Quotes of the day: The David Cunliffe edition

“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the majority discovers it can vote itself largess out of the public treasury.” – attrib. to Alexander Fraser Tytler

"Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods." - H. L. Mencken

“Institutions purely democratic may endure until the day politicians discover they can bribe the public with the public's money.” – attrib. to Alexis de Tocqueville

"Democracy will fail when people begin to think they can vote themselves rich." - PJ O’Rourke