“The Only cure for nihilism is for liberal democratic societies - their electorates, their judiciary, and their political leadership- to insist that force is legitimate only to the degree that it serves defensible poltical goals. Thus implies a constant exercise of due diligence.” PoliticalForceGoalExerciseDegreesConstantDemocraticDuesCuresDiligenceNihilismDemocratic SocietyJudiciaryElectoratePolitical LeadershipDue Diligence Author:Michael Ignatieff
“Genocide is not just a murderous madness; it is, more deeply, a politics that promises a utopia beyond politics - one people, one land, one truth, the end of difference. Since genocide is a form of political utopia, it remains an enduring temptation in any multiethnic and multicultural society in crisis.” PeopleEndsFormPoliticalDifferencesLandPromiseMadnessCrisisRemainsEndureTemptationGenocideUtopiaMulticulturalMulticultural SocietyPolitical Promises Author:Michael Ignatieff
“Political utopias are a form of nostalgia for an imagined past projected onto the future as a wish.” PastFormPoliticalWishNostalgiaUtopia Book:The Needs of Strangers Source: The Needs of Strangers
“No kid graduating in a political science class in Canada should not understand what's happened to income inequality since the 1970s, period. And then, what do we do about it? It's the biggest problem out there, in all western liberal societies.” ShouldProblemKidsPoliticalClassHappenedPeriodsWesternIncomeInequalityCanadaGraduatesPolitical ScienceIncome InequalityScience Class Author:Michael Ignatieff
“Public service does not necessarily mean service in the House of Commons, and public service is not synonymous with partisan political activity. It comes in a thousand colours, but the common denominator is: it's not about me - it's about we.” MeanDoePoliticalHouseCommonThousandActivityColourPublic ServicePartisansCommon DenominatorHouse Of Commons Author:Michael Ignatieff
“There are all kinds of different forms of public service, but there's no form of public service that can make more difference for more people than partisan political activity.” PeopleKindDifferentFormPoliticalDifferencesActivityAll KindsPublic ServicePartisans Author:Michael Ignatieff
“One of the biggest divides in Canada - I said it in 2006, and I said it right through my political career - is urban-rural. Lots of parts of this country feel entirely left behind. And they're mobilized by, you know, the gun control issue.” KnowsFeelsSaidCountryPoliticalLeftBehindsCareersIssuesGunCanadaDividesUrbanGun ControlLeft BehindControl Issues Author:Michael Ignatieff
“In academic life, false ideas are merely false and useless ones can be fun to play with. In political life, false ideas can ruin the lives of millions and useless ones can waste precious resources. An intellectual's responsibility for his ideas is to follow their consequences wherever they may lead. A politician's responsibility is to master those consequences and prevent them from doing harm. Michael Ignatieff, a former professor at Harvard and contributing writer for the magazine, is a member of Canada's Parliament and deputy leader of the Liberal Party.” MayIdeasWarPlayPoliticalFunPartyResponsibilityLeaderMillionsMastersPoliticianMembersWasteIntellectualConsequenceResourcesHarmMagazinesRuinsFormerUselessCanadaProfessorsAcademicParliamentHarvardContributingPolitical LifeDeputiesLiberal PartyAcademic Life Author:Michael Ignatieff
