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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

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
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
Sometimes the type of person from the old machine, who is everything but an appealing figure, happens to win an election. But democracy applies to everyone, not just the noble and the clever.
ADAM MICHNIK

Appealing Apply Clever Democracy Election Figure Machine Noble Old Person Sometimes
I can’t remember any text of mine where I said that one should fight Hitler without violence; I’m not an idiot.
ADAM MICHNIK

Fight Fighting Hitler Idiot Mine Remember Text Violence
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
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
Do you believe in free speech? Then speak freely. Do you love the truth? Then tell it.
ADAM MICHNIK

Believe Freely Question Speak Speech Tell Truth
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
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
In a democracy, the government is a reflection of society because people are elected.
ADAM MICHNIK

Democracy Elected Government People Reflection Society
Start doing the things you think should be done, and start being what you think society should become.
ADAM MICHNIK

Doing Done Life Love Society Start Wisdom
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
They want a gradual coup. If Orbán stayed in power in Hungary or if Kaczynski were to win an election in our country, it would be dangerous.
ADAM MICHNIK

Country Coup Dangerous Election Gradual Hungary Orban Power
We still have politicians who strive for a different type of country: Kaczynski as well as Orbán in Hungary.
ADAM MICHNIK

Country Different Hungary Man Politician Strive Type Winning
Israel is the only country in the Middle East where Arabs can be elected to the parliament in a democratic election.
ADAM MICHNIK

Country Democratic East Elected Election Middle Parliament
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

We lack a political culture, a culture of compromise. We in Poland, as well as the Hungarians, have never learned this sort of thing.

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We lack a political culture, a culture of compromise. We in Poland, as well as the Hungarians, have never learned this sort of thing.

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