“Dictators can fix up their entire families in good jobs, in or around government, and often do. In democracies, such a practice is frowned upon. Privileged access to the corridors of power through family connections and a kind of old boys' network, is also deemed an abuse of power, and so it is.” KindGovernmentJobsBoysPracticeDemocracyConnectionsAbuseAccessDictatorPrivilegedGood JobAbuse Of PowerCorridorsFamily Connections Author:Jimmy Reid
“There is no greater breach of the public trust than knowingly misleading the country into war. In a democracy, we simply cannot tolerate the abuse of this trust by the government.” WarCountryGovernmentDemocracyGreaterAbuseTolerateMisleadAbuse Of PowerBreachPublic Trust Author:John F. Kerry
“Suspicionless surveillance has no place in a democracy. The next 60 days are a historic opportunity to rein in the NSA, but the only one who can end the worst of its abuses is you. Call your representatives and tell them that the unconstitutional 'bulk collection' of Americans' private records under Section 215 of the Patriot Act must end.” EndsNextOpportunityDemocracyRecordsWorstAbuseCollectionsRepresentativesPatriotSectionsHistoricSurveillanceNsaReinsUnconstitutionalPatriot Act Author:Edward Snowden
“All freedoms provided by democracy are for those who believe in it. Can the rights and freedoms of millions of virtuous people who believe in democracy be safeguarded if those who seek to destroy it abuse rights and freedoms to achieve their goals?” PeopleIfsBelieveGoalMillionsDemocracyRightsAchieveAbuseVirtuousRights And Freedoms Author:Kenan Evren
“After many unhappy experiments in the direction of an ideal Republic, it was found that what may be described as a Despotism tempered by Dynamite provides, on the whole, the most satisfactory description of ruler - an autocrat who dares not abuse his autocratic power.” MayWholeFoundDemocracyIdealsAbuseDareExperimentsUnhappyDescriptionRepublicRulersDespotismDynamite Book:The Complete Annotated Gilbert and Sullivan Source: The Complete Annotated Gilbert and Sullivan
“Certainly, if we believe in democracy and democratic systems, when [Benazir Bhutto] failed to pass any legislation, really, at all in her first two years in government during her first term and in fact had a tenure that was marked not only by gross corruption but by human rights abuses, that should have been a time for people to say, "Well, OK, we've given you an opportunity and you haven't bettered the institutions, you haven't strengthened the democratic cause - we may not vote you back."” PeopleIfsShouldYearsFirstsBelieveHumansWellsMayHas BeensTwoFactsGovernmentOpportunityGivenCausesTermDemocracyRightsHavensShould HaveVoteAbuseInstitutionsDemocraticHuman RightsCorruptionTwo YearsLegislationGrossShould Have BeenTenureBhutto Author:Fatima Bhutto
“Democracy appears to me potentially a higher form of political organization than any kind of dictatorship. But if it turns out that in America, which could afford a decent living for everyone, the comfortable majority is willing to condone the misery and abuse of a minority for an indefinite period, the exploitation by the majority becomes as repugnant as exploitation by an oligarchy, and democracy loses half its supposed superiority.” IfsKindAmericaFormPoliticalTurnsLosesHalfDemocracyWillingHigherPeriodsComfortableOrganizationAbuseMajorityMiseryDecentMinoritiesDictatorshipExploitationSuperiorityOligarchy Author:Benjamin Spock
“Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions. When there is no sharing of power, no rule of law, no accountability, there is abuse, corruption, subjugation and indignation.” LawDemocracyShareInformationSolutionsEnlightenmentBuiltAbuseCorruptionDebateEnlightenedAccountabilityRule Of LawIndignationSubjugationEnlightenment And Love Author:Atifete Jahjaga
“How long has it taken the democratic process to develop in the United States? Since it was founded. So, do you think that as regards democracy everything is settled now in America? If this were so, there would be no Ferguson issue, right? There would be no other issues of similar kind, there would be no police abuse. Our goal is to see all these issues and respond to them timely and properly. The same applies to Russia. We also have a lot of problems.” IfsThinkingKindLongStatesProblemWould BeAmericaProcessGoalUnitedUnited StatesDemocracyIssuesTakenAbusePoliceRegardDemocraticRussiaTimelyDemocratic ProcessFerguson Author:Vladimir Putin
“If I and other whistleblowers are sentenced to long years in prison without so much as a chance to explain our motivations to a jury, it will have a deeply chilling effect on future whistleblowers working as I did to expose government abuse and overreach. It will chill speech. It will corrode the quality of our democracy.” IfsYearsLongGovernmentMotivationChanceQualityDemocracyEffectsSpeechAbusePrisonChillJuryWhistleblowers Author:Edward Snowden