“What other developed democracy has such a ridiculous and squalid history of intolerance? From the imprisonment and roasting of heretics, witches and poachers, to the censorship of literature, art and television: from St Alban through Wilde, Joyce and Lawrence I think we can point with pride to as grim a catalogue of intemperate, bigoted repression as any nation on earth.” ThinkingArtEarthLiteratureNationsDemocracyTelevisionPrideRidiculousWitchCensorshipIntoleranceRepressionGrimDemocracies HaveImprisonmentHereticJoyceCataloguesWildeRoastingPoachers Author:Stephen Fry
“A democracy survives when its citizens have access to trustworthy and impartial sources of information, when it can discern lies from truth. Take this away and a democracy dies. The fusion of news and entertainment, the rise of a class of celebrity journalists on television who define reporting by their access to the famous and the powerful, the retreat by many readers into the ideological ghettos of the Internet and the ruthless drive by corporations to destroy the traditional news business are leaving us deaf, dumb and blind.” LyingDiesPowerfulClassDemocracyInformationTelevisionSourceReaderInternetCitizensNewsBlindLeavingEntertainmentAccessTraditionalDumbJournalistCorporationsRetreatDeafRuthlessIdeologicalGhettoTrustworthyFusion Author:Chris Hedges
“Democracy means free television, not good television, but free.” MeanDemocracyTelevision Author:Johnny Carson
“Democracy is born in dirt, nourished by the digging up and turning over as much of it as can be brought within reach of a television camera or subpoena.” BornDemocracyTelevisionCamerasDirtDiggingWithin ReachSubpoenas Author:Lewis H. Lapham
“People don't talk to each other. You're alone with your television set or internet. But you can't have a functioning democracy without what sociologists call "secondary organizations," places where people can get together, plan, talk and develop ideas. You don't do it alone.” PeopleIdeasTogetherDemocracyPlansTelevisionInternetOrganizationGet TogetherSociologists Author:Noam Chomsky
“I would like to invite the citizens of Great Britain and the citizens of the U.S. and the citizens of the world to come here and walk freely through the streets of Venezuela, to talk to anyone they want, to watch television, to read the papers. We are building a true democracy, with human rights for everyone, social rights, education, health care, pensions, social security, and jobs.” WorldWantHumansCareJobsSocialWalksWatchesDemocracyRightsStreetsSecurityTelevisionBuildingCitizensPaperHuman RightsHealth CareBritainInvitesPapersSocial SecurityPensionGreat BritainVenezuelaTrue Democracy Author:Hugo Chavez
“The International Criminal Court, like most international institutions, is a wonderful idea. A noble idea. All it needs to work is planetary government, worldwide democracy and the triumph of reason over tribal loyalties, political doctrines and individual ambition. In other words, it requires that we all live in the world described by the "Star Trek" television shows.” WorldNeedsIdeasReasonShowsGovernmentPoliticalIndividualStarsDemocracyWonderfulTelevisionAmbitionInstitutionsCourtInternationalNobleCriminalsLoyaltyDoctrineTriumphTelevision Shows Author:James Lileks
“Mexico has relied on television for decades to keep the citizens misinformed and in a constant state of stupor. I mean we live in a time where democracy is almost synonymous with oligarchy.” MeanStatesDemocracyTelevisionCitizensConstantDecadesMexicoOligarchy Author:Andrea Suarez Paz
“I'm sometimes impatient with young people who demonstrate at my meetings and who don't want an argument, but who just want to go on television as having been there and made a fuss. This doesn't mean I don't believe in participatory democracy.” PeopleWantBelieveMeanMadeSometimesYoungDemocracyTelevisionGoes OnArgumentMeetingsDon't BelieveImpatientParticipatory Democracy Author:Pierre Trudeau