Harold J. Laski Quotes
No important institution is ever merely what the law makes it. It accumulates about itself traditions, conventions, ways of behavior, which ... are not less formidable in their influence.
Harold J. Laski, 1893-1950, English Political Scientist, The American Presidency, 1940
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
For earlier similar sentiments see Plato and William D'Avenant {312586}.
In the last centuries, Egypt has been intellectually more advanced than the other Arab countries. It has a significant number of modernists who oppose religious influences on Government. During the Arab Spring when the old regime was ousted, the modernists had hopes that a modern democracy would be formed that was not controlled of even significantly influences by religious leaders and where women would have equal rights. However, the first election the Muslim Brotherhood, a religious party won, and then tried to institute Islamic law—Sharia. A coup ousted the Muslim Brotherhood, and then many dreamed again of a modern, non-sexist, secular democracy. Professor Ajami tried to give them a more realistic view.
Harold Joseph Laski was an English political theorist and economist. He was active in politics and served as the chairman of the British Labour Party from 1945 to 1946 and was a professor at the London School of Economics from 1926 to 1950. He first promoted pluralism by emphasising the importance of local voluntary communities such as trade unions. After 1930, he began to emphasize the need for a workers' revolution, which he hinted might be violent. Laski's position angered Labour leaders who promised a nonviolent democratic transformation. Laski's position on democracy threatening violence came under further attack from Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the 1945 general election, and the Labour Party had to disavow Laski, its own chairman.
