you're not outraged by the absurdity of politics, then you haven't been paying attention."

This quote emphasizes that a healthy level of skepticism and concern is necessary when observing politics due to its inherent irrationality and paradoxes. If one remains unaffected by the absurdities they witness, it suggests either an unawareness or indifference to the complexities and contradictions often found within political systems. The quote encourages vigilance and engagement in understanding the intricacies of politics to ensure that individuals stay informed and active participants in shaping their societies.

Aside from the occasional genocide, oppression, evil and torture, etc., it is inarguable that public policy could be implemented more rapidly in an autocracy.

- David Harsanyi

More, Could, Autocracy, Public Policy

I don't think that voters should be fixated on public policy. In a healthy republic, they wouldn't have to worry every waking hour about what their government is doing.

- David Harsanyi

Worry, Doing, Think, Public Policy

Admittedly, I possess virtually no expertise in science. That puts me in exactly the same position as most dogmatic environmentalists who want to craft public policy around global warming fears.

- David Harsanyi

Craft, Dogmatic, Admittedly, Public Policy

Few things trigger fear and misconception more than economic tribulation, and nothing prompts elected officials to react with more simplistic populism.

- David Harsanyi

Nothing, More, Simplistic, Trigger

Living most of my life in New York, I witnessed plenty of nanny state laws. Later, I lived in D.C. for a bit and saw even more. I assumed when I got to Colorado, the Wild West, there would be a rejection of such intrusive legislation. I was wrong.

- David Harsanyi

My Life, Got, Bit, Wild West

I believe that the war on drugs is a tragically misplaced use of resources - an immoral venture that produces far more suffering than it alleviates.

- David Harsanyi

Suffering, More, Use, Venture

When I was younger, I was drawn to Ayn Rand books and other works of fiction celebrating individualism.

- David Harsanyi

Other, Works, Individualism, None

A true fascist is anyone who wants to take away my air conditioning or force me to ride a bike.

- David Harsanyi

Air Conditioning, Away, Air, Conditioning

Let's be honest: nothing spoils 'The Walking Dead' quite like watching 'The Walking Dead.'

- David Harsanyi

Walking, Nothing, Like, Spoils

Common Core, the initiative that claims to more accurately measure K-12 student knowledge in English and math, also encourages children to step up their 'critical thinking.'

- David Harsanyi

Initiative, Encourages, Claims

Political correctness is one of the engines of nannyism. Allowing and even encouraging 'offensive' ideas is vital for the intellectually health of a free society.

- David Harsanyi

Offensive, Encouraging, Engines

It's difficult for democracy to function properly under the most favorable circumstances, but it has no chance at all when millions of voters are divorced from objective reality and incapable of understanding what is going on in Washington.

- David Harsanyi

Chance, Circumstances, Incapable

Whether you're a believer or not, a flawed biblical epic is going to be more entertaining than a remake of a Paul Verhoeven movie or some third-rate sci-fi flick.

- David Harsanyi

Some, Movie, Entertaining, Remake

Now, admittedly, Twitter can be entertaining on occasion, as it turns out that 140 characters offers a great chance to be misunderstood - and an even greater chance one will expose his inner troglodyte.

- David Harsanyi

Chance, Occasion, Offers, Misunderstood

My parents both defected from communist Hungary and were what most people would today call libertarian. I grew up with a general distaste for taxation and any policy that intruded on our lives.

- David Harsanyi

Communist, Our, Hungary, Libertarian

The Bible is filled with intriguing stories about complex and flawed human beings who ponder immense moral questions and engage in colossal clashes with evil.

- David Harsanyi

Bible, Stories, About, Immense

Most nanny-state initiatives begin on a local level.

- David Harsanyi

Level, Most, Initiatives, Local Level

The Founding Fathers worried that 'some common impulse of passion' might lead many to subvert the rights of the few. It's a rational fear, one that is played out endlessly.

- David Harsanyi

Some, Endlessly, Fathers, Impulse

We have little choice but to place a certain level of trust in scientists - even when it comes to the model-driven speculative discipline of climate change. And, need it be said, most scientists take great care in being honest, principled and precise.

- David Harsanyi

Trust, Discipline, Honest, Precise

Broaden the tax base, close loopholes and flatten the tax rates - all of which would bring more revenue stability and certitude to projections as well as make filing a comparable breeze.

- David Harsanyi

More, Which, Certitude, Stability

You'll often hear the left lecture about the importance of dissent in a free society.

- David Harsanyi

Society, Dissent, Left, Free Society

Simplification of the tax code would not only unlock dormant economic potential, but, in the process, it would blunt the preferred weapon of social engineers, who reward favored industries, punish success and distort economic incentives.

- David Harsanyi

Process, Reward, Code, Distort

You'll notice that for many progressives, taking from the rich is not simply a necessity of budgeting but a moral imperative and a tool to institute fairness that capitalism supposedly hasn't.

- David Harsanyi

Rich, Fairness, Supposedly, Institute

Democracy allows rhetoric, false empathy and emotion to pummel rational thinking - so it's no wonder so many politicians thrive in it.

- David Harsanyi

Empathy, False, No Wonder, Thrive

In summation, like your beloved pet rock, Twitter is useful only in your imagination.

- David Harsanyi

Rock, Like, Twitter, Beloved

The deepest mystery of Twitter is why celebrities and elected officials take part. After all, we all know they can't write their own lines.

- David Harsanyi

Own, Part, Celebrities, Officials

If the wealthy get wealthier, no one has to become one penny poorer.

- David Harsanyi

Wealthy, Get, Poorer, Penny

The crusade to convince us that global warming can only be dealt with by wealth destruction and higher energy prices began with an effort to 'raise awareness,' which turned into some delicate nanny-state prodding before efforts to artificially inflate prices.

- David Harsanyi

Some, Crusade, Delicate, Artificially

Anyone who's had a casual conversation with his neighbors or is cognizant of reality TV should already be petrified of democracy.

- David Harsanyi

TV, Had, Petrified, Conversation

You will notice that the Occupy Wall Street crowds - and the progressives who support them - focus on bringing the wealthy down to earth rather than lifting the 99 percent. They have a nearly religious belief that too much wealth is fundamentally immoral and unhealthy for society.

- David Harsanyi

Wealthy, Religious, Occupy, Notice

The problem is that Americans use the state as a moral compass. For libertarians, it is often frustrating to explain that advocating the decriminalization of x is not synonymous with endorsing x.

- David Harsanyi

Explain, Use, Libertarians, Synonymous

If the library's rarest frequenters are the ones we'd like to see in them the most, then libraries are failing.

- David Harsanyi

Like, Them, Libraries, Rarest

Times change. Every generation has a new set of problems. Human nature is unmoved.

- David Harsanyi

Generation, New, Times, Human Nature

Faith helps many people make sense of the world around them. Faith gives them a spiritual connection to something larger.

- David Harsanyi

Faith, Sense, Larger, Helps

We need a smaller, leaner Washington. It won't happen if we raise taxes without any coinciding reform and serious slashing of spending.

- David Harsanyi

Need, Happen, Smaller, Slashing

As with most people, my ideology and my attitudes about life were informed by parents and family.

- David Harsanyi

Informed, Attitudes, Most, Parents

If progressives were interested in mitigating inequality, they would support the dynamism of free markets to allow the merit of ideas, products and services to win the day rather than stifle companies and pick winners in the name of imagined 'progress.'

- David Harsanyi

Rather, Allow, Progressives, Stifle

Progressivism is the belief that we have too much freedom with which to make too many stupid choices.

- David Harsanyi

Freedom, Stupid, Which, Progressivism

Twitter's popularity and usefulness are mysteries to me.

- David Harsanyi

Me, Twitter, Usefulness, Popularity

You don't have to get things done all the time to be productive.

- David Harsanyi

Time, Get, Things, Productive

Health care in America, despite all you hear, still offers us citizens one of the most efficient and highest quality systems in the world. But it's expensive, and it's only getting worse.

- David Harsanyi

Still, Efficient, Offers, Citizens

Every decade or so, Hollywood has an epiphany. It turns out faith-based audiences enjoy going to the movies, too.

- David Harsanyi

Decade, Hollywood, Going, Faith-Based

Now, I do not, on any level, possess the expertise to argue about the science of anthropological global warming. Nor do you, most likely. This certainly doesn't mean an average citizen has the duty to do the lock step.

- David Harsanyi

Average, About, Global, Expertise

A cultural shift is not always an ideological one - or at least not always the one you imagine. Our norms are always evolving.

- David Harsanyi

Always, Cultural, Imagine, Evolving

If had to label myself, I guess classical liberal would be best.

- David Harsanyi

Myself, Would, Guess, Label

A boatload of government money is indeed a gift. Unless, I suppose, you're one of the saps paying for the cargo.

- David Harsanyi

Gift, Suppose, Indeed, Paying

Throughout the Old Testament, God warns his chosen people about the perils of assimilation, shiksappeal and false gods.

- David Harsanyi

Old, Gods, About, Old Testament

It is easy to fall into the trap of believing that democracy will improve the function of policy.

- David Harsanyi

Improve, Fall, Will, Trap

Zero-tolerance on drinking and driving - meaning no drinking at all before driving - is a collective punishment that, in essence, only affects responsible adults who follow the law.

- David Harsanyi

Law, Drinking, Before, Adult

Democracy is just a reflection of our morals and the things that we believe.

- David Harsanyi

Reflection, Believe, Things, Morals

It would probably strike the average politician as absurd to argue that the best way to fix the economy is to stop trying to 'fix it.'

- David Harsanyi

Average, Best Way, Strike, Absurd

Biblical movies need not sermonize, just be honest to the foundational story. As powerful as the message is for people of faith, it's really great storytelling.

- David Harsanyi

Faith, Storytelling, Need, Message

For Philistines like me, the mysteries of Washington can be both perplexing and wondrous.

- David Harsanyi

Me, Like, Perplexing, Wondrous

Are you sick and tired of these moralizing moralizers imposing their morality on the rest of us? I know I am.

- David Harsanyi

Rest, Tired, Sick, Imposing

A religion without rules or God isn't sustainable.

- David Harsanyi

God, Rules, Without, Sustainable

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