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John Ralston Saul

John Ralston Saul Quotes

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Famous John Ralston Saul Quotes

“Now listen to the first three aims of the corporatist movement in Germany, Italy and France during the 1920s. These were developed by the people who went on to become part of the Fascist experience: (1) shift power directly to economic and social interest groups; (2) push entrepreneurial initiative in areas normally reserved for public bodies; (3) obliterate the boundaries between public and private interest -- that is, challenge the idea of the public interest. This sounds like the official program of most contemporary Western governments.”

PeopleFirstsIdeasBodyGovernmentThreeSocialSoundInterestChallengesGroupsEconomicMovementAreasProgramAimWesternBoundariesContemporaryFranceOfficialsGermanyInitiativeReservedEntrepreneurialFascistsPublic InterestInterest GroupsCorporatism
Book:The Unconscious Civilization
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“The acceptance of corporatism causes us to deny and undermine the legitimacy of the individual as citizen in a democracy. The result of such a denial is a growing imbalance which leads to our adoration of self-interest and our denial of the public good.”

SelfIndividualCausesInterestResultsDemocracyGrowingAcceptanceCitizensDenyDenialCitizenshipSelf InterestAdorationLegitimacyImbalancePublic GoodCorporatism
Book:The Unconscious Civilization
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“Our civilization is locked in the grip of an ideology - corporatism. An ideology that denies and undermines the legitimacy of individuals as the citizen in a democracy. The particular imbalance of this ideology leads to a worship of self-interest and a denial of the public good. The practical effects on the individual are passivity and conformism in the areas that matter, and non-conformism in the areas that don't”

SelfMatterIndividualInterestEconomyDemocracyEffectsParticularCitizensCivilizationWorshipAreasDenyPracticalsIdeologyDenialLockedSelf InterestLegitimacyPassivityImbalancePublic GoodCorporatism
Book:The Unconscious Civilization
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“In general, democracy and individualism have advanced in spite of and often against specific economic interest. Both democracy and individualism have been based upon financial sacrifice, not gain. Even in Athens, a large part of the 7,000 citizens who participated regularly in assemblies were farmers who had to give up several days' work to go into town to talk and listen.”

GivingHas BeensInterestDemocracySacrificeEconomicCitizensGiving UpGainsTownsFinancialSpiteFarmersIndividualismAssemblyAthens
Author:John Ralston Saul
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