Democracy requires an informed citizenry able to question its government.
Richard N. HaassRead
What countries must do to join the World Trade Organization is precisely what they must do to become productive and democratic: accept the rule of law, reduce corruption, and become open, accountable, and transparent.
Interpretation
To be productive and democratic, countries must embrace principles such as the rule of law and transparency.
Richard N. Haass emphasizes that the requirements for joining the World Trade Organization are intrinsically linked to the foundational elements of a successful society, such as the enforcement of laws, the reduction of corruption, and a commitment to transparency. This quote highlights the importance of governance and ethical practices as prerequisites for economic and democratic advancement.
In practice
During a speech on governance, this quote could underscore the necessity of legal frameworks.
Democracy requires an informed citizenry able to question its government.
American influence in the world depends on the ability to act with real capacity and set an example that others will want to follow. This all takes resources.
There is no getting around the reality that the second Iraq war was a war of choice; had it been carried out differently, it still would have been an expensive choice and almost certainly a bad one.
Nationalism is a tool increasingly used by leaders to bolster their authority, especially amid difficult economic and political conditions.
Terrorism needs to be de-legitimized in the way that slavery has been. Doing so will make governments and individuals think twice before becoming a party to terrorism; it should also make it less difficult to garner support for international action against those who nevertheless carry it out.
The political world is defined by relationships rather than transactions, and by numerous actors at home and abroad with independent power. Navigating such a world is difficult and precarious.
[I]t seems to me as clear as daylight that abortion would be a crime.
In the meantime, I would drink, rest, and ponder the meaning of this mob.
The response to war is to live like brothers and sisters. The response to injustice is to share. The response to despair is a limitless trust and hope. The response to prejudice and hatred is forgiveness. To work for community is to work for humanity. To work for peace is to work for a true political solution; it is to work for the Kingdom of God. It is to work to enable every one to live and taste the secret joys of the human person united to the eternal.
No advantages in this world are pure and unmixed.
To the extent that this world surrenders its richness and diversity, it surrenders its poetry; to the extent that it relinquishes its capacity to surprise, it relinquishes its music; to the extent that it loses its ability to tolerate ridiculous and even dangerous exceptions, it loses its grace.
The behavior of the oppressed is a prescribed behavior, following as it does the guidelines of the oppressor.
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