John Stuart Mill - Happy birthday!

4.01.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Sat 20th May 2006

John Stuart Mill "Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives."

John Stuart Mill was born 200 years ago today. One of the foremost liberal thinker's of his time his book "On Liberty" still resounds with quotes that are relevant today. This government should read them - they may learn something.

John Stuart Mill's "On liberty" provides a basis for government - even on such modern issues as ID card "The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community, against his wishes, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant."

ID cards will not prevent harm to others - both the Milan Train bombers and the plane hijackers in the USofA had ID cards.

John Stuart Mill was a Liberal. His contempt for conservatives was clear "Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives." The present government may not be the Conservative (capital "C") Party but a lot of what they are doing could be described as the actions of a conservative (small "c") party.

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