Governance Quotes

“Do you know the song Violet Crowned Athens?” he asked. Yellow hair like hers was rare among the Greeks. Though some people say that Helen of Troy . . .”
― Yvonne Korshak, Pericles and Aspasia: A Story of Ancient Greece

“James Ed smiled. “We should start a cuddling movement. Cuddling would solve most of the world’s problems. I can just see our bumper stickers. Have you cuddled today?”
― Shafter Bailey, James Ed Hoskins and the One-Room Schoolhouse: The Unprosecuted Crime Against Children

“Let a crown be placed thereon, by which the world may know, that so far as we approve of monarcy, that in America the law is King. For as in absolute governments the King is law, so in free countries the law ought to be King; and there ought to be no other.”
― Thomas Paine

“In questions of power, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the constitution.”
― Thomas Jefferson

“The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire.”
― Robert A. Heinlein

“The legislator should direct his attention above all to the education of youth; for the neglect of education does harm to the constitution. The citizen should be molded to suit the form of government under which he lives. For each government has a peculiar character which originally formed and which continues to preserve it. The character of democracy creates democracy, and the character of oligarchy creates oligarchy.”
― Aristotle

“No matter how an individual views Satan, whether they believe that he is a real character or that he is just the product of literary scholars and imaginations, no one can deny that each one of us has an aspect of the devil within us. By studying the character and nature of Satan, we learn about ourselves; and the more we know about ourselves, the better we can fight our own personal demons—metaphorical or otherwise—in order to create a better tomorrow”
― Nwaocha Ogechukwu

“We are in a prison of our own minds holding our own chains around us. We create our oligarchs and fight for their right to oppress us.”
― Heather Marsh, Binding Chaos

“العلاقة بين الحاكم والمحكوم تتقرر بطريقة خفية كما في الحب، ويمكن أن يقول إن أظفر الحكام بقلوب المحكومين هو أعظمهم احتراما لإنسانيتهم، وليس بالخبز وحده يحيا الإنسان!”
― نجيب محفوظ, السمان والخريف

“When we finally achieve the full right of participation in American life, what we make of it will depend upon our sense of cultural values, and our creative use of freedom, not upon our racial identification. I see no reason why the heritage of world culture—which represents a continuum—should be confused with the notion of race. Japan erected a highly efficient modern technology upon a religious culture which viewed the Emperor as a god. The Germany which produced Beethoven and Hegel and Mann turned its science and technology to the monstrous task of genocide; one hopes that when what are known as the “Negro” societies are in full possession of the world’s knowledge and in control of their destinies, they will bring to an end all those savageries which for centuries have been committed in the name of race. From what we are now witnessing in certain parts of the world today, however, there is no guarantee that simply being non-white offers any guarantee of this. The demands of state policy are apt to be more influential than morality. I would like to see a qualified Negro as President of the United States. But I suspect that even if this were today possible, the necessities of the office would shape his actions far more than his racial identity.”
― Ralph Ellison, Shadow and Act

“Your worst enemy is not the person in opposition to you. It is the person occupying the spot you would be fighting from and doing nothing.”
― Heather Marsh, Binding Chaos

“A president who is burdened with a failed and unpopular war, and who has lost the trust of the country, simply can no longer govern. He is destined to become as much a failure as his war.”
― Glenn Greenwald, A Tragic Legacy: How a Good vs. Evil Mentality Destroyed the Bush Presidency

“Leaders say "no" to corruption. Anyone playing a role in governance, and is not ready to do this is not a leader.”
― Israelmore Ayivor, Leaders' Ladder

“The whole art of government consists in the art of being honest. Only aim to do your duty, and mankind will give you credit where you fail.”
― Thomas Jefferson, A Summary View of the Rights of British America

“We were all ready to die for the country but what we did not discover was we have to live for the country.”
― Jim Paredes

“Bill C-9 was supposed to be a budget bill, but it came with innumerable measures that had little or nothing to do with the nation's finances. It was, as critics put it, the advance of the Harper agenda by stealth, yet another abuse of the democratic process. The bill was a behemoth. It was 904 pages, with 23 separate sections and 2,208 individual clauses....

As a Reform MP, [Stephen Harper] .... said of one piece of legislation that 'the subject matter of the bill is so diverse that a single vote on the content would put members in conflict with their own principles.' The bill he referred to was 21 page long -- or 883 pages shorter than the one he was now putting before Parliament.”
― Lawrence Martin, Harperland: The Politics Of Control

“Laws continue to be enacted, and the regulatory environment has become more complex due to unacceptable conduct remediation. Consequently, entities continue to be compelled to demonstrate compliance with legal mandates through documented assurance assessments.”
― Robert E. Davis, Assuring IT Legal Compliance

“Potential stakeholders usually rely upon governance elements prior to investing their time, talent, and/or money.”
― Robert E. Davis, IT Auditing: Assuring Information Assets Protection

“Since knowledge and ideas are an important part of cultural heritage, social interaction and business transactions, they retain a special value for many societies. Logically, if the associated electronically formatted information is valued, preventive and detective measures are necessary to ensure minimum organizational impact from an IPR security breach.”
― Robert E. Davis, IT Auditing: Assuring Information Assets Protection

“All governments, even these precious “democracies,” derive all their power by force. Do something the government doesn’t want, like, say, cross the street against the light, refuse to submit to its authority, and it won’t be long before they’ll use some form of force, usually a weapon and the threat of death or injury, to compel you to comply.”
― S. Evan Townsend, Hammer of Thor

“The Company Secretary may minute quietly —
but those minutes stay alive —
speaking for years.”
― Madhavan M K

“A society cannot call itself civilised if healthcare is treated as a privilege. High-quality medication and timely treatment should reach every citizen equally, regardless of wealth or status. The strength of a nation rests on the dignity it extends to its weakest.”
― Shivanshu K. Srivastava

“A judge’s greatest duty is not merely to interpret laws but to ensure justice is delivered without fear or favour. Law must remain a shield for the vulnerable, not a weapon for the powerful. A fair courtroom is the soul of democracy.”
― Shivanshu K. Srivastava

“Leaders are custodians of trust. Their actions should uplift the weakest, inspire the capable, and protect the vulnerable. Leadership without accountability is merely authority, and authority without justice corrodes society.”
― Shivanshu K. Srivastava

“Nations rise not on military might but on justice, education, and equality. A strong defence protects borders, but a strong conscience protects civilisation. True strength is moral strength.”
― Shivanshu K. Srivastava

“Freedom is hollow without equality. Rights must extend beyond paper declarations into lived realities, where opportunity, dignity, and justice are accessible to all. Liberty is not a privilege but the breath of democracy.”
― Shivanshu K. Srivastava

“Governments and organizations that fail to build strong cyber capabilities will be particularly vulnerable in this new era.”
― Roger Spitz, Disrupt With Impact: Achieve Business Success in an Unpredictable World

“No ideas will be rejected out of hand and all ideas will be considered.”
― Michael G. Kramer, The Full Circle for Mick

“Corruption corrodes more than finances; it erodes trust, justice, and morality. A corrupt act may enrich one person but impoverishes an entire society. Integrity is the true currency of public life.”
― Shivanshu K. Srivastava

“No society can prosper where justice is delayed, dignity denied, and voices silenced. To protect rights is to protect humanity itself. A nation that neglects justice digs its own grave.”
― Shivanshu K. Srivastava