Democracy is not about trust; it is about distrust. It is about accountability, exposure, open debate, critical challenge, and popular input and feedback from the citizenry. It is about responsible government. We have to get our fellow Americans to trust their leaders less and themselves more, trust their own questions and suspicions, and their own desire to know what is going on.
Interpretation
Democracy thrives on questioning and accountability rather than blind trust in leaders.
In this quote, Michael Parenti emphasizes that true democracy relies on a critical and skeptical approach from citizens toward their leaders. He advocates for accountability in governance, suggesting that citizens should prioritize their own judgments, inquiries, and instincts over uncritical trust in authority figures, highlighting the importance of active participation and feedback in the democratic process.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about civic engagement at a community meeting.
From the earliest ages of history to the present day there never have been thirteen millions of people associated in one political body who enjoyed so much freedom and happiness as the people of these United States. You have no longer any cause to fear danger from abroad... It is from within, among yourselves - from cupidity, from corruption, from disappointed ambition and inordinate thirst for power.
A properly functioning democracy depends on an informed electorate.
Fascist movements kill off their critics, literally or metaphorically, while democratic movements value, invite and even welcome criticism.
We have to build a political consensus and that requires people to give up a little bit of their own ... in order to create this common ground.
No man should have a political office because he wants a job.
See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda.
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