Pankaj Mishra Quotes

I think you have to [vote] and the reason you have to go vote is an important one, and that is because the day you vote is the day that you will feel the most ineffectual you will feel all year.

As far as domestic democracy, all here present know that democracy means government of the people by the people. While we agree that consultation and participation are essential to every democracy, this is seldom achieved in practice.

They have not always elected the best leaders, particularly after a long period in which they have not used this facility of free election. You tend to lose the habit.

Susan B. Anthony must be turning in her grave if she knew that millions of women who have the right to vote are not exercising it. Why? Because they haven't got the interest or the time, or they have just given up hope.

I can't vote again ever, so political party is not a relevant thing for me.

The fact that a man is to vote forces him to think.

Don’t vote. it only encourages the bastards.

I vote, but I don't feel that I'm achieving much when I do.

The American people are too well schooled in the duty and practice of submitting to the will of the majority to permit any serious uneasiness on that account

But did you know that during the past quarter century, no presidential election has been won by more than ten million ballots cast? Yet every federal election during the same time period had at least one hundred million people of voting age who did not bother to vote!

It is tragic that so few young people in Western democracies vote. They have forgotten that their ancestors fought for the right to choose and change their leaders. They don't realise that their votes are more important than their tweets or Facebook posts.

We still go out and elect people who we think are going to govern and better our interests. So we may not have the same confidence in the people we elect, but we still go out and elect them.

Some politician some years ago said that bad officials are elected by good voters who do not vote.

When will people learn? Democracy doesn't work!" (Homer Simpson)

From literature to ecology, from the escape velocity of galaxies to the greenhouse effect, from garbage disposal methods to traffic jams, everything is discussed in our world. But the democratic system, as if it were a given fact, untouchable by nature until the end of time, we don't discuss that.

If you want a good argument against democracy, spend five minutes with a voter.

I'm moved to think about the political state of our country right now. Most people who go out and vote have a very clear sense of what's right and wrong. And a lot of those people who don't aren't sure, so they don't go out and vote.

My personal take on politics is I deal with social situations and cultural situations in my music and in my life. I have said on record many times that I haven't voted. I'm not the type of person who says, 'I'm never going to vote.' I think it's clear to me that our system has failed us.

I've voted in every election - not always for the same political party and never with any degree of enthusiasm.

We think that democracy can change a lot of things, but we're being fooled, because democracy is not the election. We've been taught that democracy is having elections. And it isn't. Elections are the most horrendous aspect of democracy. It's the most mundane, trivial, disappointing, dirty aspect.

Let the people decide whom to vote for, who has more authority. And only people, only our citizens, are able to place the final emphasis, voting for this or that person or political force, or rejecting it. That's democracy.

Apparently, a democracy is a place where numerous elections are held at great cost without issues and with interchangeable candidates.

Decision making in a democracy depends above all on knowledge and not just the intel available to presidents and policymakers.

I strongly believe in political activity that has to do with choices - and not consensus that sometimes covers problems and doesn't resolve them.

If you don't vote, you don't count.