“And every historic effort to forge a democratic project has been undermined by two fundamental realities: poverty and paranoia. The persistence of poverty generates levels of despair that deepen social conflict the escalation of paranoia produces levels of distrust that reinforce cultural division. Rae is the most explosive issue in American life precisely because it forces us to confront the tragic facts of poverty and paranoia despair, and distrust. In short, a candid examination of race matters takes us to the core of the crisis of American democracy (p. 107).” Has BeensTwoMatterFactsRealityForceSocialLevelsEffortRacePovertyDemocracyIssuesProduceConflictDespairProjectsCrisisFundamentalsDemocraticCorePersistenceTragicDivisionDistrustHistoricExaminationParanoiaAmerican LifeExplosivesCandidAmerican DemocracyEscalation Book:Race Matters: With a New Introduction Source: Race Matters: With a New Introduction
“The reality is that the founding fathers were land speculators. The fact was that you couldn't vote in this country if you did not own land, and that was basically you had to be a white man who owned land. Now how did they get that land? They basically had to steal it from someone, and that would be probably the Indians. And so most of the initial founding fathers were, while they may have had some really nice ideas about democracy, they had a lot of issues with people of color. They had a lot of issues with people who held things that they coveted.” PeopleIfsMenMayIdeasCountryFactsRealityWould BeFatherWhiteDemocracyIssuesNiceLandColorVoteStealingWhite ManFoundingInitialsReally NiceSpeculators Author:Winona LaDuke
“Look, America is no more a democracy than Russia is a Communist state. The governments of the U.S. and Russia are practically the same. There's only a difference of degree. We both have the same basic form of government: economic totalitarianism. In other words, the settlement to all questions, the solutions to all issues are determined not by what will make the people most healthy and happy in their bodies and their minds but by economics. Dollars or rubles.” PeopleMindLooksStatesBodyGovernmentAmericaFormDifferencesDemocracyIssuesEconomicHealthyDegreesSolutionsEconomicsDollarsDeterminedRussiaCommunistTotalitarianismForms Of GovernmentSettlementHealthy And Happy Book:Another Roadside Attraction Source: Another Roadside Attraction
“Here is the crisis of the times as I see it: We talk about problems, issues, policies, but we don't talk about what democracy means - what it bestows on us - the revolutionary idea that it isn't just about the means of governance but the means of dignifying people so they become fully free to claim their moral and political agency.” PeopleMeanIdeasProblemPoliticalMoralDemocracyIssuesPolicyClaimsCrisisRevolutionaryAgencyGovernanceDemocracies HaveRevolutionary Ideas Author:Bill Moyers
“I think even nation states should be and will be obsolete. I think nationalism will be seen in the future as a form of tribalism and I think what we call "Democracy" will be "Netocracy", where people, globally, can work on issues.” PeopleThinkingShouldStatesFormNationsDemocracyIssuesNationalismObsoleteTribalism Author:Deepak Chopra
“As more and more citizens express what they think, and defend it in writing, that will change the way people understand public issues. It is easy to be wrong and misguided in your head. It is harder when the product of your mind can be criticized by others. Of course, it is a rare human who admits that he has been persuaded that he is wrong. But it is even rarer for a human to ignore when he has been proven wrong. The writing of ideas, arguments, and criticism improves democracy.” PeopleThinkingWayWritingMindHumansHas BeensIdeasCoursesEasyDemocracyIssuesProductsCitizensArgumentCriticismHarderProvenMisguidedProven Wrong Book:Free Culture Source: Free Culture
“Meiklejohn's position is that free speech in a democracy is not an absolute flowing from the boundless source of some presumed 'natural right.' It is a practical necessity of 'self-government by universal suffrage,' for if the citizens are not permitted to argue out the issues of government, how can they be what they must be in a democracy - the rulers as well as the ruled?” IfsWellsSelfGovernmentNaturalDemocracyIssuesAtheismPositionSourceCitizensSpeechUniversalAbsolutesArguingPracticalsRulersFree SpeechBoundlessSuffrageSelf-governmentUniversal Suffrage Author:Max Lerner
“Political disagreements have the colour and fragrance that normally is seen and felt in a political bouquet, while remaining united on one issue that democracy is the future of Pakistan.” PoliticalFeltUnitedDemocracyIssuesColourPakistanFragranceDisagreementBouquets Author:Asif Ali Zardari
“Today, unfortunately, the right to vote seems to have become a partisan issue. Democrats seek to guarantee and expand voting rights. Republicans try to undermine and suppress voting rights.” TryingSeemsTodayPoliticalPoliticsJusticePartyDemocracyIssuesRightsPolicyRepublicanEqualEthicsVoteStrategyDemocratIdeologyGuaranteesVotingFree SpeechPolitical PartiesEqual RightsPartisansRight To VotePartisanship Author:Donna Brazile
“In the 2012 election, Obamacare, as it's called, and I'll be more polite - the ACA ...was a major issue in the campaign. I campaigned all over America for two months, everywhere I could. And in every single campaign rally I said, 'We have to repeal and replace Obamacare.' Well, the people spoke. They spoke, much to my dismay, but they spoke. And they reelected the President of the United States.” PeopleWellsSaidTwoStatesRealityAmericaPoliticalPoliticsPresidentCommunityLeadershipJusticeUnitedPartyHistoryUnited StatesDemocracyIssuesHuman NaturePolicyHealthMonthsMajorsEthicsConstitutionElectionStrategyUnityCampaignsIdeologyVotingSpokesPolitePolitical PartiesCivilityObamacareTwo MonthsDismay2012 ElectionAca Author:John McCain
“It is clear that the American people are weary of war. However, Assad gassing his own people is an issue of our national security, regional stability and global security.” PeopleWarPoliticsJusticeDemocracyIssuesClearViolenceSecurityPolicyEthicsHuman RightsIdeologyStabilityForeign PolicyWearyNational SecurityAssad Author:Nancy Pelosi
“Democracy doesn't work unless people are well informed, and I don't know that we are. People just don't have the time. Most people's daily lives are just about surviving. Most people don't have time to really study [crucial] issues.” PeopleKnowsWellsDemocracyStudyIssuesDaily LifeCrucialSurviving Author:Brad Pitt
“I used to do volunteer work in poor areas of Cairo, and people would gather their money together to get a satellite dish. You'd see them huddling around and for the first time seeing issues being debated on TV that had never been talked about before. And that is the biggest promoter of democracy you could possibly have.” PeopleFirstsTogetherUsedPoorDemocracyIssuesSeeingTvsFirst TimeAreasDishesVolunteerSatellitesPromotersCairoVolunteer Work Author:Jehane Noujaim
“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
“Highly intelligent and well-informed people disagree on every political issue. Therefore, intelligence and knowledge are useless for making decisions, because if any of that stuff helped, then all the smart people would have the same opinions. So use your "gut instinct" to make voting choices. That is exactly like being clueless, but with the added advantage that you'll feel as if your random vote preserved democracy.” PeopleIfsFeelsWellsUsePoliticalChoicesStuffDecisionOpinionDemocracyIssuesSmartAdvantageVoteIntelligentInstinctUselessGutsVotingDisagreeSmart PeopleMaking DecisionsCluelessPolitical IssuesGut InstinctHighly Intelligent Author:Scott Adams
“I think it's something that the citizenry needs to be vigilant about - participating in democracy, and that includes issues like what's going on and how much secrecy and transparency there should be. That's an on-going thing - in a democracy you want checks and balances and oversight, but you need a covert agency to protect the country. It's a very tricky balance and I think it changes as the world changes and I think we all need to be mindful of that.” ThinkingWorldWantNeedsShouldCountryDemocracyIssuesBalanceProtectChecksAgencySecrecyTransparencyTrickyParticipatingVigilantCitizenryOversightCovert Author:Matt Damon
“That's the issue that I've been exploring: How did the Republic turn into the Empire? That's paralleled with: How did Anakin turn into Darth Vader? How does a good person go bad, and how does a democracy become a dictatorship? It isn't that the Empire conquered the Republic, it's that the Empire is the Republic.” PersonsDoeTurnsDemocracyIssuesEmpiresRepublicDictatorshipExploringGood PersonVader Author:George Lucas
“Democracy is a hegemonic tool of the West and contrary to Islam. Why do you act as though the entire world needs democracy? And when it comes to homosexuality, the issue is clearly dealt with by the Koran. It says it is forbidden and should be punished.” WorldNeedsShouldDemocracyIssuesToolsWestIslamContraryHomosexualityForbidden Author:Abdul Sattar Abu Risha
“In the United States we have all across this country, we have dozens of Halakha courts, in which particularly observant Jews can take these issues of family law to an orthodox Court and have that judge, judge for them. As long as the courts don't violate the laws of the land and as long as there's a room for appeal should one or two parties disagree with the verdict, I don't see how this would have anything to do with being incompatible with what we refer to as Western ideas of democracy.” ShouldLongTwoIdeasCountryStatesLawUnitedRoomsPartyUnited StatesDemocracyIssuesLandJudgingCourtWesternJewAppealsOrthodoxDisagreeDozenVerdictObservantFamily Law Author:Mark Durie
“To pay attention to the actual core of the movement - that would be pretty hard. Can you concentrate for example on either the policy issues or the creation of functioning democratic communities of mutual support and say, well, that's what's lacking in our country that's why we don't have a functioning democracy - a community of real participation. That's really important. And that always gets smashed.” WellsImportantRealCountryHardWould BeCommunityPayAttentionSupportDemocracyIssuesPolicyExampleMovementCreationDemocraticCoreOur CountryPay AttentionMutualLackingParticipationMutual Support Author:Noam Chomsky
“There's a real danger when people get distracted by peripheral issues. They get distracted by democracy building. They get distracted about military conflicts. We need to focus on defeating jihadism.” PeopleNeedsRealDemocracyIssuesFocusMilitaryDangerBuildingConflictDistracted Author:Ted Cruz
“The Constitution empowers the people to resolve our day's most contentious issues. When judges forget this basic truth, they do a disservice to our democracy and to our constitution.” PeopleForgetDemocracyIssuesJudgingConstitutionEmpoweringResolveDisserviceContentious Author:Mike DeWine
“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
“Today, with America being a beleaguered global power, in part because of its own mistakes, it is absolutely essential that the American democracy refocuses its concerns towards global issues and does not approach its own specific problems on the basis of, to some extend, self-induced fear.” DoeSelfProblemTodayAmericaMistakeDemocracyIssuesEssentialsApproachConcernBasesAmerican DemocracyGlobal Issues Author:Zbigniew Brzezinski
“Democracy is one person, one vote and a full discussion of the issues that affect us. Oligarchy is billionaires buying elections, voter suppression and a concentrated corporate media determining what we see, hear and read.” PersonsDemocracyIssuesMediaVoteElectionCorporateDiscussionBuyingVotersBillionaireSuppressionOligarchyVoter Suppression Author:Bernie Sanders
“In every issue there are winners are losers, and the losers are plenty. But they have to be willing to grudgingly accept the result. That's the genius of our democracy.” ResultsAcceptingDemocracyIssuesWillingGeniusPlentyWinnerLoser Author:Dick Gephardt
“There is nothing going on and in the meantime we do know that our democracy is under assault by the KGB. To me, that's something we ought to be talking about. That's a relevant issue in this campaign [2016].” KnowsTalkingDemocracyIssuesOughtCampaignsRelevantAssaultKgb Author:James Carville
“I think my most important advice is to understand what are the foundations of a healthy democracy and how we have to engage in citizenship continuously, not just when something upsets us; not just when there's an election or when an issue pops up for a few weeks. It's hard work.” ThinkingImportantHardDemocracyIssuesWeekAdviceHard WorkHealthyElectionFoundationPopsUpsetCitizenship Author:Barack Obama
“When a nation uses their improperly gained or intelligence-wise gained information to take policy positions that impact another nation's democracy or their approach to any issue, then that raises real serious matters.” RealMatterUseNationsDemocracyIssuesWiseInformationPolicyPositionSeriousApproachRaisesImpact Author:Jeff Sessions
“Political stability was at most a factor in assessing developing countries or Russia. It is now also an issue in Western democracies.” CountryPoliticalDemocracyIssuesWesternRussiaFactorsDevelopingStabilityDeveloping CountriesAssessing Author:Nicholas Bloom