John Leo

Journalist, Author

John Leo is a prominent American journalist and author known for his critiques on political correctness and advocacy for individual freedom.

Born
January 1, 1935
Quotes
16
Rank
#3787

About John Leo

John Leo — Life and Legacy

John Leo is a notable American journalist and author recognized for his incisive commentary on issues of freedom and individuality. His work often critiques the constraints of political correctness, arguing that it can inhibit honest dialogue and the expression of diverse opinions. Leo's perspective is rooted in the belief that true freedom is not merely the absence of restraint, but rather the responsibility to engage thoughtfully with society. In his writings, Leo emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility, famously stating that 'freedom is not a license to do anything.' This reflects his core belief that freedom must coexist with respect for others and the social fabric. His critiques of societal norms challenge readers to reconsider the balance between individual expression and communal values. Leo's insights remain relevant today as they encourage a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding freedom and individuality. His work invites readers to reflect on how personal choices impact the broader society, making his quotes a powerful reminder of the responsibilities that accompany liberty.

Quote collection

John Leo quotes

16 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.

John Leo Journalist, Author
Popular

"By the mid 1920s the typical American town was in full sexual bloom. The change came with erotic fashions, literature and movies, and an unsuspected sexual aid, the automobile."

Read quote 12 likes
John Leo Journalist, Author
Popular

"Compared with other Americans, journalists are more likely to live in upscale neighborhoods, have maids, own Mercedes and trade stocks, and less likely to go to church, do volunteer work or put down roots in a community. Journalists are over-represented in ZIP code areas where residents are twice as likely as other Americans to rent foreign movies, drink Chablis, own an espresso maker and read magazines such as Architectural Digest and Food & Wine."

Read quote 5 likes
John Leo Journalist, Author
Popular

"If winning is the only value, why debate when you can suppress?"

Read quote 5 likes
John Leo Journalist, Author
Popular

"Expert victimologists estimate that 91.2 percent of people in North America and Europe now qualify as victims, at least in their own minds."

Read quote 4 likes
John Leo Journalist, Author
Popular

"You can't run a society or cope with its problems if people are not held accountable for what they do."

Read quote 3 likes
John Leo Journalist, Author
Popular

"The principal advantage of the non-parental lifestyle is that on Christmas Eve you need not be struck dumb by the three most terrifying words that the government allows to be printed on any product: "Some assembly required.""

Read quote 3 likes
John Leo Journalist, Author
Popular

"No one attacks loose-thinking and folly with half the precision and zest of Thomas Szasz."

Read quote 3 likes
John Leo Journalist, Author
Popular

"Do we really need more romance attached to the act of blowing people away?"

Read quote 3 likes
John Leo Journalist, Author
Popular

"The diversity revolution [in the news media] was supposed to increase readership and enhance credibility. Just the opposite has resulted. How long will it take the business to figure this out?"

Read quote 3 likes
John Leo Journalist, Author
Popular

"[D]rawing up 'secret war plans' for a possible attack on Iraq wasn't irrational. The low-level war against Saddam was 12 years old, with no end in sight. American and British pilots were getting shot at, sanctions weren't working, and Bush was getting warnings that Saddam had all those terrible weapons and would use them against America. Bush would have been a fool not to draw up plans. Gee, wait till the critics find out that FDR, without ever informing the media, was plotting to fight Japan and Germany before Pearl Harbor."

Read quote 3 likes
John Leo Journalist, Author
Popular

"We are seeing the bitterness of elites who wish to lead, confronted by multitudes who do not wish to follow."

Read quote 3 likes
John Leo Journalist, Author
Popular

"The political terms 'will' and 'popular will' have a long track record in Western history going back to Rousseau. That record is profoundly anti-democratic, essentially inviting elites to interpret what the common people believe and want. In litigious modern America, that would be a judicial elite telling us how we meant to vote or should have voted."

Read quote 3 likes
John Leo Journalist, Author
Popular

"Bioethics has hardened into an activist ideology that pervades the medical world, the schools, and government."

Read quote 3 likes
John Leo Journalist, Author
Popular

"In a speech, the columnist Charles Krauthammer.... offered a new version of Socrates' famous saying, "The unexamined life is not worth living." In our age of bottomless self-love and obsession with our own feelings, Krauthammer suggested, "The too-examined life is not worth living either."

Read quote 3 likes
John Leo Journalist, Author
Popular

"The modern campus is deeply obsessed by race and gender, and not much else."

Read quote 3 likes