“Political writers have established it as a maxim, that, in contriving any system of government, and fixing the several checks and controuls of the constitution, every man ought to be supposed a knave, and to have no other end, in all his actions, than private interest. By this interest we must govern him, and, by means of it, make him, notwithstanding his insatiable avarice and ambition, co-operate to public good. Without this, say they, we shall in vain boast of the advantages of any constitution, and shall find, in the end, that we have no security for our liberties or possessions, except the good-will of our rulers; that is, we shall have no security at all.”
Against the Psychopath Class: What It Means to Be ‘America First’
Editors note: The following article is a transcript of a a speech given by Libertarian Institute Managing Editor Keith Knight in Omaha, Nebraska on March 7, 2026. One of the most absurd features of the political and media establishment, is how they have impossible...