Democracy Quotes - Page 28

• A modern, harmonic and lively architecture is the visible sign of authentic democracy.

  Walter Gropius

  Architecture, Modern, Lively

  "Words of Art: Inspiring Quotes from the Masters". Book published by Adams Media, 2013.

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• The vision I would like to see here is the entrenching of the Jewish and the Zionist state. I very much favor democracy, but when there is a contradiction between democratic and Jewish values, the Jewish and Zionist values are more important.

  Avigdor Lieberman

  Jewish Values, Vision, Important

  "The Rise of Avigdor Lieberman". Ben Lynfield, The Nation, December 14, 2006.

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• In any democracy, there is always a tug-of-war between policies to achieve equality and policies to promote excellence. I am certain that Canada can achieve both equality and excellence.

  John Turner

  War, Excellence, Canada

  John Turner's speech at Liberal Party Leadership convention at Ottawa Civic Centre in Ontario, April 5, 1968.

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• The election is not a time to discuss serious issues.

  Kim Campbell

  Issues, Political, Serious

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• Am I embarrassed to speak for a less than perfect democracy? Not one bit. Find me a better one. Do I suppose there are societies which are free of sin? No, I don't. Do I think ours is, on balance, incomparably the most hopeful set of human relations the world has? Yes, I do.

  Daniel Patrick Moynihan

  Thinking, Perfect, Hopeful

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• The art of government is the organization of idolatry. The bureaucracy consists of functionaries; the aristocracy, of idols; the democracy, of idolaters. The populace cannot understand the bureaucracy: it can only worship the national idols.

  George Bernard Shaw

  Art, Government, Idols

  Man and Superman (1903) "Maxims for Revolutionists: Idolatry"

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• Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values.

  Barack Obama

  Religion, Demand, Motivated

  Barack Obama (2009). “Barack Obama: Speeches on the Road to the White House”

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• Well, I think by any expectation South Africa has come a tremendously long way. We've seen a society that many people thought couldn't withstand a peaceful transition to democracy without a great deal of violence, in fact, make that transition and do it in relative peace and security.

  Susan Rice

  Thinking, Long, People

  "Road to Riches". Interview with Mishal Husain, www.pbs.org. August 28, 2003.

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• The Oval Office symbolizes…the Constitution, the hopes and dreams, and I’m going to say democracy. And when you have a dress code in the Supreme Court and a dress code on the floor of the Senate, floor of the House, I think it’s appropriate to have an expectation that there will be a dress code that respects the office of the President.

  Andrew Card

  Dream, Thinking, Expectations

  "Former Chief of Staff to Obama: Put Your Jacket On" by Bernie Becker, thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com. February 4, 2009.

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• The Constitution is the sole source and guaranty of national freedom.

  Calvin Coolidge

  Freedom, Constitution, Source

  "Address of Acceptance". Address accepting nomination as Republican candidate for president, Washington, D.C., on August 04, 1924, p. 15,

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• There is one expanding horror in American life. It is that our long odyssey toward liberty, democracy and freedom-for-all may be achieved in such a way that utopia remains forever closed, and we live in freedom and hell, debased of style, not individual from one another, void of courage, our fear rationalized away.

  Norman Mailer

  Freedom, America, Long

  1966 Cannibals and Christians,'My Hope For America'.

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• It is not true that democracy will always safeguard freedom of conscience better than autocracy. Witness the most famous of all trials. Pilate was, from the standpoint of the Jews, certainly the representative of autocracy. Yet he tried to protect freedom. And he yielded to a democracy.

  Joseph A. Schumpeter

  Freedom, Trials, Autocracy

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• America is a land of wonders, in which everything is in constant motion and every change seems an improvement. No natural boundary seems to be set to the efforts of man; and in his eyes what is not yet done is only what he has not attempted to do. - from Democracy in America

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Change, Eye, Men

  Alexis de Tocqueville, Henry Reeve, Francis Bowen, Patrick Renshaw (1998). “Democracy in America”, p.167, Wordsworth Editions

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• We should insist that governments receiving American aid live up to standards of accountability and transparency, and we should support countries that embrace market reforms, democracy, and the rule of law.

  Lee H. Hamilton

  Country, Law, Government

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• Our representative democracy is not working because the Congress that is supposed to represent the voters does not respond to their needs. I believe the chief reason for this is that it is ruled by a small group of old men.

  Shirley Chisholm

  Believe, Men, Needs

  Shirley Chisholm (2010). “Unbought and Unbossed: Expanded 40th Anniversary Edition”, p.119, Take Root Media

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• The most striking thing about the rich is the gracious democracy of their manners -- and the crude vulgarity of their way of life.

  Edward Abbey

  Way, Rich, Manners

  Edward Abbey (2015). “A Voice Crying in the Wilderness”, p.15, RosettaBooks

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• Democracy -- rule by the people -- sounds like a fine thing; we should try it sometime in America.

  Edward Abbey

  America, People, Trying

  Edward Abbey (2015). “A Voice Crying in the Wilderness”, p.17, RosettaBooks

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• There are only two kinds of books -- good books and the others. The good are winnowed from the bad through the democracy of time.

  Edward Abbey

  Book, Two, Kind

  Edward Abbey (2015). “A Voice Crying in the Wilderness”, p.31, RosettaBooks

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• Muhammad brought down from heaven and put into the Koran not religious doctrines only, but political maxims, criminal and civil laws, and scientific theories. The Gospels  on the other hand, deal only with the general relations between man and God and between man and man. Beyond that, they teach nothing and do not oblige people to believe anything. That alone, among a thousand reasons, is enough to show that Islam will not be able to hold its power long in ages of enlightenment and democracy, while Christianity is destined to reign in such ages, as in all others.

  Alexis de Tocqueville

  Religious, Believe, Men

  "Democracy in America". Book by Alexis de Tocqueville, Volume II. Book One, Chapter V, 1840.

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• It is possible for a dictator to govern in a liberal way. And it is also possible for a democracy to govern with a total lack of liberalism. Personally I prefer a liberal dictator to democratic government lacking liberalism.

  Friedrich August von Hayek

  Government, Way, Dictator

  "El Mercurio" Newspaper, 1981.

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• That instability is inherent in the nature of popular governments, I think very disputable … A representative democracy, where the right of election is well secured and regulated & the exercise of the legislature, executive, and judiciary authorities, is vested in select persons, chosen really and not nominally by the people, will in my opinion be most likely to be happy, regular and durable.

  Alexander Hamilton

  Exercise, Thinking, Government

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• Technically, the city of Ankh-Morpork is a Tyranny, which is not always the same thing as a monarchy, and in fact even the post of Tyrant has been somewhat redefined by the incumbent, Lord Vetinari, as the only form of democracy that works. Everyone is entitled to vote, unless disqualified by reason of age or not being Lord Vetinari.

  Terry Pratchett

  Cities, Tyrants, Age

  Stephen Briggs, Terry Pratchett (2015). “Unseen Academicals”, p.13, Oberon Books

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• Teaching, may I say, is the noblest profession of all in a democracy.

  Kurt Vonnegut

  Teaching, May, Profession

  Kurt Vonnegut (2013). “If This Isn't Nice, What Is?: Advice for the Young”, p.31, RosettaBooks

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• I am not running for mayor yet. But if it comes to be true that people cannot voice an opinion unless they have been elected, then we are no longer in a democracy.

  Margaret Atwood

  Running, Voice, People

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• We're on the verge of civil war in Northern Ireland. Why? Because if you take away the forums of democracy you don't have anything left.

  Ian Paisley

  War, Forums, Northern Ireland

  "1986: Ian Paisley's Battle Cry Condemned". "On This Day" page on BBC, news.bbc.co.uk.

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