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. – Alexis de Tocqueville
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. – Ameen Rihani
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. – Anthony Lewis
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. – Bashar al-Assad
I don’t know whether it’s age or maturity, but I certainly find myself committed more and more to the looser forms of Western democracy at any price. – John le Carre
To declare the Cold War over, and declare democracy has won out over totalitarianism, is a measure of arrogance and wrong-headedness. – Alexander Haig
We women of America tell you that America is not a democracy. Twenty million women are denied the right to vote. – Alice Paul
Saddam’s ouster will not necessarily lead to the same result, since Iraq lacks democratic traditions. Democracy doesn’t just consist of holding elections. – Brent Scowcroft
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. – Archibald MacLeish
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. – Bob Dylan
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. – Armstrong Williams
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. – Benazir Bhutto
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. – Charles de Montesquieu
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. – Aung San Suu Kyi
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. – Ani DiFranco
Democracy is not something you put away for ten years, and then in the 11th year you wake up and start practicing again. We have to begin to learn to rule ourselves again. – Chinua Achebe
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. – Charles Kennedy
Our nation was not founded because we all looked alike, or prayed alike, or descended from the same family tree. But our founders, in their genius, in this, the oldest constitutional democracy, put forth on this earth the idea that all are created equal; that we all have inalienable rights. – Cory Booker
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. – Ali Abdullah Saleh
It is true that Egypt’s attempt at democracy after the 2011 revolution encountered many obstacles in governance and infrastructure. – Ahmed Zewail
From leading the world into the age of democracy to spearheading the technological revolution, America has always been at the forefront of greatness. – Charles B. Rangel
I’m tired of hearing it said that democracy doesn’t work. Of course it doesn’t work. We are supposed to work it. – Alexander Woollcott
The democratic process is always vulnerable and threatened by terrorists, by parties that do not believe in democracy. – Beji Caid Essebsi
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. – Alice Dreger