“The founders understood that democracy would inevitably evolve into a system of legalized plunder unless the plundered were given numerous escape routes and constitutional protections such as the separation of powers, the Bill of Rights, election of senators by state legislators, the electoral college, no income taxation, most governmental functions performed at the state and local levels, and myriad other constitutional limitations on the powers of the central government.” StatesGovernmentGivenLevelsDemocracyRightsCollegeUnderstoodFunctionElectionBillsProtectionSeparationIncomeLocalsLimitationEvolveFoundersSenatorsRoutesTaxationIncome TaxLegislatorsBill Of RightsPlunderSeparation Of PowersElectoral CollegeCentral Government Author:Thomas DiLorenzo
“And every historic effort to forge a democratic project has been undermined by two fundamental realities: poverty and paranoia. The persistence of poverty generates levels of despair that deepen social conflict the escalation of paranoia produces levels of distrust that reinforce cultural division. Rae is the most explosive issue in American life precisely because it forces us to confront the tragic facts of poverty and paranoia despair, and distrust. In short, a candid examination of race matters takes us to the core of the crisis of American democracy (p. 107).” Has BeensTwoMatterFactsRealityForceSocialLevelsEffortRacePovertyDemocracyIssuesProduceConflictDespairProjectsCrisisFundamentalsDemocraticCorePersistenceTragicDivisionDistrustHistoricExaminationParanoiaAmerican LifeExplosivesCandidAmerican DemocracyEscalation Book:Race Matters: With a New Introduction Source: Race Matters: With a New Introduction
“Naturally I never had the intention to offend or alienate Slavs. ... What makes me different from the 'nazis' are basically three things; unlike them I am not socialistic (not even on a national level), I am not materialistic and I believe in (the ancient Scandinavian!) democracy.” BelieveDifferentThreeI BelieveLevelsDemocracyIntentionAncientI Believe InNaziThree ThingsMaterialisticScandinavians Author:Varg Vikernes
“How do we get democracy at the international level? That's our problem. and it's essentially the same problem people faced in the 18th Century when they tried to get democracy nationally. Now we need it internationally.” PeopleNeedsProblemLevelsDemocracyCenturyInternational18th Century Author:Susan George
“Read any of the top-selling business books, all of them talk about moving away from a top down manner of leading to a more inclusive one. It's not happening over night, but if you read the winds of change in most of the democracies in the world we are moving toward shared levels of power.” IfsWorldBookMovingNightLevelsDemocracyWindHappeningsSellingMoving AwayTop DownWinds Of Change Author:Elizabeth Lesser
“Democracy and markets are both fundamental building blocks for a decent society. But they clash at a fundamental level. We need to balance them.” NeedsLevelsDemocracyBuildingBalanceFundamentalsBlockDecentClashBuilding Blocks Book:Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism Source: Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism
“My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.” GovernmentTogetherLevelsDemocracyCreatingCommittedAdministrationWorking TogetherOpennessCollaborationEfficiencyParticipationEffectivenessTransparencyUnprecedentedPublic TrustCooperation And Collaboration Author:Barack Obama
“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.” TryingStatesGovernmentLevelsMillionsDemocracyCitizensCallingRepublicanAmbitionUniversalElectionUnionsVotingVotersFraudEpidemicsPhantomsAmerican CitizensRegistrationFear MongeringVoter Registration Author:Greg Gutfeld
“We all know that election reform takes time. That's because those who have benefited from the system are the ones who fight hardest to preserve it. So if we're going to succeed, we need an independent coalition of citizens who believe in reform, who believe that our election laws should treat every voter equally, who believe that low levels of competition and participation are not healthy for democracy. The Independence Party is helping to build that coalition and I am happy to join you in doing so.” IfsKnowsNeedsShouldBelieveHelpingLawFightingLevelsPartyDemocracyCitizensHealthySucceedLowsTreatsIndependentElectionIndependenceCompetitionHardestReformPreservesVotersTake TimeParticipationCoalitionsLow Level Author:Michael Bloomberg
“In a democracy, it is the people who are sovereign. Therefore, with regard to the promotion of democracy at the local, country and regional levels, civil society must have a stronger voice in all political processes.” PeopleCountryPoliticalProcessVoiceLevelsDemocracyStrongerRegardLocalsSovereignPromotionCivil Society Author:Alfred-Maurice de Zayas
“there is that wish, in the name of democracy, to level down, because high cultural standards are despised and rejected, and even feared, in our Western Democracies. Don't let anyone else have what I've not got, or can't enjoy! - is the secret theory. A very large number of writers in the British and American popular press profess to be preaching democracy when in fact they are only trying to make envy respectable!” TryingFactsNamesWishEnjoyLevelsNumbersSecretDemocracyTheoryStandardsPressesWesternBritishEnvyPreachingRejectedRespectableDespisedLarge Numbers Author:Ann Bridge
“Dandyism is the last flicker of heroism in decadent ages.... Dandyism is a setting sun; like the declining star, it is magnificent, without heat and full of melancholy. But alas! the rising tide of democracy, which spreads everywhere and reduces everything to the same level, is daily carrying away these last champions of human pride, and submerging, in the waters of oblivion, the last traces of these remarkable myrmidons.” HumansAgeLastsStarsWaterLevelsSunDemocracyPrideSpreadSettingSettingsHeatChampionRisingRemarkableMelancholyTidesHeroismMagnificentAlasOblivionFlickerDandyism Author:Charles Baudelaire
“The role of campaign contributions in our political system and the role of lobbyists have now reached levels that are quite unhealthy for the operations of our democracy. But the antidote, as in past eras of lobbyist excess, is for more involvement by citizens to build pressure on members of the House and Senate to serve the public interest.” PastPoliticalHouseInterestLevelsRolesDemocracyCitizensMembersPressureCampaignsErasOperationsContributionExcessSenateInvolvementAntidoteUnhealthyPolitical SystemsPublic InterestLobbyistsCampaign Contributions Author:Al Gore
“The black hole in democracy is integrity. The great unspoken is integrity. When integrity is not first and foremost, it's quite palpable but not visible. It's always there. Jazz highlights it because musicians and jazz always represented a high level of integrity.” FirstsBlackLevelsDemocracyIntegrityMusicianJazzHolesVisibleUnspokenHighlightsHigh LevelBlack Hole Author:Wynton Marsalis