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Democracy Quotes

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Democracy Quotes

“The stories from Iran's present and past are reminders that freedom, democracy and human rights, or fundamentalism, fascism and terrorism are not geographically and culturally determined, but universal.”

Humans Stories Past Democracy Rights Universal Human Rights Terrorism Determined Iran Fascism Fundamentalism Reminders Democracy And Human Rights

Author:Azar Nafisi

“Democracy, material wealth, and universal education are the soil upon which modernism exists.”

Wealth Democracy Materials Universal Soil Modernism Material Wealth Universal Education

Author:Ai Weiwei

“The Paris Commune was first and foremost a democracy. The government was a body elected by universal suffrage.”

Firsts Body Government Democracy Universal Paris Suffrage Communes Universal Suffrage

Author:C. L. R. James

“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.”

“While the broad principles of democracy are universal, the fact remains that their application varies considerably ... We are at the beginning of the road, at the very beginning. We still have a long way to go.”

Way Long Stills Facts Principles Democracy Universal Remains Broads Application Long Way Vary Long Way To Go

Author:Boutros Boutros-Ghali

“The dissolution of society bids fair to become the termination of a career of which property is the end and aim, because such a career contains the elements of self-destruction. Democracy in government, brotherhood in society, equality in rights and privileges, and universal education, foreshadow the next higher plane of society to which experience, intelligence and knowledge are steadily tending.”

Source: The Indian Journals, 1859-62

“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?”

“Republicans are systematically and deliberately trying to stop millions of American citizens from voting. What part of democracy are they afraid of? I call on Republicans at all levels of government, with all manner of ambition, to stop fear mongering about a phantom epidemic of election fraud. I'm calling for universal, automatic voter registration, every citizen in every state in the union.”

“Democracy will itself accomplish the salutary universal change from delusive to real, and make a new blessed world of us by and by.”

World Real Democracy Universal Blessed Accomplish

Book:Latter-day Pamphlets

Source: Latter-day Pamphlets

“But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts--for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own Governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free.”

World Heart Government Lasts Fighting Nations Voice Liberty Democracy Rights Authority Universal Safety Concerts Submit Dominion Declaration Of War Small Nations

Author:Woodrow Wilson

“Democracy turns upon and devours itself. Universal suffrage, in theory the palladium of our liberties, becomes the assurance of our slavery. And that slavery will grow more and more abject and ignoble as the differential birth rate, the deliberate encouragement of mendicancy and the failure of popular education produce a larger and larger mass of prehensile half-wits, and so make the demagogues more and more secure.”

“There are those who argue that the concept of human rights is not applicable to all cultures. We in the National League for Democracy believe that human rights are of universal relevance. But even those who do not believe in human rights must certainly agree that the rule of law is most important. Without the rule of law there can be no peace.”

Believe Humans Important Law Culture Democracy Rights Concepts Universal Agree Human Rights Arguing League Relevance Rule Of Law

Author:Aung San Suu Kyi

“Democracy is a universal value”

Values Democracy Universal

Author:Amartya Sen

“Our ultimate weapon is not our guns but our beliefs ... Ours are not Western values. They are the universal values of the human spirit and anywhere, any time, ordinary people are given the chance to choose, the choice is the same. Freedom not tyranny. Democracy not dictatorship. The rule of law not the rule of the secret police. The spread of freedom is the best security for the free. It is our last line of defence and our first line of attack.”

“The very moment you understand that being a Muslim and being American or European are not mutually exclusive, you enrich your society. Promote the universal principles of justice and freedom, and leave the societies elsewhere to find their model of democracy based on their collective psychology and cultural heritage.”

Moments Justice Principles Democracy Psychology Models Universal Collectives Heritage Elsewhere Exclusive Cultural Heritage

Author:Tariq Ramadan