Democracy

I take a grave view of the press. It is the weak slat under the bed of democracy.

In a democracy, the well-being, individuality and happiness of every citizen is important for the overall prosperity, peace and happiness of the nation.

Negroes are in no mood to shoulder guns for democracy abroad while they are denied democracy here at home.

Television is the most perfect democracy. You sit there with your remote control and vote.

We have, essentially, a worthless democracy.

You measure a democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists.

One of the achievements of the reform movement is that people realize that they can be democrats and remain faithful Muslims. Democracy is now an established idea.

Democracy is constructed like an edifice, freedom by freedom, right by right, until it reaches its snapping point.

In the past, the West had tried to export one formula of democracy which should fit to the rest of the world, and they discovered that this doesn't work.

I think the success of democracy is not really police security, it's the presence of a broad middle class. The stronger the middle class of a people is, the less you have to worry about one group coming in and exploiting the democratic process for its own ends.

Jordan has to show the Arab world that there's another way of doing things. We're a monarchy, yes, but if we can show democracy that leads to a two-, three-, four-party system - left, right and center - in a couple of years' time, then the Muslim Brotherhood will no longer be something to contend with.

We want to be, I think, an example for the rest of the Arab world, because there are a lot of people who say that the only democracy you can have in the Middle East is the Muslim Brotherhood.

I told the students that we can exert pressure without resorting to violence, and that we can move towards democracy without violence, that way, God will allow it.

As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy.

If the people of Utah shall peacefully form a State Constitution tolerating polygamy, will the Democracy admit them into the Union?

We have shown that Islam can rule the world perfectly for 14 centuries, and during this time of Muslim power we did not borrow ideas like democracy from others, so why do we need to learn democracy from them now?

I'm advocating that American citizens interested in democracy should stay out of chain stores.

Why am I such a Euro-enthusiast? Because I knew it was an anchor of democracy.

The democracy we are constructing must be able to show its usefulness and relevance.

Be assured, fellow citizens, that in a democracy it is the laws that guard the person of the citizen and the constitution of the state, whereas the despot and the oligarch find their protection in suspicion and in armed guards.

Democracy forever teases us with the contrast between its ideals and its realities, between its heroic possibilities and its sorry achievements.

And we are grateful to the American young men and women who are risking their lives to give the Iraqi people this chance, this dream of democracy in Iraq now.

The view that we hold in Iraq now is this - that democracy is associated with elections. I believe that elections are possible.

Egypt had the first constitution in the Middle East that allowed for liberty. And it had democracy.

Egypt was the first democracy in the Middle East. Women were unveiled in the 1920s. Egypt is a country of civilization, of culture. It shouldn't be suffering.

It is true that Egypt's attempt at democracy after the 2011 revolution encountered many obstacles in governance and infrastructure.

My parents told us how they felt but never imposed their beliefs on us, although I appreciate I got a healthy sense of democracy from them.

We see the tendency in the world to criticise democracy and sometimes even to say that authoritarian countries like China are more efficient. That is very short-sighted. China looks efficient only because it can sacrifice most people's rights. This is not something the west should be happy about.

I hope you realize, in a democracy, laughter is assent.

All the ills of democracy can be cured by more democracy.

It's not the voting that's democracy, it's the counting.

Democracy is not about making speeches. It is about making committees work.

Democracy consists of choosing your dictators, after they've told you what you think it is you want to hear.

Candor and accountability in a democracy is very important. Hypocrisy has no place.

I believe that if Israel were to put an end to the settlements in the West Bank tomorrow, as it did in Gaza, there would still be reluctance on the part of the Palestinian Authority to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish secular democracy.

Every economy exists, no matter what the level of democracy, has elements of crony capitalism. It's - given human nature and given the democratic structures, which we all, I assume, adhere to, that is an inevitable consequence.

What we are doing in fact is recovering and progressing and sustaining the recovery of our democracy.

A democracy which makes or even effectively prepares for modern, scientific war must necessarily cease to be democratic. No country can be really well prepared for modern war unless it is governed by a tyrant, at the head of a highly trained and perfectly obedient bureaucracy.

As I understand I took most so-called democratic states about 200 years on average to build their democracies. That is why, when we go to sleep under totalitarian rule and wake up in a democracy, it makes me laugh.

In order to build basic democracy here we'll need lives of two generations - at least forty years.

An American parliamentary system with proportional representation wouldn't immediately or inexorably lead to a flourishing social democracy, but it would at least correct the overrepresentation of an ideological minority and cut down on intentional tactical economic sabotage.

Every year, the White House Correspondents' Dinner inspires two competing varieties of coverage: celebrity-obsessed fawning and angry tirades about how it represents everything twisted about our broken democracy. It doesn't, really.

A lot of people say that India has been held back by its democracy. But let's remember that, despite being a poor country, India's democracy meant that its government never let millions of people starve.

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.

To declare the Cold War over, and declare democracy has won out over totalitarianism, is a measure of arrogance and wrong-headedness.

Real liberty is neither found in despotism or the extremes of democracy, but in moderate governments.

I don't believe in democracy by bayonet.

I'm tired of hearing it said that democracy doesn't work. Of course it doesn't work. We are supposed to work it.

Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.

What is most important for democracy is not that great fortunes should not exist, but that great fortunes should not remain in the same hands. In that way there are rich men, but they do not form a class.

Austerity is not part of the European treaties, democracy and the principle of popular sovereignty are.

Greece gave democracy to the rest of the world.

I think it is something that is so important, to be very aware of the direction in which the 21st century is going with all this blind faith in democracy. And by the way, I am not against democracy - I am against the blind faith that is being put in democracy.

I don't run democracy. I train troops to defend democracy and I happen to be their surrogate father and mother as well as their commanding general.

The best Governments of the World have bin composed of Monarchy, Aristocracy, and Democracy.

Democracy in Yemen did not stop, instead it is in a continuous development, there is no other way to follow rather than democracy, it is our national way for building up our country, it was not imposed on us by others.

In order every one in our homeland learns principles of democracy and the peaceful transition of power, and in order to stabilize and develop multiple choices in democratic practice.

The US has not imposed democracy in Yemen, its people have.

Islam and democracy can function together.

Turkey shares Europe's fundamental values of democracy and the rule of law.

Using medicine in the service of cosmesis is generally bad for patients, bad for doctors, and bad for democracy. The only exceptions are when we know the intervention will actually reduce suffering, as with a primary cleft lip repair.

Don't ever dare to take your college as a matter of course - because, like democracy and freedom, many people you'll never know have broken their hearts to get it for you.

It's a relief to hear the rain. It's the sound of billions of drops, all equal, all equally committed to falling, like a sudden outbreak of democracy. Water, when it hits the ground, instantly becomes a puddle or rivulet or flood.

We women of America tell you that America is not a democracy. Twenty million women are denied the right to vote.

I have such respect for 'Democracy Now!'

Democracy! Bah! When I hear that I reach for my feather boa!

Democracy is dead in the Maldives.

In a true democracy is the cure for most of our social and political ills, but a few of them must remain to keep us going.

The reality is that we are hated not because of our democracy, freedoms, and generous social security system, rather, we are hated because of our involvement in foreign conflicts and quarrels that were never our concern.

Communism destroys democracy. Democracy can also destroy Communism.

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.

Events in America show the extent to which democracy there is fuelled by populism - Barack Obama's victory is a manifestation not of Washington's need for change, but of America's. That is not how democracy works in England.

Journalism is what maintains democracy. It's the force for progressive social change.

Some kind of affirmative action is important in a democracy and for economic competitiveness and national security. The Army was the first to realize that you had to have desegregation of a military to have it working properly.

On a Chinese film you just give orders, no one questions you. Here, you have to convince people, you have to tell them why you want to do it a certain way, and they argue with you. Democracy.

We are a country based on democracy, tolerance, and openness to the world.

Before Katrina, you didn't see criticism of the Bush administration in the media. Here they are, stealing elections, enacting illegal wars, huge crimes against humanity and democracy, and you didn't even see criticism. It wasn't until Katrina that people started to come down on them.

Well, you know, too much democracy is a sort of sad thing.

There should be a democracy of voices in literature. There are people who live with a kind of striving and with a certain kind of tenderness - it's not an unusual thing - and maybe that's not written about enough.

Taiwan matters because of its vital role in spreading democracy in East Asia. Taiwan matters because of its strategic importance to promote peace in the Pacific region.

Taiwan's democracy has grown very fast and we enjoy a certain degree of freedom, as other developed democracies like the United States.

Democracy is something that you must learn each generation. It has to be taught.

Despite all the gains for democracy in the world, in many countries anyone who wants to publish truths unwelcome to the government risks suppression and criminal punishment.

The Nuremberg trials of Nazi leaders, in open court before an international tribunal, had a profound long-term effect in bringing Germans back to democracy and humanity.

Advertising is the very essence of democracy.

Until the courts put a stop to it, public debate over same-sex marriage displayed American democracy at its best. Individuals on both sides of the issue passionately, but respectfully, attempted to persuade their fellow citizens to accept their views.

But democracy isn't a state of perfection. It has to be improved, and that means constant vigilance.

The great thing about our system of democracy is when they call you for jury duty, you have to come... It's an honor and a privilege. I was called and I've got to be here.

Democracy is never a thing done. Democracy is always something that a nation must be doing. What is necessary now is one thing and one thing only that democracy become again democracy in action, not democracy accomplished and piled up in goods and gold.

America is a country ready to be taken, in fact, longing to be taken by political leaders ready to restore democracy and trust to the political process.

If cars and buses were attacked daily by petrol bombs or stones for 16 months in Washington, could you imagine it would be tolerated? It would not, because in the name of democracy, to preserve democracy, steps would be taken.

Israel is the only democracy in this part of the world.

Israel, an embattled democracy, has been fighting terrorism for over 100 years.

We have no desire to permanently rule over millions of Palestinians, who double their numbers every generation. Israel, which wishes to be an exemplary democracy, will not be able to bear such a reality over time. The Disengagement Plan presents the possibility of opening a gate to a different reality.

Democracy is when the indigent, and not the men of property, are the rulers.

In a democracy the poor will have more power than the rich, because there are more of them, and the will of the majority is supreme.

The essence of a democracy is a free electorate.

Voting is fundamental in our democracy. It has yielded enormous returns.

A global democracy works only when countries trust one another.

Democratic societies can no longer give religious fanatics a free hand to abuse and murder non believers. Such action betrays contempt for the basic human rights which animate any democracy with meaning.

Democracy no longer means what it was meant to. It has been taken back into the workshop. Each of its institutions has been hollowed out, and it has been returned to us as a vehicle for the free market, of the corporations. For the corporations, by the corporations.

Political disagreements have the colour and fragrance that normally is seen and felt in a political bouquet, while remaining united on one issue that democracy is the future of Pakistan.

This power of democracy is a matter of pride for our country, something which we must always cherish, preserve and further strengthen.

My life had been defined by the apartheid years. Now we were going into an era of democracy... and I believed that I didn't really have a function as a useful artist in that anymore.

Sometimes democracy must be bathed in blood.

I'm not the only one working for democracy in Burma - there are so many people who have worked for it because they believe that this is the only way we can maintain the dignity of our people.

I've always said that the more coordinated the efforts of the international community are, the better it will be for democracy in Burma.

I've always tried to explain democracy is not perfect. But it gives you a chance to shape your own destiny.

Sometimes I think that a parody of democracy could be more dangerous than a blatant dictatorship, because that gives people an opportunity to avoid doing anything about it.

The democracy process provides for political and social change without violence.

Over the course of my life, I have made many transitions - most of them taking me further away from my Somali roots and steadily toward the enlightened mentality of Western democracy.

Israel cannot be a democracy if it occupies land of other people.

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.

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

Fifty years of isolating Cuba had failed to promote democracy, setting us back in Latin America. That's why we restored diplomatic relations, opened the door to travel and commerce, and positioned ourselves to improve the lives of the Cuban people.

No party has a monopoly on wisdom. No democracy works without compromise. But when Governor Romney and his allies in Congress tell us we can somehow lower our deficit by spending trillions more on new tax breaks for the wealthy - well, you do the math. I refuse to go along with that. And as long as I'm President, I never will.

Our public life withers when only the most extreme voices get attention. Most of all, democracy breaks down when the average person feels their voice doesn't matter, that the system is rigged in favor of the rich or the powerful or some narrow interest.

The American people need to know the truth. The American people need to see the truth. In a democracy, letting the people know the truth is the essence of what it means to be free.

To win the cause we all believe in, the spread of true democracy all over the world, we need to win by example, not just with speeches but by example, not just with military might but by gaining the respect of the world.

The last two elections were stolen. They were stolen and so we will not rest until we reclaim our democracy and this is what today is all about.

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.

The problem with the West is that they start with political reform going towards democracy. If you want to go towards democracy, the first thing is to involve the people in decision making, not to make it.

If we desire a society of peace, then we cannot achieve such a society through violence. If we desire a society without discrimination, then we must not discriminate against anyone in the process of building this society. If we desire a society that is democratic, then democracy must become a means as well as an end.

Since Israel is a democratic state surrounded by essentially undemocratic states which have sworn her destruction, those interested in democracy everywhere must support Israel's existence.

The democratic process is always vulnerable and threatened by terrorists, by parties that do not believe in democracy.

The second 'Postal Service' album is threatening to become the 'Chinese Democracy' of indie rock. It will come out eventually, or maybe it won't.

America's greatest contribution to the world is its concept of democracy, its concept of freedom, freedom of action, freedom of speech, and freedom of thought.

A people inspired by democracy, human rights and economic opportunity will turn their back decisively against extremism.

Democracy is necessary to peace and to undermining the forces of terrorism.

In 1988, when democracy was restored, the military establishment was still very powerful. The extremist groups were still there. And when the aid and assistance to Pakistan was cut, we had to adopt harsh economic policies. So in a way, it showed that democracy doesn't pay, and the military was able to reassert itself.

It's true that General Musharraf opposes my return, seeing me as a symbol of democracy in the country. He is comfortable with dictatorship. I hope better sense prevails.

I want to make democracy work not only for the rich and the well connected but for everyone.

The people want to go back to the time when democracy was in full bloom.

Democracy is beautiful in theory, in practice it is a fallacy.

The world is weary of statesmen whom democracy has degraded into politicians.

In a democracy there are only two types of power: there's organized people and organized money, and organized money only wins when people aren't organized.

A monoculture is not only Hollywood, but Americans trying to export democracy.

Citizens in a democracy need diverse sources of news and information.

The history of American democracy, to say the least, has been checkered. Our nation was founded at a time when people of African descent were held in bondage. After slavery was abolished, they were forced to endure legal discrimination for another 100 years.

Democracy is the process by which people choose the man who'll get the blame.

To acquire immunity to eloquence is of the utmost importance to the citizens of a democracy.

Network technology has irrevocably changed campaigning and elections. It has the potential to transform governance and the workings of our democracy for the better.

The United States exists as a sovereign nation. 'America,' in contrast, exists as a myth of democracy and equal opportunity to live by, or as an ideal goal to reach.

Having an election with only one candidate running is impossible. This is not a democracy.

Western people ask me whether it is a paradox that I am King but support democracy. I have to tell them that in Thailand, the King is the guarantor of democracy.

People in so many countries look up to the United States as a model of democracy, but I doubt if that can continue. It leaves me with a great sense of loss.

There is a real and evident problem of democracy in Georgia, and this was the core reason of my entrance into politics. We have no rule of law. It's absolutely absent.

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.

Speak up! We live in a democracy. We all need to make sure our voices are heard and our opinions are known.

America's corporate and political elites now form a regime of their own and they're privatizing democracy. All the benefits - the tax cuts, policies and rewards flow in one direction: up.

Democracy belongs to those who exercise it.

Democracy may not prove in the long run to be as efficient as other forms of government, but it has one saving grace: it allows us to know and say that it isn't.

It will take years to bring Iraq the democracy it deserves.

The President, in talking about freedom and democracy, is sparking a wave of very positive democratic sentiment that might help us override both Islamic fundamentalism that has formed in that region, and also some of the hatred for our policies of invading Iraq.

A citizen of America will cross the ocean to fight for democracy, but won't cross the street to vote in a national election.

Voters must have faith in the electoral process for our democracy to succeed.

For comprehensive Earth action, an all-of-the-Earth representative democracy is required. That is, a global parliament.

I'm worried about the traditional media, but I think the new media is a plus for democracy.

Democracy don't rule the world, You'd better get that in your head, This world is ruled by violence, But I guess that's better left unsaid.

I think if people value democracy, they had damn well better get out and exercise their right to vote while their vote still means something.

There's much talk about how there can't be democracy in a region that has problems of illiteracy and poverty. But I bring a different idea to the table when I say, 'Guys, I come from India. I'm more optimistic coming from where I'm coming.'

If we vote to Leave and take back control, all sorts of opportunities open up. Including doing new free trade deals around the world, restoring Britain's seat on all sorts of international bodies, restoring health to our democracy and belief to our democracy.

This is an absolute turning point in the story of our country because I think if we go on with being enmeshed in the E.U., it will continue to erode our democracy. That is something that worries me.

It is a paradox that far too few Americans participate in the wonderful ritual of democracy that we call Election Day.

Reading builds the educated and informed electorate so vital to our democracy.

Many of the contradictions in Postmodern art come from the fact that we're trying to be artists in a democratic society. This is because in a democracy, the ideal is compromise. In art, it isn't.

After all, we didn't bring democracy to Germany in 1945, Hitler destroyed democracy there first.

America has never seen itself as a national state like all others, but rather as an experiment in human freedom and democracy.

Saddam's ouster will not necessarily lead to the same result, since Iraq lacks democratic traditions. Democracy doesn't just consist of holding elections.

It's actually very easy for democracy to disappear.

In a democracy one must have the right to express oneself and that's what I do, even if it displeases.

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

Most bands don't work out. A small unit democracy is very, very difficult.

And it is essential that in fighting terrorism, sacrifices should not be made on democracy.

Although we dealt decisively with all terrorist organizations, we at the same time not only maintained, preserved our democracy, but kept improving it.

The U.S. Constitution is the basic framework for the greatest democracy on Earth. Some of my colleagues find it easy to amend it. I don't.

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

Sir, I am a republican, and I desire to see this House observe the principles of that democracy which is ever on the lips of its members, and which, I hope, is in their hearts, as I know and feel it is in mine, and mean it shall be in my conduct.

While the protection of speech is at the bedrock of our democracy, it's critical as a nation that we exercise our right every day - and that includes embracing and engaging with those we may not agree with.

I'm a cynic about corporate democracy and boards.

There is something inherent in our democracy that tends to want to level. America is a little uncomfortable in the presence of someone who is distinctly superior in whatever way.

So I think that if we want to have a Congress, if we want to have government that looks like America, if we want to have government that is truly a representative Democracy, then we need to clearly address how we get our campaign laws out of the way of Democracy.

In our so-called democracy we are accustomed to give the majority what they want rather than educate them to understand what is best for them.

In a well-functioning democracy, people frequently encounter topics and points of view that they did not specifically select but from which they learn. Those encounters can change minds and, even, the course of lives.

In the EU you have half a billion people who share a common belief in democracy, in rights, in the kind of economic life we want.

Democracy derailed is democracy denied.

As a veteran, I know firsthand the satisfaction there is in defending the democracy you so strongly believe in, but I can also attest to the trauma encountered from combat on the battlefield.

From leading the world into the age of democracy to spearheading the technological revolution, America has always been at the forefront of greatness.

Honoring the sacrifices many have made for our country in the name of freedom and democracy is the very foundation of Veterans Day.

The right to vote should be considered sacred in our democracy.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was indeed a vital instrument of democracy, ensuring the integrity and reliability of a democratic process that we as a Country hold so dear.

The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is that in a democracy you vote first and take orders later, in a dictatorship you don't have to waste your time voting.

The tyranny of a prince in an oligarchy is not so dangerous to the public welfare as the apathy of a citizen in a democracy.

Bosses are no more inevitable in state and local governments than dictators are in national governments. They will arise and prosper, nevertheless, if true believers of democracy - citizens devoted to the democratic ideals - do not constantly oppose them.

Our democracy poses problems and these problems must and shall be solved by courageous leadership.

While democracy must have its organization and controls, its vital breath is individual liberty.

Democracy demands trust. It demands that sense of mutual understanding. And - it's a two way street. You've got to give - as much as you take.

I did not dwell on the issue of Europe during either the 2001 or the 2005 campaigns - despite it being a pivotal personal concern and despite seeing it as something of a litmus test for liberal democracy.

Labour politicians for generations have fought to bring democracy to the House of Lords.

Of all the principles which constitute Liberal Democracy, internationalism is the clearest, the most distinctive, and the one with the longest history.