David Petraeus Quotes

Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.

There is a firm, clear commitment to provide resources and ideas to enable us to organize the Afghans towards starting the process of rehabilitation and reconstruction.

I feel it's a person's duty to participate in the governing of the country in which he lives.

Given political history in Chile, it seemed to me that there was a critical task of consolidating a democracy and creating healthy civic-military and political-military relationships.

Development donors ... put a positive spin on awful recipient governments by asserting that while things are bad, they are getting better.

Self government is the hardest thing that people can do other than fighting a civil war.

In a democracy, power implies responsibility.

... the even more fundamental task that lies before the leader of a democracy is to bring to the people the realization that true democracy is the effort of the people individually to carry their share of the burden of government.

The world has come around to the view that democracy is essential for full human development. And only education and skill development can make this possible.

Where civil society thrives, governments operate with more transparency and accountability. This creates a tangible impact on the lives of everyday citizens.

Zaire needs me.

Without effective states working with active and involved citizens, there is little chance for the growth that is needed to abolish global poverty.

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.

In Afghanistan, I was talking to Afghan elders who were world-weary of a lack of sustained attention from their own government and from the international community to stop problems early.

When millions of law-abiding people achieve citizenship, our communities benefit, and the U.S. economy grows and strengthens.

Economic growth is not sustainable without nation-building and, even of greater importance, state building.

As a chief executive determined to lead Hong Kong to new heights, I am keenly aware of the immense responsibilities on my shoulders.

I think it's a part of being a citizen in a country, to know what is going on and to have a say in how they want their country being run. You know, that's a part of the privilege of democracy.

We've placed a lot of emphasis in this country on the idea of people's rights. That's how it should be, but it makes no sense to talk about rights without also talking about responsibilities.

If we fail now, then we will have forgotten in abundance what we learned in hardship: that democracy rests on faith; freedom asks more than it gives; and the judgment of God is harshest on those who are most favored.

The era of big government is over, but the era of big challenge is not. We need an era of big citizenship. There are many important people at this summit, but the most important title is 'citizen.' This is our republic. Let us keep it!

There can be no prosperity without law and order.

The fabric of democracy is always fragile everywhere because it depends on the will of citizens to protect it, and when they become scared, when it becomes dangerous for them to defend it, it can go very quickly.

We have a country that we have to take care of.

A republic is not an easy form of government to live under, and when the responsibility of citizenship is evaded, democracy decays and authoritarianism takes over.