The vanishing of David Tang is like the unthinkable diappearance of a magnificent palace on a mythical mountaintop. He was a dreammaker, pianist, adventurer, writer, entrepreneur, scholar, connoisseur, and a great friend.
Simon Sebag-MontefioreRead
The unspoken contract between ruler and subject is that in return for safety, prosperity, and prestige, the Russians entrust power and cede democratic freedoms to their leaders.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the implicit agreement between a government and its citizens, where the populace gives up certain freedoms in exchange for security and stability.
In this quote, Simon Sebag-Montefiore reflects on the complex relationship between rulers and their subjects, especially in Russia. It suggests that citizens often surrender their democratic freedoms in exchange for the promises of safety, economic well-being, and social prestige from their leaders. This dynamic reveals the trade-offs involved in governance and the delicate balance between authority and individual freedoms.
Themes
GovernmentFreedomSecurityLeadershipRussiaCitizenship
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on political systems during a debate, one might reference this quote to illustrate the responsibilities and expectations in a governed society.
More from Simon Sebag-Montefiore
All quotes βThe political lives of tyrants play out human affairs with a special intensity: the death of a democratic leader long after his retirement is a private matter, but the death of a tyrant is always a political act that reflects the character of his power.
Simon Sebag-MontefioreRead
Under Stalin, artists weren't dissidents; all they hoped was to survive and write.
Simon Sebag-MontefioreRead
It's the mix of the trivial and the great events that make up history. It's the low things about high people that make it fascinating, and that's why it would be a shame to exclude the trivial things. That mixing up is not just at the heart of history. It's at the heart of how to live a great life.
Simon Sebag-MontefioreRead
The disorder, uncertainty, and strife of a revolution make citizens yearn for stable authority, or they turn to radicalism.
Simon Sebag-MontefioreRead
A revolution resembles the death of a fading star, an exhilarating Technicolor explosion that gives way not to an ordered new galaxy but to a nebula, a formless cloud of shifting energy.
Simon Sebag-MontefioreRead
Similar quotes
To resolve this issue will require Iran to come to the table and discuss in a clear and forthright way how to prove to the international community that the intentions of their nuclear program are peaceful. [...] The question is going to be whether in these discussions they show themselves moving clearly in that direction.
Barack ObamaRead
Communism needs democracy like the human body needs oxygen.
Leon TrotskyRead
I have an idea about voting, how about on every ballot we include "None of the above". People may laugh at that, but what that is, it is a vote of no confidence in your government and I'm willing to bet that in some elections, 'None of the Above' would win. Imagine if you won the election but lost to 'None of the Above'. Wouldn't that make you re-think your positions?
Jesse VenturaRead
Our only real hope for democracy is that we get the money out of politics entirely and establish a system of publicly funded elections.
Noam ChomskyRead
In Washington, task forces work like Tylenol: they reduce the symptoms of scandal while leaving the substance untouched.
Jonathan TurleyRead
Of course, there is no question that Libya - and the world - will be better off with Gaddafi out of power. I, along with many other world leaders, have embraced that goal, and will actively pursue it through non-military means. But broadening our military mission to include regime change would be a mistake.
Barack ObamaRead