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 Democracy... is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder; and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike. Plato (427 BC-347 BC)
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"Democracy is a stupid idea anyway! We agree. It's demagogue-prone. That's a disease to which electoral systems are vulnerable. Yet demagogues are easy to identify. They gesture a lot and speak with pulpit rhythms, using words that ring of religious fervor and god-fearing sincerity."
— Frank Herbert
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JUSTIN Excellence wrote:
"Democracy is a stupid idea anyway! We agree. It's demagogue-prone. That's a disease to which electoral systems are vulnerable. Yet demagogues are easy to identify. They gesture a lot and speak with pulpit rhythms, using words that ring of religious fervor and god-fearing sincerity."
— Frank Herbert
Interesting quote! Never heard of Frank Hebert.
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Ever heard of Dune?
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When difference between equals and unequals reach certain point, then "dispensing a sort of equality" may be inadequate for both parties. As a result, boom - supernova...
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Give everybody the vote and they'll elect anybody.
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How droll!
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Plato doesn't sound as a big advocate of democracy... And he was a sagacious man.
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RamufAznag,"That's indeed true!".
The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is that in a democracy you vote first and take orders later; in a dictatorship you don't have to waste your time voting.
Charles Bukowski
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The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter
Winston Churchill
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socratoad wrote:The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter
Winston Churchill You would, of course, need to talk to a large sample to find out which of the voters you are conversing with are average. The number of UK voters in a recent survey(2012) gave around 46,000,000. A modest five minute conversation with each would take you around 438 years A shortcut alternative would be to take any of 35, 37, 88, 137, 155, 255, 345, 355, 417 routes, and talk to the proverbial man on a Clapham omnibus for his views.
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Quote in context from: Plato's Republic VIII BOOK VIII.
The Perfect State
"See too, I said, the forgiving spirit of democracy, and the 'don't care' about trifles, and the disregard which she shows of all the fine principles which we solemnly laid down at the foundation of the city—as when we said that, except in the case of some rarely gifted nature, there never will be a good man who has not from his childhood been used to play amid things of beauty and make of them a joy and a study—how grandly does she trample all these fine notions of ours under her feet, never giving a thought to the pursuits which make a statesman, and promoting to honour any one who professes to be the people's friend.
Yes, she is of a noble spirit.
These and other kindred characteristics are proper to democracy, which is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder, and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike.
We know her well.
Consider now, I said, what manner of man the individual is, or rather consider, as in the case of the State, how he comes into being.
Very good, he said.'
Is not this the way—he is the son of the miserly and oligarchical father who has trained him in his own habits?"
Read it here :http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_text_plato_rep8.htm
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PEERFECT!! 
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different democracy now
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Very good quote! Love it! 
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Of course , it is charming , but it must have guards , sponsors , people who keep watching. It is the governing of people themselves for themselves , as i think in Latin , but sometimes people are oppressive , suppressive , wronging , attacking , destroying eachother . Poor and polite , humble , refined , weak and sick people always lose their rights under the sponsorship of democracy. S o their must be powerful jaws to put limits and boundaries for democracy so that those do not lose their simple , most moderate , human rights.
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I mean law must be efficient , active , quick-effecting and preventing people's aggression against eachother.
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I love and hate Plato in the sense that his notions and ideas are interesting, but his wording is so profound he can put me to sleep.
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It's been observed that Americans vote for the tallest candidate.
My personal observations lead me to conclude that Aussies vote for whoever's got the biggest eyebrows.
How do other countries choose who to vote for?
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Democracy... is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder; and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike.
Plato (427 BC-347 BC)
True democracy is a utopia! Plato lived thousands of years ago, and was shrewd to see how it works when hu-mans fiddle with it.
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Yes, this is what democracy was intended to be and do, Sir Plato. Sadly, the laziness of the American public has allowed their elected representative's to form their own unique social organization, totally separated from the rules of most laws and coupled with separate and unique benefits.
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In democracy all are equal, but some are more equal.
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Rudra Saikat wrote:In democracy all are equal, but some are more equal. I will always appreciate an Orwell quote Rudra! 
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pedro wrote:Give everybody the vote and they'll elect anybody. No they won’t. They will elect one of two Debt Money Monopoly financed rhetoricians employed to push forward with the Debt Money Monopoly agenda. Not only will they do this, they will tell others they are "wasting your vote" if you don't vote for Debt Money Monopoly financed candidate #1 or Debt Money Monopoly financed candidate #2. It is like taking candy from a baby who is so out of touch it doesn't even cry when its candy is taken away.
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Daemon wrote:Democracy... is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder; and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike.Plato (427 BC-347 BC) Plato attributed the feature of democracy (underlined now for emphasis in this quotation) to the evolution of democracy from oligarchy, which may have been true at the time of Socrates debating the ideal form of government by suggestive dialog. There were, indeed, equals and unequals favored with a sort of equality in Classical Greece, except non-citizens, slaves and women, of course. Our democracy-- as much or as little resembling Plato's, is in actual fact more conducive to oligarchy becoming the dominant form of government, by the added weight of the wealth, enjoyed by a select few, to the freedoms and rights supposedly enjoyed by all.
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I must write some more here; giving the masses the right to vote was & is wonderful, but there first must come the education of the, "un-washed-masses", before they can or will be able to truly understand the ramifications of their voting. And there lies the catch; as the radical & self-serving element of American society has recognized this from the get-go; under educate or manipulate ones education and the masses will become puppets on YOUR string. The "founding-fathers" of this country understood this and attempted to create a more just society but along the way, somehow the programs became really screwed up...
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I wonder what it'd be like to have democracy in the United States.
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Fredric-frank Myers wrote:I must write some more here; giving the masses the right to vote was & is wonderful, but there first must come the education of the, "un-washed-masses", before they can or will be able to truly understand the ramifications of their voting. And there lies the catch; as the radical & self-serving element of American society has recognized this from the get-go; under educate or manipulate ones education and the masses will become puppets on YOUR string. The "founding-fathers" of this country understood this and attempted to create a more just society but along the way, somehow the programs became really screwed up... Still democracy is better than none. And whatever we have in the states is better than the Monarchy of the United Kingdom. Just get rid of the corpse and get on with the real thing although we all love your fair queen and all.
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GreenBanana wrote:I wonder what it'd be like to have democracy in the United States. How dare you to doubt that we have democracy in the United States? We have so much of them we have to constantly export them out all over the world.  Believe you know my next line: Are you a true American?
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Wow! Thank you for the quote from Churchill. It is amazingly simple and insightful.
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pedro:
"You would, of course, need to talk to a large sample to find out which of the voters you are conversing with are average. The number of UK voters in a recent survey(2012) gave around 46,000,000. A modest five minute conversation with each would take you around 438 years"
I would rather have a talk with my goats.
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Gary98. I don't think our crazy cousins across the pond will ever fully understand the differences between a Republic and a Monarch. The silly topic next with them will be what is safer, people with guns or knives and garrotes... we know how fond they are of knives.
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