If there is a mystical chord in democracy, it probably revolves around the notion that unexpected music can resonate from politics when people are pursuing questions larger than self... I have seen that ennobling effect in people many, many times- expressed by those who found themselves engaged in genuine acts of democratic expression, who claimed their right to define the larger destiny of their community, their nations.
Interpretation
This quote highlights the uplifting potential of democracy when individuals engage in collective pursuits beyond their personal interests.
William Greider reflects on the powerful and harmonious effects that democracy can have when people come together for a purpose greater than themselves. He emphasizes how genuine democratic engagement allows individuals to feel a sense of nobility and connection with their community, leading to a more profound impact on society as a whole.
In practice
In a speech about civic responsibility, one might say, 'As William Greider noted, when we pursue questions larger than ourselves, we can create unexpected music in democracy.'
They say, oh, let’s have multiparty politics. Let’s have different parties change and be in charge of the Government. Is it that simple? You vote in a Division Three government, not a Division One government, and the whole economy will just subside within three, four years. Finished.
Inequality also distorts our democracy. It gives an outsized voice to the few who can afford high-priced lobbyists and unlimited campaign contributions, and runs the risk of selling out our democracy to the highest bidder. And it leaves everyone else rightly suspicious that the system in Washington is rigged against them - that our elected representatives aren't looking out for the interests of most Americans.
A politician normally prospers under democracy in proportion ... as he excels in the invention of imaginary perils and imaginary defenses against them.
Of course the Republicans have long wanted to privatize Social Security and destroy it. But Social Security has been the most important and valuable social program in the history of the United States.
Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who posses it; and this I know, my lords: that where law ends, tyranny begins.
Our democracy cannot be left in the hands of those who would rather watch or participate in a train wreck than stop it.
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