The best defence [for a democracy, for the public good] is aggressiveness, the aggressiveness of the involved citizen. We need to reassert that slow, time-consuming, inefficient, boring process that requires our involvement; it is called 'being a citizen.' The public… — John Ralston Saul Copy Share Image
Of course, corporations and governments have a right to something for their money. They pay the wages. But they don't have the ethical right… — John Ralston Saul Copy Share
Some people don't like the 'comeback' because that suggests they went somewhere, which they didn't. That isn't what I mean. In my mind, people… — John Ralston Saul Copy Share
In the humanist ideal, the mainstream is where interesting debate, the generating of new ideas and creativity take place. In rational society this mainstream… — John Ralston Saul Copy Share
There's two ways of dealing with fears of mortality. One of them is to hide, so every day you wear the same suit and… — John Ralston Saul Copy Share
A foreigner is an individual who is considered either comic or sinister. When the victim of a disaster - preferably natural but sometimes political… — John Ralston Saul Copy Share
Rights are a protection from society. But only by fulfilling their obligations to society can the individual give meaning to that protection. (V -… — John Ralston Saul Copy Share
All the lessons of psychiatry, psychology, social work, indeed culture, have taught us over the last hundred years that it is the acceptance of… — John Ralston Saul Copy Share
The neo-conservatives, who are closely linked to the neo-corporatists, are rather different. They claim to be conservatives, when everything they stand for is a… — John Ralston Saul Copy Share
Armaments; extremely useful for fighting wars, a deadweight in any civil economy. — John Ralston Saul Copy Share
In the European tradition, rivers are seen as divisions between peoples. But in the Aboriginal tradition, rivers are seen as the glue, the highway,… — John Ralston Saul Copy Share
“Basic technical training is, of course, useful. But to treat it as anything more than that is to lock students into technology that will… — John Ralston Saul Copy Share
Bankers - pillars of society who are going to hell if there is a God and He has been accurately quoted. — John Ralston Saul Copy Share
If allowed to run free of the social system, capitalism will attempt to corrupt and undermine democracy, which is after all not a natural… — John Ralston Saul Copy Share
For about 125 years, give or take, the Canadian government has acted extremely badly - even in a way which should be called evil… — John Ralston Saul Copy Share
Ten geographers who think the world is flat will tend to reinforce each other's errors ... Only a sailor can set them straight. — John Ralston Saul Copy Share
![“The best defence [for a democracy, for the public good] is aggressiveness, the aggressiveness of the involved citizen. We need to reassert that slow, time-consuming, inefficient, boring process that requires our involvement; it is called 'being a citizen.' The public good is not something that you…” quote by John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/john-ralston-saul-3128_aggressiveness_the-best-defence-for-a-democracy-for-the_1365828.jpg)