Quote of the day

Interesting note over in The Corner about a famous quote that appears not to be a quote.

Erudite Corner reader Terry Pell, head of the Center for Individual Rights, writes in to inform me, and hopefully others, that the attribution of the all but ubiquitous saying, "all it takes for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" to Edmund Burke is incorrect.

"It reminded me that last summer I had to try to find a source for this quote and learned that Edmund Burke never said it. No one said it. It is made up.

I have just one thing to say.

All it takes for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

Lyford Beverage, 9/26/2007

There. Now it's been said.

I expect my name to be attached from this point forward. Burke apparently didn't say it, but I did.