Bob Schaffer Quotes

What creates freedom? A revolution in the streets? Mass protest? Civil war? A change of government? The ousting of the old guard and its replacement by the new? History, more often than not, shows that hopes raised by such events are often dashed, sooner rather than later.

There is no scope for revolutions coming to Belarus.

The revolutions of the Arab Spring happened because people realized they were the power.

There is no chance of a revolution in Georgia.

I've never conspired to overthrow the government; all I did was report on the Arab Spring and suggest that something similar might happen in Ethiopia if the authoritarian regime didn't reform.

The tea has been thrown overboard. The revolution of 1860 has been initiated.

The revolution is on the verge of winning. We cannot crush it but perhaps we can strangle it …. Perhaps it will be possible to divert the revolutionary energies into the legal channels of an election campaign.

Revolution, not elections!

I am against revolutions. We have had negative experience with coups and rallies in the past. We remember the shooting at the White House in Moscow The new Russian protest is the most beautiful, most peaceful, most intelligent protest in the world—not a single broken window, not a single burned care or victim.

Large crowds have gathered in the streets. The pervading spirit among the masses is resistance to Lincoln’s administration, and everywhere that determination is manifest.

Washington was taken by surprise by the Egyptian revolution because policy experts focused too much on Mubarak and his government, and too little on the 'voice of the people.'

Every journalist loves a peaceful protest -whether it makes news, shakes up a political season, or holds out the possibility of altering history.

The vast concourse of people who had assembled to witness the triumphant arrival of the successful travellers was of the lowest orders of mechanics and artisans, among whom great distress and a dangerous spirit of discontent with the government at that time prevailed.

Revolution is an instrument, like a party is an instrument.

I don't think there's any serious discussion inside the Chinese government about liberalising. I don't think anything's going to change in China until enough Chinese say, 'We're not going to play this game any more.'

There was no reason for a revolution in Paraguay.

I'm going to gather all the French people who want change.

Insurgencies are easy to make and hard to stop. Only a few ingredients need to combine to create an insurgency; like oxygen and fire, they're very common and mix all too often. The recipe is, simply, a legitimate grievance against a state, a state that refuses to compromise, a quorum of angry people, and access to weapons.

We did not have a revolution in order to have a democracy.

I’m getting tired of all this. No more of this coup shit!

America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards.

“Order prevails in Berlin!” You foolish lackeys! Your “order” is built on sand. Tomorrow the revolution will “rise up again, clashing its weapons,” and to your horror it will proclaim with trumpets blazing: I was, I am, I shall be!

To pass a big idea in this town. You almost need social unrest

A great revolution is never the fault of the people, but of the government.

Revolution For the Hell of It