"When you let governments do whatever they want, you…

“When you let people do whatever they want, you get Woodstock. When you let governments do whatever they want, you get Auschwitz” was written by Doug Newman and printed in The Libertarian Enterprise on August 13, 2006. Woodstock was a music festival held on Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, New York, August 15–18, 1969. Auschwitz was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II.

That is, people will eventually do something good, and government will eventually do something bad. The saying was printed on a sign in May 2020, during the 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak.

“WHEN YOU LET PEOPLE DO WHATEVER THEY WANT, YOU GET WOODSTOCK. WHEN YOU LET GOVERNMENTS DO WHATEVER THEY WANT, YOU GET WACO” was posted on the newsgroup Mormons-Only-Speak-Out on January 27, 2007. The 1993 siege in Waco, Texas, resulted in the U.S. government killing 76 people.

The Libertarian Enterprise
Number 380, August 13, 2006
“When you let people do whatever they want, you get Woodstock.
When you let governments do whatever they want, you get Auschwitz.”

We Have Met the Enemy in the War On Terror. . . and He Is Us
by Doug Newman
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Special to The Libertarian Enterprise
(...)
The anarchy of which Justice Davis wrote was that of unrestrained power. When you let people do whatever they want, you get Woodstock. When you let governments do whatever they want, you get Auschwitz.

Google Groups: CovenantCadre
TLE 380 now on the web
Ken Holder
8/13/06
The Libertarian Enterprise
A FEATURE OF NetPlanetNews.com
Issue 380, August 13, 2006
This issue’s Motto: “When you let people do
whatever they want, you get Woodstock.
“When you let governments do
whatever they want, you get Auschwitz.”
http://www.ncc-1776.org/
Previous issue is now http://www.ncc-1776.org/tle2006/tle379-20060806.html

Google Groups: sci.electronics.design
Re: Stem Cell Research - fer it or agin it?
Homer J Simpson
10/29/06
(...)
When you let people do whatever they want, you get Woodstock.
When you let governments do whatever they want, you get Auschwitz.
—Doug Newman

Google Groups: Mormons-Only-Speak-Out
First Post
deborah
1/27/07
Other recipients: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
WHEN YOU LET PEOPLE DO WHATEVER THEY WANT, YOU GET WOODSTOCK.
WHEN YOU LET GOVERNMENTS DO WHATEVER THEY WANT, YOU GET WACO.

Google Groups: Americas-Graffitti
Caution: Some soft drinks may seriously harm your health
Nanci Baren
5/27/07
(...)
WHEN YOU LET PEOPLE DO WHATEVER THEY WANT, YOU GET WOODSTOCK.
WHEN YOU LET GOVERNMENTS DO WHATEVER THEY WANT, YOU GET WACO.

Twitter
Logan Hawk
@Logan_Hawk
“WHen you let people do what they want, you get WOODSTOCK! When you let governments do what they want, you get Aushchwitz!”
8:55 PM · Jul 15, 2009·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
Gregory Bates *USA*
@batesfamily2
Replying to @Pamela13USA
@pamelahobbs1964 Let the people do what they want, you get Woodstock. Let the government do what it wants, you get WACO!
8:37 PM · Mar 3, 2011·Twitter Web Client

Food for the Thinkers
Woodstock and Auschwitz
Posted on November 8, 2012 by Food for the Thinkers
By Doug Newman
Not to blow my own horn, but I said this first:

“When you let people do whatever they want, you get Woodstock.
When you let governments do whatever they want, you get Auschwitz.”

Twitter
UK4MPE
@UK4MPE
When you let people do what they want, you get Woodstock. When you let governments do whatever they want, you get Auschwitz” - Doug Newman
10:17 PM · Apr 29, 2013·Twitter Web Client

Twitter
Dames Franco
@Damon11Jones
When you let people do what they want, you get Woodstock… But when you let governments do what they want, you get Auschwitz.
6:43 PM · Sep 14, 2013·Twitter for iPhone

Twitter
meshaq
@meshaq
When you let people do what they want you get WOODSTOCK. When you let government do what they want you get AUSCHWITZ.
Quote Tweet
TrutherUFO
@TrutherUfo
· May 3
11:06 AM · May 4, 2020·Twitter Web App

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The_Apok842
@The_Apok842
When you let people do what they want, you get Woodstock. When you let governments do what they want, you get Auschwitz.
4:48 PM · May 4, 2020·Twitter for Android

Twitter
Roger Ver
@rogerkver
When you let people do what they want you get Woodstock.
When you let governments do what they want you get Auschwitz.
2:01 PM · May 10, 2020·Twitter for iPhone

“When you let governments do whatever they want, you get Auschwitz”