Best democracy & thinking Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings

“..(T)here are two opposite reasons for being a democrat. You may think all men so good that they deserve a share in the government of the commonwealth, and so wise that the commonwealth needs their advice. That is, in my opinion, the false, romantic doctrine of democracy. On the other hand, you may believe fallen men to be so wicked that not one of them can be trusted with any irresponsible power over his fellows.”

“I think the advantage of democracy is that it makes us less dependent on a group of leaders.”

Thinking Leader Democracy Groups Advantage Dependent

Author:Azim Premji

“I think there is a heritage which I’m proud of, which is a fight for democracy, a fight for social justice, a fight for freedom. My grandfather went to jail or exile six times in his life, fighting for his principles for democracy, or for his country. And my father twice.”

Thinking Country Fighting Father Social Justice Principles Democracy Proud Six Social Justice Jail Heritage Grandfather Exile My Grandfather Fighting For Freedom

Author:George Papandreou

“Think of the millions of young men who died fighting for democracy. We spit on their graves when we let democracy slip away into the sewer of illegal money.”

Thinking Men Young Fighting Money Millions Democracy Died Graves Young Man Illegal Slips Spit Sewers

Author:Doris "Granny D" Haddock

“If there was one decision I would overrule, it would be Citizens United. I think the notion that we have all the democracy that money can buy strays so far from what our democracy is supposed to be.”

Ifs Thinking Would Be Decision United Democracy Citizens Notion Supposed To Be Citizens United

Author:Ruth Bader Ginsburg

“If you can see, hear, feel, and think, you should know that King Dollar rules the United States, and that the workers are robbed and exploited in this country to the heart's content of the masters.If you are not deaf, dumb, and blind, then you know that the American bourgeois democracy and capitalistic civilization are the worst enemies of labor and progress, and that instead of protecting them, you should help to fight to destroy them.”

“We must think of human progress, not as of something going on in the race in general, but as something going on in a small minority, perpetually beleaguered in a few walled towns. Now and then the horde of barbarians outside breaks through, and we have an armed effort to halt the process. That is, we have a Reformation, a French Revolution, a war for democracy, a Great Awakening. The minority is decimated and driven to cover. But a few survive- and a few are enough to carry on.”

“The contemporary tendency in our society is to base our distribution on scarcity, which has vanished, and to compress our abundance into the overfed mouths of the middle and upper classes until they gag with superfluity. If democracy is to have breadth of meaning, it is necessary to adjust this inequity. It is not only moral, but it is also intelligent. We are wasting and degrading human life by clinging to archaic thinking.”

Source: All Labor Has Dignity

“Democracy is essentially anti-authoritarian--that is, it not only demands the right but imposes the responsibility of thinking for ourselves.”

Thinking Responsibility Democracy Demand

Author:John Dryden

“The United States presents a value system to the world that is based on democracy, based on economic freedom, based on individual rights for men and women, .. I think that is what makes us such a draw for nations around the world. People come to the United States to be educated, to become Americans. We are a country of countries and we touch every country, and every country in world touches us.”

“And it was under Wilson that the first great propaganda slogan was coined and emblazoned everywhere, to make Americans start thinking favorably of democracies and forget that we had a republic.”

Thinking Firsts Forget Democracy Propaganda Republic Slogans Wilson

Author:Robert W. Welch, Jr.

“I think it is absolutely essential in a democracy to have competition in the media, a lot of competition, and we seem to be moving away from that.”

Thinking Seems Moving Democracy Media Essentials Competition Moving Away Voting And Democracy

Author:Walter Cronkite

“I think, as a general matter, clearly, the United States globally supports the development of democracy and the democratic yearnings of all people.”

People Thinking Matter States United United States Support Democracy Development Democratic Yearning

Author:Richard Armitage

“Once a man has tasted freedom he will never be content to be a slave. That is why I believe that this frightfulness we see everywhere today is only temporary. Tomorrow will be better for as long as America keeps alive the ideals of freedom and a better life. All men will want to be free and share our way of life. There must be so much that I should have said, but haven't. What I will say now is just what most of us are probably thinking every day. I thank God and America for the right to live and raise my family under the flag of tolerance, democracy and freedom.”

“Although Israel was founded based on the historic Jewish homeland and the need to have a Jewish homeland, Israeli democracy has been premised on everybody in the country being treated equally and fairly. And I think that that is what's best about Israeli democracy.”

Thinking Needs Has Beens Country Democracy Israel Treated Historic Israeli Homeland Democracies Have

Author:Barack Obama

“Many who wave American flags also practice discrimination on the basis of race. Many who wave American flags practice anti-Semitism. We think that betrays the fundamental ideals of our democracy.”

Thinking Race Practice Democracy Ideals Bases Fundamentals Wave Betrayal Discrimination Flags Betray Anti Semitism American Flag

Author:Billy Campbell

“I think art has a right — not an obligation — to be difficult if it wishes. And, since people generally go on from this to talk about elitism versus democracy, I would add that genuinely difficult art is truly democratic.”

People Ifs Thinking Art Wish Difficult Democracy Goes On Art Is Add Democratic Obligation Versus Elitism

Author:Geoffrey Hill

“Well the protester I think is a very powerful thing. It's basically a mechanism of democracy that, along with capitalism, scientific innovation, those things have built the modern world. And it's wonderful that the new tools have empowered that protestor so that state secrets, bad developments are not hidden anymore.”

Thinking World Wells States Political Powerful Secret Democracy Wonderful Modern Development Capitalism Built Tools Innovation Mechanism Modern World Empowered Very Powerful

Author:Bill Gates

“I think they will never really enjoy true democracy in China.”

Thinking Enjoy Democracy China True Democracy

Author:Simon Winchester

“As for democracy, the men of sense among us knew what it was, and I perhaps as well as any, as I have more cause to complain of it; but there is nothing new to be said of a patent absurdity-meanwhile we did not think it safe to alter it under the pressure of your hostility.”

Thinking Men Wells Said Causes Democracy He Man Safe Pressure Complaining Absurdity Hostility Patents Nothing New

Book:The Landmark Thucydides

Source: The Landmark Thucydides

“The modern world is reversing the old virtues of authority. They aimed deliberately to make men unworldly. They did not aim to found society on a full use of the earth's resources; they did not aim to use the whole nature of man; they did not intend him to think out the full expression of his desires. Democracy is a turning point upon those ideals in a pursuit, at first unconsciously, of the richest life that men can devise for themselves.”

Thinking Men World Firsts Whole Use Earth Desire Found Virtue Democracy Modern Expression Authority Resources Ideals Aim Pursuit Modern World Turning Points Nature Of Man

Author:Walter Lippmann

“Dynamic ecstasy is absolute romanticism , absolute heroism . And here I return to my point. From my point of view, after the catastrophe which we feel and think is universal, a catastrophe resulting from an excess of useless dynamism of useless progress, of useless realism, of useless technology, after this an unattainable democracy is to be reached through the conception and realization of a new romanticism.”

“Our people do not want barren theories from their democracy. Maury Maverick has expressed very quaintly, but clearly, what they really want when he says: 'We Americans want to talk, pray, think as we please and eat regular'.”

People Thinking Want Democracy Theory Praying Please Barren Maverick Maury

Author:Robert H. Jackson

“They that are discontented under monarchy, call it tyranny; and they that are displeased with aristocracy, call it oligarchy: so also, they which find themselves grieved under a democracy, call it anarchy, which signifies the want of government; and yet I think no man believes, that want of government, is any new kind of government.”

Thinking Men Want Believe Kind Government Democracy Tyranny Anarchy Monarchy Aristocracy Oligarchy

Author:Thomas Hobbes

“Violent resistance against the power of the state is the last resort of the minority in its effort to break loose from the oppression of the majority. ... The citizen must not be so narrowly circumscribed in his activities that, if he thinks differently from those in power, his only choice is either to perish or to destroy the machinery of state.”

Source: The free and prosperous commonwealth: an exposition of the ideas of classical liberalism

“I think it's time for the Army to understand that power should be enshrined in the people if we are to be a genuine democracy and not in any particular institution or organisation.”

People Ifs Thinking Should Democracy Particular Army Institutions Genuine Organisation

Author:Aung San Suu Kyi

“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.”

People Thinking Should States Form Nations Democracy Issues Nationalism Obsolete Tribalism

Author:Deepak Chopra

“But, clearly, the prime minister has laid down some ground rules which any functioning democratic state would insist upon, having to do with, you know, arms belonging to the state, not to -- not in private hands. The current circumstances come out of what I think is a very important and indeed appropriate action that the Iraqi government has taken.”

Thinking Knows Important States Hands Government Action Democracy Taken Arms Circumstances Democratic Currents Ministers Appropriate Belonging Prime Prime Minister Ground Rules

Author:Condoleezza Rice

“How can there be democracy if the leadership in the United States and Britain don't uphold the values which my father's generation fought the Nazis, millions of people gave their lives against the Soviet Union's regime, didn't they? Because of what? Democracy. And what democracy meant. No torture, no camps, no detention forever or without trial, without charges. In solitary confinement. Those techniques which are not just alleged, they have actually been written about by the FBI. I don't think it's being far left - I hope that I'm wrong to consider that it's far left to uphold the rule of law.”

“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.”

People Thinking Way Writing Mind Humans Has Beens Ideas Courses Easy Democracy Issues Products Citizens Argument Criticism Harder Proven Misguided Proven Wrong

Book:Free Culture

Source: Free Culture

“The successful politician owes his power to the fact that he moves within the accepted framework of thought, that he thinks and talks conventionally. It would be almost a contradiction in terms for a politician to be a leader in the field of ideas. His task in a democracy is to find out what the opinions held by the largest number are, not to give currency to new opinions which may become the majority view in some distant future.”

“I do not regard myself as a Christian politician. I regard myself as a politician who just happens to think religion matters. I would be appalled, absolutely appalled, to think religion drove anyone's politics in a secular democracy like ours.”

Thinking Matter Happens Would Be Christian Democracy Politician Regard Secular

Author:Tony Abbott

“For the mass of men the idea of artistic creation can only be expressed by an idea unpopular in present discussions - the idea of property... Property is merely the art of the democracy... One would think, to hear people talk, that the Rothschilds and the Rockefellers were on the side of property. But obviously they are the enemies of property; because they are enemies of their own limitations.”

People Thinking Men Art Ideas Politics Sides Enemy Economy Democracy Creation Mass Property Artistic Limitation Discussion Liberalism Artistic Creation

Author:Gilbert K. Chesterton

“Scholars have been arguing for a long time whether the Soviet Union could have been turned into some kind of social democracy. I doubt it myself. I think what Gorbachev didn't quite understand, until it was too late, is that his efforts at change unleashed new, certrifical forces he hadn't counted on. He opened the door a crack and a huge wind blew it open.”

“I'm a patriot, and I think democracy is the best system available. It's very flawed, but it works better than anything else.”

Thinking Democracy Available Patriot Flawed

Author:Jay Roach

“Socialisms not a word that I use. I say social democracy because I dont think the government needs to own all the means of production.”

Thinking Needs Mean Use Government Social Democracy Productions Socialism Social Democracy

Author:David Cunliffe

“democracy is dying. We are ruled by faceless bureaucrats and lecherous puritans. ... You think about it. 'All right for me but not for you' is their philosophy.”

Thinking Philosophy Politics Democracy Dying Bureaucrats Puritan Faceless

Book:A RELATIVE STRANGER\

Source: A RELATIVE STRANGER\

“Any time you make an analogy to horrific people in history, Mussolini or Hitler, people say, 'Oh, you're exaggerating, you're talking about, it's hyperbole.' Maybe it is. ... But I would say is that if you are not concerned that democracy could produce bad people, I don't think you're really thinking this through too much.”

People Ifs Thinking Talking Democracy Too Much Produce Concerned Bad People Analogies Nsa Horrific Exaggerating Hyperbole

Author:Rand Paul

“One of the things we're going to have to discuss and debate is how are we striking this balance between the need to keep the American people safe and our concerns about privacy. Because there are some trade-offs involved. I welcome this debate, and I think it's healthy for our democracy.”

People Thinking Needs Democracy Balance Involved Healthy Safe Concern Trade Debate Welcome Privacy Nsa Trade Offs

Author:Barack Obama

“There are only two forces that can withstand the force of the war's spirit when it seizes upon the world. The one is the force of an independently thinking, free, and articulate democracy. The other is the force of an instructed and enlightened public opinion.”

Thinking World Two War Spirit Force Peace Opinion Democracy Enlightened Public Opinion

Author:Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence, Baroness Pethick-Lawrence

“They've been screaming about the death of literacy for years, but I think TV is the Gutenberg [printing] press. I think TV is the only thing that keeps us vaguely in democracy even if it's in the hands of the corporate culture. If you're an artist you write in your time. Moaning about the fact that maybe people read more books a hundred years ago - that's not true. I think the same percentage has always read.”

“There is an urgent need to-day for the citizens of a democracy to think well. It is not enough to have freedom of the Press and parliamentary institutions. Our difficulties are due partly to our own stupidity, partly to the exploitation of that stupidity, and partly to our own prejudices and personal desires.”

Thinking Needs Wells Enough Desire Democracy Citizens Difficulty Prejudice Institutions Presses Stupidity Dues Exploitation Urgent Freedom Of The Press Parliamentary Personal Desire

Author:Susan Stebbing

“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

“Democracy is an experimental system. I like it when states try out new ideas. I think we ought to expand, not contract, our federalist system.”

Thinking Trying Ideas States Democracy Ought Contracts New Ideas Federalist

Author:Alex Tabarrok

“There are enough bad films coming out of this town already without the process being more democratized. I'm a guy who loves democracy. I'm all for democratizing any process, but I think there is a price to pay for that.”

Thinking Enough Film Guy Process Pay Democracy Towns Coming Out

Author:Tavis Smiley

“It took six weeks of debate in the Senate to get the Arms Embargo Law repealed--and we face other delays during the present session because most of the Members of the Congress are thinking in terms of next Autumn's election. However, that is one of the prices that we who live in democracies have to pay. It is, however, worth paying, if all of us can avoid the type of government under which the unfortunate population of Germany and Russia must exist.”

“You know what? I think the American people are a little pissed, and I think they're pissed at both parties - I think they're really pissed at both parties - and it will be reflected during election time.”

People Thinking Knows Littles Reality Political Politics Community Money Party Democracy Election Ideology Voting Political Parties Election Time

Author:Whoopi Goldberg

“I have talked to more people who are in politics who have said to me, "[House of Cards] is closer than you can imagine. It's the most accurate description of how politics actually works that we've ever seen." I mean, West Wing - beautiful, wonderful idea of how democracy should work. But I've had more people in politics say they think House of Cards is closer. I - don't know whether to take that as a compliment or a sad state of affairs.”

People Thinking Knows Should Mean Said Ideas States Beautiful House Politics Community Democracy Imagine Wonderful Policy Wings West Affair Cards Description Compliment Accurate House Of Cards

Author:Kevin Spacey

“I just am a believer...that there are some things that happen for a reason...We may not be able to really discern it now...[but] given the perspective of time, I think we're going to be able to look back at this, and what seemed really bad at the time may turn out to be really good.”

Thinking Looks May Reason Happens Able Turns Politics Given Party Democracy Perspective Believer Ideology Tea Tea Party Happens For A Reason

Author:Eric Cantor

“America is just so weird in what they think is right and wrong. Like, I was watching 'Breaking Bad' the other day, and they were cooking meth. I could literally cook meth because of that show. It's a how-to. And then they bleeped out the word 'f__k'. And I'm like, really? They killed a guy, and disintegrated his body in acid, but you're not allowed to say 'f__k'? It's like when they bleeped 'molly' at the VMAs. Look what I'm doing up here right now, and you're going to bleep out 'molly'?”

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Democracy Quotes