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Politics and ethics belong to different worlds.

Adam Michnik

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

Dark Democracy Dictatorship Doorbell Freedom Guarantee Rule Safe Street Terror
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 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
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
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
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
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
The call to finally clean house is a propaganda tool of the right, which tolerates the leftists who it condemns.
ADAM MICHNIK

Call Clean Condemn Finally House Leftist Propaganda Right Tolerate Tool
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 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
Even though we are not sure of the links, Iraq was one of the countries that did not lower its flags in mourning on 9/11.
ADAM MICHNIK

Country Flag Link Lower Mourning Sure Thought War
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
Kaczynski appointed a judge to the position of deputy justice minister who had once sentenced current President Bronislaw Komorowski to a prison term.
ADAM MICHNIK

Appointment Current Deputy Justice Kaczynski Minister People Position President Prison Sentenced
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
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
This is why we will never again say that Chamberlain is no better than Hitler, Roosevelt no better than Stalin, and Nixon no better than Mao Zedong, even if we do condemn Roosevelt for Yalta, Chamberlain for Munich, and Nixon for Watergate.
ADAM MICHNIK

Again Better never Say
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
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
In a democracy, the government is a reflection of society because people are elected.
ADAM MICHNIK

Democracy Elected Government People Reflection Society
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
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
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
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
Both men have an authoritarian idea of government; democracy is merely a façade.
ADAM MICHNIK

Both Democracy Facade Government Idea Man Merely
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
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

Politics and ethics belong to different worlds.

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Politics and ethics belong to different worlds.

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