“All such men are, or ought to be, agreed, that simple governments are despotisms; and of all despotisms, a democracy, though the least durable, is the most violent.” MenGovernmentSimpleDemocracyOughtViolentDespotism Book:The influences of democracy on liberty, property, and the happiness of society, considered Source: The influences of democracy on liberty, property, and the happiness of society, considered
“The simple fact is we do not live in a democracy. Certainly not the kind our Founding Fathers intended. We live in a corporate dictatorship represented by, and beholden to, no single human being you can reason with or hold responsible for anything.” HumansKindReasonFactsFatherHuman BeingsSimpleDemocracyResponsibleCorporateDictatorshipFoundingOur Founding Fathers Author:Steven Van Zandt
“A simple democracy is the devil's own government.” GovernmentSimpleDemocracyDevil Author:Benjamin Rush
“I don't believe any more in democracy. But I can't believe in the old sort of aristocracy, either, nor can I wish it back, splendid as it was. What I believe in is the old Homeric aristocracy, when the grandeur was inside a man, and he lived in a simple wooden house.” MenBelieveI CanHouseI BelieveWishSimpleDemocracyDon't BelieveSimplicityI Believe InSplendidGrandeurAristocracyWooden House Author:D. H. Lawrence
“Republics demanded virtue. Monarchies could rely on coercion and "dazzling splendor" to suppress self-interest or factions; republics relied on the goodness of the people to put aside private interest for public good. The imperatives of virtue attached all sorts of desiderata to the republican citizen: simplicity, frugality, sobriety, simple manners, Christian benevolence, duty to the polity. Republics called on other virtues--spiritedness, courage--to protect the polity from external threats. Tyrants kept standing armies; republics relied on free yeomen, defending their own land.” PeopleSelfChristianInterestSimpleVirtueDemocracyLandDutyCitizensRepublicanProtectGoodnessStandingArmyThreatSimplicityMannersRelyRepublicTyrantsImperativesSelf InterestMonarchyCoercionBenevolenceSplendorSobrietyFactionsDazzlingFrugalityPublic GoodYeoman Author:James Monroe
“Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide. It is in vain to say that democracy is less vain, less proud, less selfish, less ambitious, or less avaricious than aristocracy or monarchy. It is not true, in fact, and nowhere appears in history. Those passions are the same in all men, under all forms of simple government, and when unchecked, produce the same effects of fraud, violence, and cruelty.” MenLongFactsGovernmentLastsRememberFormPassionSimpleDemocracyViolenceEffectsProduceProudWasteMurderSuicideSelfishCommitCrueltyVainFraudAmbitiousMonarchySuitableAristocracyDemocracies HaveViolence And Cruelty Author:John Adams
“The rules are rather simple to understand: Under democracy you can defend any view, but only defend it. You can not try to realise it through power, violence or weapons.” TryingSimpleViewsDemocracyViolenceWeaponsRealisingCan Not Author:Poul Henningsen
“I think it is a simple statement of principle that in a democracy you should make your MPs work harder for your vote and try and get at least majority support in their local area, and that in a nutshell is what AV does.” ThinkingShouldTryingDoeSimplePrinciplesSupportDemocracyHard WorkAreasVoteHarderMajorityStatementsLocalsWork HarderMps Author:Nick Clegg
“The problem with American democracy is the American corporation, which is a slave holder construct, pure and simple. It's totally invasive, and people are as tightly controlled within the walls of a corporation as they are in a totalitarian society.” PeopleProblemSimpleDemocracyWallPureSlaveCorporationsControlledConstructsAmerican Democracy Author:Richard Grossman
“The science of war leads one to dictatorship, pure and simple. The science of non-violence alone can lead one to pure democracy. Power based on love is thousand times more effective and permanent than power derived from fear of punishment. It is a blasphemy to say non-violence can be practiced only by individuals and never by nations which are composed of individuals. The nearest approach to purest anarchy would be a democracy based on non-violence. A society organized and run on the basis of complete non-violence would be the purest anarchy.” WarWould BeRunningIndividualNationsSimpleLove IsDemocracyViolenceThousandPureApproachBasesPunishmentPermanentOrganizedAnarchyDictatorshipNon ViolenceBlasphemy Author:Mahatma Gandhi
“But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders.” PeopleCountryMatterVoiceSimpleLeaderDemocracyPolicyDetermineCommunistDragDictatorshipParliamentFascistsBidding Author:Hermann Goring
“The post-Second World War simple system of social democracy and organized labour has fragmented massively, but just because people aren't organized in workplace trade unions doesn't mean they aren't in associations with other people - work-based, place-based, culture-based, sport-based, faith-based - there's a bit of an old rainbow coalition argument.” PeopleWorldMeanWarCultureSocialBitsSportsSimpleDemocracyArgumentTradeUnionsPostsWar Of The WorldsOrganizedLabourAssociationRainbowWorkplaceCoalitionsSecond World WarFragmentedTrade UnionsFaith BasedSocial Democracy Author:Duncan Green