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I'm for democracy, but imposing democracy is an oxymoron. People have to choose democracy, and it has to come up from below.
Madeleine Albright
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Democracy should be a choice made by the people rather than imposed upon them from above.

This quote by Madeleine Albright emphasizes that true democracy cannot be validly imposed by external forces or authorities; instead, it must arise organically from the will of the people. The essence of democracy is that it empowers individuals to have a say in their governance, making it crucial that the desire for democratic governance comes from the populace itself rather than being forced upon them, which would contradict the principles of freedom and self-determination.

Themes

DemocracyFreedomPeopleChoiceSelf-Determination

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech discussing the importance of voter engagement.

More from Madeleine Albright

I think women are really good at making friends and not good at networking. Men are good at networking and not necessarily making friends. That's a gross generalization, but I think it holds in many ways.
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My parents were of the generation who thought they were the children of a free Czechoslovakia, the only democracy in central Europe.
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I really think that there was a great advantage in many ways to being a woman. I think we are a lot better at personal relationships, and then have the capability obviously of telling it like it is when it's necessary.
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Well I do think, when there are more women, that the tone of the conversation changes, and also the goals of the conversation change. But it doesn't mean that the whole world would be a lot better if it were totally run by women. If you think that, you've forgotten high school.
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The main thing is to remain oneself, under any circumstances; that was and is our common purpose.
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You think that the heads of state only have serious conversations, but they actually often begin really with the weather or, 'I really like your tie.'
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