With the people, for the people, by the people. I crack up when I hear it; I say, with the handful, for the handful, by the handful, cause that's what really happens.
Fannie Lou HamerRead
Democracy is not about trust; it is about distrust. It is about accountability, exposure, open debate, critical challenge, and popular input and feedback from the citizenry. It is about responsible government. We have to get our fellow Americans to trust their leaders less and themselves more, trust their own questions and suspicions, and their own desire to know what is going on.
Interpretation
Democracy thrives on questioning and accountability rather than blind trust in leaders.
In this quote, Michael Parenti emphasizes that true democracy relies on a critical and skeptical approach from citizens toward their leaders. He advocates for accountability in governance, suggesting that citizens should prioritize their own judgments, inquiries, and instincts over uncritical trust in authority figures, highlighting the importance of active participation and feedback in the democratic process.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about civic engagement at a community meeting.
With the people, for the people, by the people. I crack up when I hear it; I say, with the handful, for the handful, by the handful, cause that's what really happens.
The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and all to lose - especially their lives.
Traitors who prevail are patriots; usurpers who succeed are divine emperors.
Politically speaking, it's always easier to shell out money for a disaster that has already happened, with clearly identifiable victims, than to invest money in protecting against something that may or may not happen in the future.
The very first time a politician puts you in his target is sometimes a disappointment, because perhaps you thought you were friends and getting along well... But it is not something that you dwelled on. At least, I did not.
The crisis of black politics can only be resolved through the development of multiclass, multiracial, progressive political structures.
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