“Behind the deceptive words designed to entice people into supporting violence -- words like democracy, freedom, self-defense, national security -- there is the reality of enormous wealth in the hands of a few, while billions of people in the world are hungry, sick, homeless.” PeopleWorldSelfHandsRealityWealthBehindsDemocracyViolenceSecuritySickDefenseBillionsHungryEnormousHomelessNational SecuritySelf DefenseDeceptiveDemocracy Freedom Book:You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History of Our Times Source: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History of Our Times
“The issue is: $1 trillion or $2 trillion is a lot of money. If our objective is to have stability in the Middle East, secure oil, or extend democracy, you can do a lot of democracy buying for this sum. To put it in context: The whole world spends $50 billion a year on foreign aid.” IfsWorldYearsWholeCan DoDemocracyIssuesMiddleOilEastAidsBillionsWhole WorldObjectivesSecureBuyingStabilityMiddle EastLots Of MoneyForeign Aid Author:Joseph Stiglitz
“India's democracy where over 1 billion people have a voice in deciding their future is a world example of how governance can incorporate diversity into a movement for inclusive growth. New modes of democratic engagement, especially through using e-governance are allowing greater access to fundamental rights for all our people.” PeopleWorldGrowthVoiceDemocracyGreaterRightsExampleMovementDiversityIndiaFundamentalsDemocraticAccessBillionsAllowingEngagementGovernanceFundamental Rights Author:Narendra Modi
“If you want to reinstate the 14.4 billion dollars that Bush cut out of the veterans program then vote democrat.” IfsWantDemocracyCuttingProgramVoteDollarsDemocratBillionsVeteran Author:David Cross
“You cannot possibly expect even the most illiterate person on Earth to believe that you really want a democracy in Iraq while you are paying Mubarak $3 billion a year to pretend he doesn't hate Israel. And you're providing the military and diplomatic umbrella that protects the fascist government, if you will, of the al Sauds.” IfsWantYearsBelievePersonsGovernmentEarthHateDemocracyMilitaryProtectIraqIsraelBillionsAlsProvidingFascistsUmbrellaDiplomaticIlliterateMubarakIlliterate Person Author:Michael Scheuer
“Resurrecting American democracy is vital to averting climate catastrophe. We must first repeal the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, which has flooded elections with billions of oily petrodollars from carbon tycoons.” FirstsUnitedDemocracyCitizensElectionCourtClimateBillionsSupremeCarbonCatastropheSupreme CourtRulingAmerican DemocracyCitizens UnitedTycoons Author:Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
“In the last presidential election Obama and Romney raised about $1 billion each. The Koch brothers, the second wealthiest family in America, now say they will raise nearly $1 billion for the 2016 elections. When one family can raise as much as an entire party, the system is broken. This is oligarchy, not democracy. We must overturn Citizens United.” LastsAmericaUnitedPartyDemocracyBrotherBrokenCitizensRaisesElectionRaisedBillionsPresidentialRomneyOligarchyPresidential ElectionCitizens United Author:Bernie Sanders
“Nowhere else you will find a country of India's diversity, of India's complexity, one billion people trying to seek their social and economic salvation in the framework of democracy, in the framework of an open economy.” PeopleTryingCountrySocialEconomyDemocracyEconomicDiversityIndiaSalvationBillionsComplexityFramework Author:Manmohan Singh
“India is this great experiment of a billion people of such great diverse persuasions working together, seeking their salvation in the framework of a democracy. I believe it will have some lessons for all the multicultural societies.” PeopleBelieveTogetherI BelieveDemocracyLessonsIndiaSalvationSeekingBillionsExperimentsWorking TogetherDiversePersuasionFrameworkMulticulturalMulticultural Society Author:Manmohan Singh
“Let me begin by saying not only you can't have democracy with $75 million. You can't even have it with $750 billion.” MillionsDemocracyLet MeBillions Author:Akbar Ganji
“The most important thing the giant philanthropies could do - Gates, Rockefeller, Ford, Open Society Institute, and new ones emerging - would be to create a $2-to-$3 billion Trust for Independent Journalism. They wouldn't miss the money, and democracy would still have a fighting chance because of their investment.” StillsImportantWould BeFightingChanceDemocracyMissingIndependentImportant ThingsInvestmentBillionsJournalismGiantsGatesPhilanthropyEmergingInstitute Author:Bill Moyers