John Adams was the second President of the United States and a very wise guy. He was well-educated, graduated from Harvard (before 'well-educated' and 'Harvard Law' became mutually exclusive terms) and was considered more a philosopher than politician during his life. His words are both relevant and cautionary for America in 2009.
Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak.
Power always thinks... that it is doing God's service when it is violating all his laws.
All the perplexities, confusion and distress in America arise, not from defects in their Constitution or Confederation, not from want of honor or virtue, so much as from the downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation.
Democracy... while it lasts is more bloody than either aristocracy or monarchy. Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There is never a democracy that did not commit suicide.
And finally, proving he had wit to match his wisdom:
In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm and three or more is a congress.
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