Ai Weiwei Quotes

I became active in politics because I saw the possibility, if we all sat back and did nothing, of a world in which there would no longer be any stages for actors to act on.

Politicians are there to try to deal with stuff, but sometimes it's both fortunate and unfortunate that people like us have more... not involvement, but more power in the stuff that we say.

When the people become involved in their government, government becomes more accountable, and our society is stronger, more compassionate, and better prepared for the challenges of the future.

It is hard to feel individually responsible with respect to the invisible processes of a huge and distant government.

Most Americans aren't the sort of citizens the Founding Fathers expected; they are contented serfs. Far from being active critics of government, they assume that its might makes it right.

Our future cannot depend on the government alone. The ultimate solutions lie in the attitudes and the actions of the American people.

I feel a real responsibility to my community and so right now there has been this bizarre myth in our community how our vote doesn't count. I'm trying to get out there and re-educate on how the government works and break that myth and talk about the importance of being involved.

As a businessperson, I don't have the power to change the government. That is in the hands of the political leaders. However, as a taxpayer, we have the right to be critical of the government and demand change.

In a free society, government reflects the soul of its people. If people want change at the top, they will have to live in different ways. Our major social problems are not the cause of our decadence. They are a reflection of it.

We're prepared to place our trust in the people to reshape the government. Our liberal friends place their trust in the government to reshape the people.

We have a right to know and a duty to discover what you think of the great constitutional issues of our time.

Governments are sails, the people is the wind, the state is the boat, and time is the sea.

In a democratic society like ours, relief must come through an aroused popular conscience that sears the conscience of the people's representatives.

We cannot, as a people, remain mute and free.

It is not the same thing—society and government

We must know what we think and speak out, even at the risk of unpopularity. In the final analysis, a democratic government represents the sum total of the courage and the integrity of its individuals. It cannot be better than they are.

I believe to go along to get along is unpatriotic. I believe that agreeing with your government on everything they do is unpatriotic. I believe a patriot stands up and holds your government's feet to the fire. Because if you do that, you will get good government.

I think most people realize that our problems are our government, not me and you individually, except that we can - must have some sort of responsibility, because they're in there and they were elected, so we have to defend ourselves on those lines.

To sit back and say, 'Oh, we're going to let the government do whatever they want, right or wrong,' is giving up.

I think it's appropriate in America for anyone to speak out and say what their reaction is to the president's State of the Union speech.

You're a sovereign as a citizen. If you're not involved in your government, you're not doing your job. In the long run that's very bad for the Republic.

To me, the real 'state of the union' is found in how Americans react to current events.

What's wrong is that we are not participating to make this the type of government it needs to be.

It's really remarkable when you think about what we don't like about government, we, the people created. So if we created it, we can also fix it.

By voting, we add our voice to the chorus that forms opinions and the basis for actions.