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Democracy Quotes

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Democracy Quotes

“Democracy has two excesses to avoid: the spirit of inequality, which leads to an aristocracy, or to the government of a single individual; and the spirit of extreme equality, which conducts it to despotism, as the despotism of a single individual finishes by conquest.”

Two Wisdom Government Spirit Politics Individual Economy Democracy Extremes Inequality Liberalism Excess Conquest Aristocracy Despotism Democracies Have

Author:Baron de Montesquieu

“People can go to the extreme like what we saw during the Cultural Revolution. For instance, in China, when people take everything into their own hands, then you cannot govern the place. It was the people taking power into their own hands. Now that is what you mean by democracy if you take it to the full swing.”

People Ifs Mean Hands Democracy Saws Revolution China Extremes Instance Swings

Author:Donald Tsang

“Neither should we forget the mean, which at the present day is lost sight of in perverted forms of government; for many practices which appear to be democratical are the ruin of democracies, . . Those who think that all virtue is to be found in their own party principles push matters to extremes; they do not consider that disproportion destroys a state.”

Thinking Should Mean Matter States Government Form Found Lost Forget Party Principles Practice Virtue Democracy Sight Extremes Ruins Forms Of Government Present Day

Book:Politics

Source: Politics

“Now, here's a good question: should serious people focus on global political instability - terrorism, failing states, nuclear weapons - or should we focus on global climate instability - droughts, floods, extreme weather? Here's the correct answer: yes, both, because climate disruption will make every other national security problem worse.”

“There's a longstanding myth about the United States that is still very prevalent in Europe [despite recent developments]. Historically the "America" of this myth is an incredible human adventure and an experiment in political democracy. But at the same time, or so we're told, it's the land of extremes where the worst can happen.”

Humans Stills States Happens America Political United United States Democracy Land Worst Adventure Development Europe Incredibles Extremes Myth Experiments Despite

Author:Bruno Dumont

“Democracy is corrupted not only when the spirit of equality is corrupted, but likewise when they fall into a spirit of extreme equality.”

Spirit Fall Democracy Extremes

Book:The Spirit of Laws

Source: The Spirit of Laws

“The true friend of the people should see that they be not too poor, for extreme poverty lowers the character of the democracy.”

People Should Character Poor Poverty Democracy Extremes True Friend Extreme Poverty

Book:Aristotle: The Politics and the Constitution of Athens

Source: Aristotle: The Politics and the Constitution of Athens

“Chile has done a lot to rid itself of poverty, especially extreme poverty, since the return to democracy. But we still have a ways to go toward greater equity. This country does not have a neoliberal economic model anymore. We have put in place a lot of policies that will ensure that economic growth goes hand in hand with social justice.”

“Referendums are a democratic instrument, but so are decisions reached in a parliamentary democracy. I advise extreme caution when it comes to referendums. In Germany too.”

Decision Democracy Instruments Democratic Extremes Germany Caution Advise Parliamentary Referendums Parliamentary Democracy

Author:Martin Schulz

“India is a functioning democracy despite its extreme poverty, India has stayed the course.”

Courses Poverty Democracy India Extremes Despite Extreme Poverty

Author:Manmohan Singh

“We could not bring democracy and freedom to Vietnam at a cost acceptable to ourselves. The idea that that was what we were trying to do, is again, a tautology, it's true by definition because we were doing, and the state is noble by definition. That's called "extreme liberalism".”

Trying Ideas States Democracy Cost Definitions Extremes Noble Liberalism Vietnam Acceptable Tautology

Author:Noam Chomsky