Democracy Quotes - Page 11

• The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerated the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than the democratic state itself. That in its essence is fascism: ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or any controlling private power.

  Franklin D. Roosevelt

  Freedom, Power, Essence

  Roosevelt, Franklin D. (1941). “Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: F.D. Roosevelt, 1938, Volume 7”, p.305, Best Books on

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• I believe we are on an irreversible trend toward more freedom and democracy - but that could change.

  Dan Quayle

  Funny, Witty, Freedom

  Quoted in Wall Street Journal, 26 May 1989

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• Congress is functioning the way the Founding Fathers intended-not very well. They understood that if you move too quickly, our democracy will be less responsible to the majority.

  Barber Conable

  Father, Moving, Majority

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• The worst thing I can say about democracy is that it has tolerated the right hon. Gentleman for four and a half years.

  Aneurin Bevan

  Years, Gentleman, Half

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• The spirit of democracy cannot be established in the midst of terrorism, whether governmental or popular.

  Mahatma Gandhi

  Freedom, Democracies Have, Spirit

  Mahatma Gandhi (1959). “India of My Dreams”, p.27, Rajpal & Sons

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• Democracy needs support and the best support for democracy comes from other democracies. Democratic nations should come together in an association designed to help each other and promote what is a universal value - democracy.

  Benazir Bhutto

  Teamwork, Helping Others, Democracies Have

  Benazir Bhutto (1989). “Speeches and Statements: Apr. 2-Nov. 14, 1989”

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• After each war there is a little less democracy left to save.

  Brooks Atkinson

  War, Littles, Libertarian

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• The only force that can overcome an idea and a faith is another and better idea and faith, positively and fearlessly upheld.

  Dorothy Thompson

  Ideas, Overcoming, Force

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• I think the good old British democracy should keep scrutinising and pressing to get the truth out.

  Clare Short

  Thinking, Should, British

  "Today" with John Humphrys, www.theguardian.com. February 26, 2004.

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• But the Western countries that link their partnership with the poorest countries with respect for democracy also have to consider that they have obligations towards these countries.

  Omar Bongo

  Country, Links, Partnership

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• Our enemy sees us clearly. They will not start a war. They're worried about one thing: If democracy develops here, if we succeed, we will win

  Bill Vaughan

  Success, Art, Military

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• Government is best which governs least

  Thomas Paine

  Freedom, Democracies Have, Government

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• Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral.

  Paulo Freire

  Peace, Honesty, Powerful

  Paulo Freire (1985). “The Politics of Education: Culture, Power, and Liberation”, p.122, Greenwood Publishing Group

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• Democracy means not "I am as good as you are" but "You are as good as I am.".

  Theodore Parker

  Freedom, Mean, Diversity

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• Only a fool would try to deprive working men and working women of their right to join the union of their choice.

  Dwight D. Eisenhower

  Men, Choices, Trying

  Dwight D. Eisenhower, Alfred Dupont Chandler, Louis Galambos (1978). “The papers: The chief of staff”

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• No one is born a good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime. Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts off from its youth severs its lifeline.

  Kofi Annan

  Cutting, People, Society

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• On the whole, with scandalous exceptions, Democracy has given the ordinary worker more dignity than he ever had.

  Sinclair Lewis

  Democracies Have, Ordinary, Dignity

  Sinclair Lewis (2014). “It Can't Happen Here”, p.30, Penguin

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• It seems to rise again when the crisis times come, and this is a time of most severe crisis, as we all know, not just for the history of the United States and the survival indeed of our democracy, but for the future peace of the world. And never before probably has the need for interfaith commitment been nearly as great as it is at this very moment.

  Walter Cronkite

  God, Time, Future

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• The consent of the governed" is more than a safeguard against ignorant tyrants: it is an insurance against benevolent despots as well.

  Walter Lippmann

  Tyrants, Ignorant, Consent Of The Governed

  Walter Lippmann (1914). “A Preface to Politics”

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• If there were a people consisting of gods, they would be governed democratically. So perfect a government is not suitable to men.

  Jean-Jacques Rousseau

  Men, People, Perfect

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• In a constitutional democracy the moral content of law must be given by the morality of the framer or legislator, never by the morality of the judge.

  Robert Bork

  Law, Judging, Morality

  Robert H. Bork (2009). “The Tempting of America”, p.318, Simon and Schuster

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

  C. L. R. James

  Government, Paris, Body

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• You cannot have democratic accountability in anything bigger than a nation state.

  Vaclav Klaus

  Accountability, States, Bigger

  "Czech warns Europe of 'dream world' woes". www.washingtontimes.com. November 24, 2003.

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• The majority is the best way, because it is visible, and has strength to make itself obeyed. Yet it is the opinion of the least able.

  Blaise Pascal

  Majority, Able, Way

  Blaise Pascal (2009). “Thoughts”, p.264, Lulu.com

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

  John Dryden

  Responsibility, Thinking, Demand

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