King Hussein Quotes

[Sometimes] the minorities are too respectable, not to be entitled to some sacrifice of opinion, in the majority.

I'm an extreme libertarian, but I realize we're in a democracy, and in a democracy, people can have views of all stripes, and there's no reason to argue about it.

In democracy dissent is an act of faith. Like medicine, the test of its value is not its taste, but its effect,...

Controversial disputes are a part of democratic culture.

Agreeing to disagree is a prerogative only of those who live under a democratic system.

Everybody's opinion is equally valid, and I feel like everybody should have an opportunity to speak out, and everyone should have the courage to speak out.

Bring it on. Dissent is central to any democracy.

It is assumed in many parts of the world that democracy is a group of people facing a certain problem, who come together to solve it in a way where everyone has an equal say.

We live in a democracy. We have this extraordinary opportunity to use our mind and say what we think, speak as we think. Sometimes what we say is objectionable to other people. But that is part of a free society.

Every person's opinion, in a way, does matter.

Let's not demonize people who don't happen to agree with us.

Democracy is necessarily despotism, as it establishes an executive power contrary to the general will; all being able to decide against one whose opinion may differ, the will of all is therefore not that of all: which is contradictory and opposite to liberty.

Because we are a democracy, there will be “winners” and “losers” on policy issues and curriculum decisions. But if the different perspectives have been given full and fair hearing and if every effort has been made to protect the conscience of all parents and students, then even those who may “lose” on a particular policy will most likely remain supporters of the public schools.

If a democracy is to remain real and stable, the majority must be humane and farsighted enough to take care of minorities who have serious objections to the majorities point of view and who, because of lack of numbers, do not have the political strength to impose their own policy solutions through their own political power.

Majority rule is not the norm for solving issues or problems.

The freedom to persuade and suggest is the essence of the democratic process.

America remains an open society in which opposing forces can surface and clash, a necessary precondition for their solution.

Democracy affords debate, discussion and dissent.

The majority voice should be controlling ... after a full, fair, and candid expression.

Democracy is about opposition.

The problem for a politician of listening to the people, is that they don’t always agree.

I have been defeated for election often enough to know that the majority can be wrong.

America is great precisely because it is an open society, and an open society recognizes that nobody is the ultimate arbiter — and that we may be wrong at times, even if we are powerful. We must be open to criticism and respect divergent and different views and interests.

… the most powerful party must happily accept and hear the opinions of the weakest

In a democracy, you can be right and still lose power.