#democracy

Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." (Speech in the House of Commons, 11 November 1947) ↗

— Winston Churchill

#government #democracy

A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine. ↗

— Thomas Jefferson

#justice #majority #minority #perspective #politics

Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters. ↗

— Abraham Lincoln

#democracy #elections #voting #democracy

The genius of our ruling class is that it has kept a majority of the people from ever questioning the inequity of a system where most people drudge along paying heavy taxes for which they get nothing in return. ↗

— Gore Vidal

#criticism #democracy #oppression #democracy

Society will develop a new kind of servitude which covers the surface of society with a network of complicated rules, through which the most original minds and the most energetic characters cannot penetrate. It does not tyrannise but it compresses, enervates, extinguishes, and stupefies a people, till each nation is reduced to nothing better than a flock of timid and industrious animals, of which the government is the shepherd. ↗

— Alexis de Tocqueville

#government #serious #democracy

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). ↗

— Cornel West

#democracy #poverty #race #life

Librarians consider free access to information the foundation of democracy. ↗

— Marilyn Johnson

#librarians #librarians

You have to remember one thing about the will of the people: it wasn't that long ago that we were swept away by the Macarena. ↗

— Jon Stewart

#government #humor #politics #public-opinion #humor

In an effort to eliminate the possibility of any rival growing up, some monopolists would sacrifice democracy itself. ↗

— Henry A. Wallace

#democracy #effort #eliminate #growing #growing up

Every actual democracy rests on the principle that not only are equals equal but unequals will not be treated equally.Democracy requires, therefore, first homogeneity and second—if the need arises elimination or eradication of heterogeneity. ↗

— Carl Schmitt

#democracy #equality #nationalism #politics #racism