"Another tendency, which is extremely natural to democratic nations and extremely dangerous, is that which leads them to despise and undervalue the rights of private persons. The attachment which men feel to a right, and the respect which they display for it, is generally proportioned to its importance, or to the length of time during which they have enjoyed it. The rights of private persons amongst democratic nations are commonly of small importance, of recent growth, and extremely precarious; the consequence is that they are often sacrificed without regret, and almost always violated without remorse."

Democracy, Rights, Justice, Respect

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"Another tendency, which is extremely natural to democratic nations and extremely dangerous, is that which leads them to despise and undervalue the rights of private persons. The attachment which men feel to a right, and the respect which they display for it, is generally proportioned to its importance, or to the length of time during which they have enjoyed it. The rights of private persons amongst democratic nations are commonly of small importance, of recent growth, and extremely precarious; the consequence is that they are often sacrificed without regret, and almost always violated without remorse."

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"Democracy is probably the only discovery by mankind which mostly brought it only happiness."

Amit Kalantri, Indian Author

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"Change represents the real spirit of democracy and the real America."

Bryant McGill, American Poet

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"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."

Carter G. Woodson, American Historian

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"I am sure that every one of my colleagues - Democrat, Republican, and Independent - agrees with that statement. That in the voting booth, every one is equal."

Barbara Boxer, American Politician

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"Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few."

George Bernard Shaw, Irish Dramatist

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"We need to show the Congress that our Government is no longer on sale to the highest bidder. It belongs to the voters."

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"We're not perfect, but we do have democracy."

Hugo Chavez, Venezuelan Statesman

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"Debate is almost non-existent and no one is apparently accountable to anybody apart from their political party bosses. It is bad news for democracy in this country."

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"Welfare reform happened with reconciliation; half the Democrats voted for it. The Bush tax cuts happened with reconciliation; twelve Democratic Senators voted for it. You didn't have a real partisan issue on those times that it was used."

Tom Coburn, American Politician

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"Democracy is now going forth on a crusade against imperialism."

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Explore more quotes by Alexis de Tocqueville

"Those that despise people will never get the best out of others and themselves."

People

"We succeed in enterprises which demand the positive qualities we possess, but we excel in those which can also make use of our defects."

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"It is the dissimilarities and inequalities among men which give rise to the notion of honor; as such differences become less, it grows feeble; and when they disappear, it will vanish too."

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"In a revolution, as in a novel, the most difficult part to invent is the end."

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"The debates of that great assembly are frequently vague and perplexed, seeming to be dragged rather than to march, to the intended goal. Something of this sort must, I think, always happen in public democratic assemblies."

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"Nothing seems at first sight less important than the outward form of human actions, yet there is nothing upon which men set more store: they grow used to everything except to living in a society which has not their own manners."

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"In politics shared hatreds are almost always the basis of friendships."

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"The health of a democratic society may be measured by the quality of functions performed by private citizens."

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"The Americans combine the notions of religion and liberty so intimately in their minds, that it is impossible to make them conceive of one without the other."

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"In other words, a democratic government is the only one in which those who vote for a tax can escape the obligation to pay it."

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