The Roman Revolution ([1939] 2002), Introduction.
“Democracy is not a beloved Republic really, and never will be. But it is less hateful than other contemporary forms of government, and to that extent it deserves our support.”
What I Believe (1938)
Context: Democracy is not a beloved Republic really, and never will be. But it is less hateful than other contemporary forms of government, and to that extent it deserves our support. It does start from the assumption that the individual is important, and that all types are needed to make a civilization. It does not divide its citizens into the bossers and the bossed — as an efficiency-regime tends to do. The people I admire most are those who are sensitive and want to create something or discover something, and do not see life in terms of power, and such people get more of a chance under a democracy than elsewhere. They found religions, great or small, or they produce literature and art, or they do disinterested scientific research, or they may be what is called "ordinary people", who are creative in their private lives, bring up their children decently, for instance, or help their neighbours. All these people need to express themselves; they cannot do so unless society allows them liberty to do so, and the society which allows them most liberty is a democracy.
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E.M. Forster 200
English novelist 1879–1970Related quotes
“What other form of government, indeed, can so well deserve our esteem and love?”
John Adams
(1735–1826) 2nd President of the United States
1790s, Inaugural Address (Saturday, March 4, 1797)
Ilana Mercer
South African writer
" Whodunit? Who Meddled With Out Democracy? https://townhall.com/columnists/ilanamercer/2018/02/10/whodunit-who-meddled-with-our-democracy-n2446787" February 10, 2018, Townhall.com
2010s, 2018
John Adams
(1735–1826) 2nd President of the United States
XVIII, p. 484
1810s, Letters to John Taylor (1814)
“Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.”
George Bernard Shaw
(1856–1950) Irish playwright
“Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.”
Winston S. Churchill
(1874–1965) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Speech in the House of Commons (11 November 1947), published in 206–07 The Official Report, House of Commons (5th Series), 11 November 1947, vol. 444, cc. http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1947/nov/11/parliament-bill#column_206
Post-war years (1945–1955)
Variant: Democracy is the worst form of government, except all the others that have been tried.
Context: 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 all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.
“In a democracy, the people get the government they deserve.”
Alexis De Tocqueville
(1805–1859) French political thinker and historian
It was Joseph de Maistre who wrote in 1811 "Every nation gets the government it deserves."
Misattributed
Barack Obama
(1961) 44th President of the United States of America
2014, Remarks to the People of Estonia (September 2014)
“Democracy needs support and the best support for democracy comes from other democracies.”
Benazir Bhutto
(1953–2007) 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan
Speech at Harvard University (1989), as quoted in "Born leader who lived and died by her unfailing conviction" in The Scotsman (28 December 2007) http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/world/-Born-leader-who-lived.3624495.jp
Context: Democracy needs support and the best support for democracy comes from other democracies. Democratic nations should... come together in an association designed to help each other and promote what is a universal value — democracy.
