Peter Hitchens Quotes

Oppositions clean and purify those in office and we in the opposition are in fact the detergents of democracy.

The duty of an Opposition is to oppose.

I think politicians do great things in the world, but I don't think they're the only ones who can. I don't like all the rhetoric and the finger pointing.

Political checks will no more act of themselves than a bridle will direct a horse without a rider. If the checking functionaries are as corrupt or as negligent as those whom they ought to check, and if the public, the mainspring of the whole checking machinery, are too ignorant, too passive, or too careless and inattentive, to do their part, little benefit will be derived from the best administrative apparatus. Yet a good apparatus is always preferable to a bad.

Opposition will act as an outward conscience and prevent the abuse of power.

President Kennedy has done some significant things. At the same time I must say that President Kennedy hasn’t not done enough and we must remind him that we elected him.

Our democracy... is only as good as the American people demand it should be.

I'm the one who's put myself into politics, so I'm the one that really should be wearing that front-facing role.

If there is not competent Opposition, the government that comes to power won't have anyone to hold them accountable.

When all Americans believe that the people we elect deserve to be in power, that their conduct in office is worthy of respect, and that they can be held accountable for their decisions, our politics will finally be worthy of our great people.

The tradition that I come from has a great influence on Karnataka. Not just politically - it's also my social and moral responsibility to draw citizens facing bad governance and lawlessness to a leadership that is capable of delivering good governance and development.

You might not be a big fan of politics, but you can still participate. All you need to do is vote for people you believe will work on these issues, and if they don't work the way they should, then it is your responsibility to call them, organize a town hall, and demand that they show up - hold them accountable.

I'm sick of people who supported Trump saying, 'Get over it. You lost.' That's not how America works. We get to critique him the same way they constantly fought Obama. As long as I have a platform, I will continue to speak up because it's my responsibility.

Well, I say it's time to take Stephen Harper to the woodshed!

Good governance depends on ability to take responsibility by both administration as well as people.

We all need to provide the checks and balances for democracy.

It's so much easier to throw rocks than it is to govern.

I was one of the hardest-hitting conservatives on George W. Bush. Republicans didn't like me on George W. Bush. Republicans still don't like me on many things. If any Republican thinks I've been hard on Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich or any of these guys, wait until Mitt Romney gets into office. I'll hold his feet to the fire just as much.

Dishonesty in government is the business of every citizen. It is not enough to do your own job. There's no particular virtue in that. Democracy isn't a gift. It's a responsibility.

Any party which takes credit for the rain must not be surprised if its opponents blame it for the drought.

Some Democrats deserve to be criticized.

It is scrutiny by the general public that keeps the powerful honest.

The responsibility for good government lies not just with governments themselves but also with every other part of the system they operate in, including media, non-governmental organisations and the public.

Democracies must have equilibrium... and the entanglement of politics and information must be minimized.

This idea that you can't be an honest man and a Washington politician is a myth, a crock made up by sellouts and careerist hacks who don't stand for anything and are impatient with people who do. It's possible to do this job with honor and dignity.