Democracy Quotes
Barack Obama and the Nigerian president Bola Tinubu have the most entries, with H. L. Mencken and Franklin Roosevelt behind them, so a lot of the page is speeches. For the dry material go to Mencken in Smart Set (1910), who called democracy the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard; Shaw’s Maxims for Revolutionists (1903), on election by the incompetent many instead of appointment by the corrupt few; and Disraeli’s Lothair (1870).
“Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch” is credited to Benjamin Franklin and flagged misattributed. The earliest version in the notes is a Usenet post from 23 April 1990. The line that democracy is the most vile form of government, credited to Madison, is flagged too.
Democracy is neither a foreign nor abstract concept devoid of meaning for us.
I am not a pacifist. I am for freedom, democracy, and human rights.
We are fighting for the rule of law, democracy and respect for the constitution.
The political future of Chile is a democracy, without a doubt.
Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.
Women are going to lead the democracy movement, mark my words.
The victory of democracy in South Africa is the common achievement of all humanity.
When threatened, the first thing a democracy gives up is democracy.
Direct democracy benefits everyone as long as it does not drown out minority voices.
A democracy should not let its dreamers perish. They are its life, its guaranty against decay.