“The democratic ideal springs from the ideas of liberty, equality, majority rule through free elections, protection of the rights of minorities, and freedom to subscribe to multiple loyalties in matters of religion, economics, and politics rather than to a total loyalty to the state. The spirit of democracy is the idea of importance and worth in the individual, and faith in the kind of world where the individual can achieve as much of his potential as possible.” WorldKindIdeasMatterStatesSpiritIndividualLibertyDemocracyRightsAchieveSpringIdealsEconomicsImportanceElectionMajorityDemocraticProtectionLoyaltyMinoritiesMultipleRules For RadicalsMajority RuleFree ElectionsDemocratic Ideals Book:Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals Source: Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals
“laughter, that distinctively human emotion, laughter which springs from trust in the other, from willingness to put oneself momentarily in the other's place, even at one's own expense, is the special emotional basis of democratic procedures, just as pride is the emotion of an aristocracy, shame of a crowd that rules, and fear of a police state.” HumansStatesEmotionDemocracySpecialEmotionalPrideSpringLaughterBasesPoliceShameDemocraticOneselfCrowdsExpensesWillingnessProceduresAristocracyPolice StateHuman Emotions Author:Margaret Mead
“I believe democracy will succeed in Tunisia, but I also believe that it will succeed in the other Arab Spring countries.” BelieveCountryI BelieveDemocracySucceedSpringArab SpringTunisia Author:Rashid al-Ghannushi
“I salute all the nations of the Arab Spring and I salute the heroic people of Syria who are striving for freedom, democracy and reform.” PeopleNationsDemocracySpringStriveReformHeroicSyriaSaluteArab Spring Author:Ismail Haniyeh
“Today, supremely, it behooves us to remember that a nation shall be saved by the power that sleeps in its own bosom; or by none; shall be renewed in hope, in confidence, in strength by waters welling up from its own sweet, perennial springs. Not from above; not by patronage of its aristocrats. The flower does not bear the root, but the root the flower.” DoeTodayRememberNationsWaterFreedomSleepDemocracySweetFlowerBearsSpringRootsSavedBosomsPatronage Author:Woodrow Wilson
“Democracy or breakdown in Syria would change the whole Middle East overnight.” WholeDemocracyMiddleSpringEastMiddle EastSyriaBreakdownArab Spring Author:Paul Krugman
“We tie ourselves in knots when we act as if democracy is good for the United States and Israel but not for the Arab world. For far too long, we've treated the Arab world as just an oil field.” IfsWorldLongStatesUnitedUnited StatesDemocracyFieldsSpringIsraelOilTreatedTiesKnotsArab WorldArab SpringOil Field Author:Nicholas D. Kristof
“If democracy succeeds in Egypt, other countries will follow. Should the democratic experiment in Egypt be hijacked by the military or anti-democratic Islamist groups, the revolution will fail elsewhere.” IfsShouldCountryDemocracyFailingGroupsMilitaryRevolutionSucceedSpringDemocraticExperimentsElsewhereOther CountriesEgyptIslamistsArab Spring Author:David Ignatius
“The Arab spring reminds me a bit of the decolonisation process where one country gets independence and everybody else wants it. How about us, when do we get it, when do we make our move? And you have a situation where someone has been in power for decades, where the integrity of elections, democracy and security have really not been debated or discussed and most people suspect that elections are rigged and that the democratic rotation that elections are supposed to ensure doesn't really happen. And when this goes on for a while you are sitting on a powder keg.” PeopleWantHas BeensCountryHappensMovingBitsProcessSituationDemocracySecurityGoes OnIntegritySpringSittingElectionIndependenceDemocraticDecadesSuspectsPowderRiggedRotationArab SpringKegs Author:Kofi Annan