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As a rule, dictatorships guarantee safe streets and terror of the doorbell. In democracy the streets may be unsafe after dark, but the most likely visitor in the early hours will be the milkman.

Adam Michnik

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
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
If you’re powerful, you are much more likely to be blind and deaf to signals from outside.
ADAM MICHNIK

Blind Deaf Deal Outside Powerful Signal
There were free elections in Bulgaria, where the opposition has just won.
ADAM MICHNIK

Clever Country Election Free Opposition Reflection Winning Won
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
Although there is a strong desire for freedom in the countries of Eastern Europe, there is no democratic tradition, so that the risk of anarchy and chaos continues to exist.
ADAM MICHNIK

Anarchy Continue Country Democratic Desire Freedom Strong Tradition
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
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
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
The main difference between the Prague Spring and the Velvet Revolution was that the former was mostly the work of Communist party members and others who wanted to bring about ‘socialism with a human face.’
ADAM MICHNIK

Communist Difference Face Former Human Main Member Party Prague Revolution Socialism Spring Velvet
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
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
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
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
America needed our help, and we had to give it.
ADAM MICHNIK

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

Both Democracy Facade Government Idea Man Merely

As a rule, dictatorships guarantee safe streets and terror of the doorbell. In democracy the streets may be unsafe after dark, but the most likely visitor in the early hours will be the milkman.

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As a rule, dictatorships guarantee safe streets and terror of the doorbell. In democracy the streets may be unsafe after dark, but the most likely visitor in the early hours will be the milkman.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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