“My husband is not American. He was born in Brazil, where he grew up under a filthy, corrupt dictatorship. In his twenties, he moved to Europe, where he lived for a while under various socialist democracies. He spent a few years on a kibbutz in Israel, living out a utopian experiment in communal existence.” YearsBornExistenceDemocracyGrewHusbandGrew UpEuropeTwentiesMovedVariousIsraelExperimentsMy HusbandDictatorshipSocialistBrazilUtopianFilthy Author:Elizabeth Gilbert
“The conception that government should be guided by majority opinion makes sense only if that opinion is independent of government. The ideal of democracy rests on the belief that the view which will direct government emerges from an independent and spontaneous process. It requires, therefore, the existence of a large sphere independent of majority control in which the opinions of the individuals are formed.” IfsShouldGovernmentIndividualBeliefProcessViewsExistenceOpinionDemocracyIdealsDirectIndependentMajorityMake SenseConceptionSpheresSpontaneousMajority Opinion Author:Friedrich August von Hayek
“One of the most important signs of the existence of a democracy is that when there is a knock at the door at 5 in the morning, one is completely certain that it is the milkman.” ImportantCertainExistenceMorningDemocracyDoorsMilkman Author:Winston Churchill
“We want to be masters of our own destiny. We need no Gods or Emperors. We do not believe in the existence of any saviour. We want to be masters of the world and not instruments used by autocrats to carry out their wild ambitions. We want a modern lifestyle and democracy for the people. Freedom and happiness are our sole objectives in accomplishing modernisation.” PeopleWorldWantNeedsBelieveUsedExistenceDestinyDemocracyAtheismModernMastersAmbitionInstrumentsPositive AtheismLifestyleObjectivesSoleEmperorSaviourFreedom And HappinessModernisation Author:Wei Jingsheng
“The war industries in many countries and the enormous trade in weapons of all kinds generate corruption and fuel conflict throughout the world. The existence of an immensely powerful military-industrial complex constitutes a danger to democracy, both internationally and domestically, because it follows its own logic and operates independently of popular participation.” WorldKindWarCountryPowerfulExistenceDemocracyMilitaryDangerIndustryConflictWeaponsLogicTradeComplexesCorruptionEnormousAll KindsFuelParticipationMilitary Industrial Complex Author:Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
“Since Israel is a democratic state surrounded by essentially undemocratic states which have sworn her destruction, those interested in democracy everywhere must support Israel's existence.” StatesExistenceSupportDemocracyDestructionDemocraticIsrael Author:Bayard Rustin
“All deductions having been made, democracy has done less harm, and more good, than any other form of government. It gave to human existence a zest and camaraderie that outweighed its pitfalls and defects. It gave to thought and science and enterprise the freedom essential to their operation and growth. It broke down the walls of privilege and class, and in each generation it raised up ability from every rank and place.” HumansMadeDoneGovernmentFormGrowthAbilityExistenceClassDemocracyGenerationsWallEssentialsRaisedPrivilegeHarmBrokeOperationsEnterpriseDefectsHuman ExistenceForms Of GovernmentDemocracies HaveDeductionsCamaraderieZestPitfalls Book:The Lessons of History Source: The Lessons of History
“A serf-supporting and self-respecting democracy can plead no justification for the existence of child labor, no economic reason for chiseling workers' wages or stretching workers' hours.” ChildrenSelfReasonHoursExistenceDemocracyEconomicLaborWorkersJustificationWagesStretchingChild LaborSerfs Author:Franklin D. Roosevelt
“Ever since our country came into existence, we have always assumed that we are better than the Arabs. But we are noticing that these are no longer backward people. Suddenly we are confronted with a new situation - the fact that the Arab world maybe thinks just as democratically as we do, perhaps even more democratically. Where does this leave us? After all, we're supposed to be the only democracy in the Middle East!” PeopleThinkingWorldDoeCountryFactsExistenceSituationDemocracyMiddleEastOur CountrySupposed To BeMiddle EastNoticingArab WorldNew SituationsDemocracy In The Middle East Author:Tom Segev