Love consists in leaving the loved one space to be themselves while providing the security within which that self may flourish.
Tony JudtRead
Social democracy does not represent an ideal future; it does not even represent the ideal past.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Social democracy is not a perfect system, nor is it a return to a perfect historical time.
In this quote, Tony Judt suggests that social democracy should not be viewed as a utopian vision for the future or a nostalgic return to a golden age in the past. Instead, it acknowledges the complexities and imperfect realities of political systems, emphasizing that the pursuit of social democracy is about striving for betterment within our current societal frameworks rather than chasing after an idealized existence.
Themes
Social DemocracyPoliticsIdealFuturePast
In practice
Example use cases
In a political debate discussing the role of social democracy in modern politics.
More from Tony Judt
All quotes βIf active or concerned citizens forfeit politics, they thereby abandon their society to its most mediocre and venal public servants
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Obviously a primary liberal conviction is that we should be tolerant of other peoples' convictions. But if we believe in something, we had better find ways to say so convincingly.
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What I am against is false optimism: the notion either that things have to go well, or else that they tend to, or else that the default condition of historical trajectories is characteristically beneficial in the long-run.
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I'm not sure I've learned anything new about life; but I've had to think harder about death and what comes after for other people.
Tony JudtRead
We are not merely historians but also and always citizens.
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