Jacques Barzun Quotes

In most of the countries where the people don’t like their government, we are now allowed to ask whether people like their government.

I have no problem with free speech, but free speech and then silencing your opposition - boy, I have a problem with that.

As the remaining voices for civil disobedience are suppressed, the political spectrum narrows even further.

Even if the country is run by a Mussolini, free speech will find its way.

In a free society we're supposed to know the truth. In a society where truth becomes treason, then we're in big trouble. And now, people who are revealing the truth are getting into trouble for it.

The enemies of freedom do not argue; they shout and they shoot.

I know of no country in which there is so little independence of mind and real freedom of discussion as in America.

When someone has to intervene to defend the liberty of the press, that society is sick.

But there is a big difference in working for the West and working for a totalitarian state.

A state of society where men may not speak their minds cannot long endure.

I have lived under totalitarian Communism, so I prize freedom as much as anyone and have long fought for freedom of conscience and speech.

It is a paradox that every dictator has climbed to power on the ladder of free speech. Immediately on attaining power each dictator has suppressed all free speech except his own.

The greatest threat to freedom is the absence of criticism.

The Communists automatically violated the daily practices of democracy to which I was accustomed.

Being born in Cuba, a country where freedom of speech is non-existent, it's startling to observe how Venezuela, where I was happily raised, is fast becoming Cuba's mirror image: Dismantling of fundamental democratic rights deserved by its people and citizens of the world.

The Thought Police: To censor and protect.

The first people totalitarians destroy or silence are men of ideas and free minds.

Freedom of speech is always under attack by Fascist mentality, which exists in all parts of the world, unfortunately.

My hope is that the Chinese government will come to realise that it is futile to repress free speech, and that contrary to what they believe a regime's strength rests not its suppression of a plurality of opinions and ideas, but in its capacity and willingness to encourage them.

We believe firmly that Communism internally and externally can and must be fought without resort to the Communist tactics of the suppression of all individual freedom.

The freedom to express yourself without fear - that perhaps is something we in the U.S. take for granted. It's almost inconceivable to think we would be afraid to express our opinions or thoughts, but that's not true for all parts of the world now, and certainly not before World War II.

I knew that if it ever got down to a choice between the Party and our traditional democratic structure I would fight the Party and our traditional democratic structure I would fight the Party to the bitter end.

It is never smart, even in a strong democracy, to declare some debate off limits. In a weakening democracy it is catastrophic.

Totalitarianism liquidates its internal enemies or smashes opposition as soon as it arises; it uses methods that are simple and infallible because they are undemocratic. But democracy can defend itself from within only very feebly; its internal enemy has an easy time of it because he exploits the right to disagree that is inherent in democracy.

Sasha, aren’t you a good communist? How can you allow so much ideological freedom? Do something!.