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Do you believe in an open society? Then act in the open. Do you believe in a decent and humane society? Then behave decently and humanely.

Adam Michnik

Both men have an authoritarian idea of government; democracy is merely a façade.
ADAM MICHNIK

Both Democracy Facade Government Idea Man Merely
After the French Revolution, it was not the treason of the king that was in question; it was the existence of the king. You have to be very careful when you judge and execute somebody for being a symbol.
ADAM MICHNIK

Country Final French Judging King Question Revolution Treason
I think you can be an enemy of Saddam Hussein even if Donald Rumsfeld is also an enemy of Saddam Hussein.
ADAM MICHNIK

Enem Enemy Hussein Thinking
Demagoguery and populism are rampant. We are the illegitimate children, the bastards of communism. It shaped our mentality.
ADAM MICHNIK

Bastard Children Communism Demagoguery Illegitimate Mentality Populism Shape
We lack a political culture, a culture of compromise. We in Poland, as well as the Hungarians, have never learned this sort of thing.
ADAM MICHNIK

Children Compromise Country Cultural Lack Political Strong
After the fall of communism in Poland, we had a post-communist as president for two terms: Aleksander Kwasniewski. He was very good. He brought Poland into NATO and the European Union.
ADAM MICHNIK

Communism Communist Country Fall Judging Justice President Term
There were free elections in Bulgaria, where the opposition has just won.
ADAM MICHNIK

Clever Country Election Free Opposition Reflection Winning Won
Do you believe in an open society? Then act in the open. Do you believe in a decent and humane society? Then behave decently and humanely.
ADAM MICHNIK

Act Believe Decently Humane Humanely Open Society
The real struggle for us is for the citizen to cease to be the property of the state.
ADAM MICHNIK

Cease Citizen Property Real State Struggle
Today we reject the notion of equality between a regime that belongs to the democratic world – even if it is conservative and disagreeable – and a totalitarian dictatorship, whether its colors are black, red, or green.
ADAM MICHNIK

Black Color Democratic Equality Notion Reject World
Politics and ethics belong to different worlds.
ADAM MICHNIK

Different Ethics Politics World
I believe that a man can only be useful to his country when he can look at it clearly.
ADAM MICHNIK

Believe Clearly Country Look Man Useful
France can never accept that it is no longer a dominating power in the world of culture. This is true both of the French right and the French left. They keep thinking that Americans are primitive cowboys or farmers who do not understand anything.
ADAM MICHNIK

Accept Country Cowboy Culture Domination Longer Power Thinking World
A part of society in our countries would still prefer an authoritarian regime today. These are people with the mentality of Homo sovieticus. But they also exist in France – just think of Le Pen – and even in Finland and Sweden.
ADAM MICHNIK

Authoritarian Country People Prefer Regime Society Thinking Today
I think it’s always dangerous to make political arguments in a religiously ideological way. And it’s very dangerous to treat as traitors to the American nation those who think differently.
ADAM MICHNIK

Argument Dangerous Ideological Political Religiously Thinking Way
Poland is an ally of the United States of America. It was our duty to show that we are a reliable, loyal, and predictable ally.
ADAM MICHNIK

Ally Country Duty Giving Loyal Prectiable Reliable Show United States

Do you believe in an open society? Then act in the open. Do you believe in a decent and humane society? Then behave decently and humanely.

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Do you believe in an open society? Then act in the open. Do you believe in a decent and humane society? Then behave decently and humanely.

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