--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We were on the way to democracy. We…" description: "\"We were on the way to democracy. We didn't say that we are fully democratic, we were on the way, we were moving forward. Slowly or fast, that's subject..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e90/bashar-al-assad-1027_democracy_we-were-on-the-way-to-democracy-we-didn_2371987.jpg" --- # We were on the way to democracy. We didn't say that we are… ![“We were on the way to democracy. We didn't say that we are fully democratic, we were on the way, we were moving forward. Slowly or fast, that's subjective, cannot be objective, that's always subjective. But we're moving forward in that regard.” quote by Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e90/bashar-al-assad-1027_democracy_we-were-on-the-way-to-democracy-we-didn_2371987.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e90/bashar-al-assad-1027_democracy_we-were-on-the-way-to-democracy-we-didn_2371987.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e90/bashar-al-assad-1027_democracy_we-were-on-the-way-to-democracy-we-didn_2371987.jpg) > “We were on the way to democracy. We didn't say that we are fully democratic, we were on the way, we were moving forward. Slowly or fast, that's subjective, cannot be objective, that's always subjective. But we're moving forward in that regard.” [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democracy is a process, not a fixed state; progress may feel slow or fast, but it is inherently subjective. **In simple terms:** Democracy evolves over time, perception varies. Key Takeaway Recognize and support ongoing democratic development. Themes politics democracy progress Mood reflective cautious Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - elections - policy reforms - civil society growth - international relations Key Concepts institutional change citizen engagement Questions to Reflect On - What indicators truly measure democratic health? - How can subjective perceptions be balanced with objective data? A Different Perspective Subjectivity can mask real setbacks or regressions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy Didn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-didn-3913665/) [Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic/) [Democratic Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic-way-684303/) [Fully Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fully-democratic-3971073/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [Moving forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving-forward/) [Objectives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objectives/) [Regard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regard/) [Subjective](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subjective/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Way Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-democracy-767913/) ## Related quotes > [There's one other interesting thing about Western democracy. It didn't arrive at the end point that Karl Marx thought it would that wealth would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/there-s-one-other-interesting-thing-about-western-democracy-it-didn-t/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [Ours is a fully democratic government, which in our language we call a people's government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mustafa-kemal-ataturk/ours-is-a-fully-democratic-government-which-in-our-language-we-call-a/) [Mustafa Kemal Ataturk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mustafa-kemal-ataturk/) > [So I think that if we want to have a Congress, if we want to have government that looks like America, if we want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-moseley-braun/so-i-think-that-if-we-want-to-have-a-congress-if-we-want-to-have/) [Carol Moseley Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-moseley-braun/) > [We are a democracy, and there is only one way to get a democracy on its feet in the matter of its individual, its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-pulitzer/we-are-a-democracy-and-there-is-only-one-way-to-get-a-democracy-on-2/) [Joseph Pulitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-pulitzer/) > [The only way back toward a democracy and economy that work for the majority is for most of us to get politically active once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/the-only-way-back-toward-a-democracy-and-economy-that-work-for-the/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [I think it is something that is so important, to be very aware of the direction in which the 21st century is going with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-cuaron/i-think-it-is-something-that-is-so-important-to-be-very-aware-of-the/) [Alfonso Cuaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-cuaron/) > [In the words of Louis Brandeis, the Supreme Court justice, we have a choice between a democracy or vast concentrations of wealth. We have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/in-the-words-of-louis-brandeis-the-supreme-court-justice-we-have-a/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [We are a democracy, and there is only one way to get a democracy on its feet in the matter of its individual, its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-pulitzer/we-are-a-democracy-and-there-is-only-one-way-to-get-a-democracy-on/) [Joseph Pulitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-pulitzer/) > [If you look at the way all of the new reform movements dedicated to the public interest are living and thriving on the Internet,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/if-you-look-at-the-way-all-of-the-new-reform-movements-dedicated-to/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [Well, that's the way democracy works. We have to build this Europe with the material we have at our disposal. And this material is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-garton-ash/well-that-s-the-way-democracy-works-we-have-to-build-this-europe-with/) [Timothy Garton Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-garton-ash/) > [The way you get democracy to function is by informing the public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/the-way-you-get-democracy-to-function-is-by-informing-the-public/) [Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/) > [We need to remind our core supporters that we have not forgotten their concern with the way our democracy is being replaced by European…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-redwood/we-need-to-remind-our-core-supporters-that-we-have-not-forgotten/) [John Redwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-redwood/) > [In an autocracy, one person has his way; in an aristocracy, a few people have their way; in a democracy, no one has his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celia-green/in-an-autocracy-one-person-has-his-way-in-an-aristocracy-a-few-people/) [Celia Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celia-green/) > [I had this notion of what I called a democratic way of looking around, that nothing was more or less important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-eggleston/i-had-this-notion-of-what-i-called-a-democratic-way-of-looking-around/) [William Eggleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-eggleston/) > [People who are not willing to respect not only the given law, but our democratic way of life, should not live in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-jourova/people-who-are-not-willing-to-respect-not-only-the-given-law-but-our/) [Vera Jourova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-jourova/) ## More by Bashar al-Assad > [Lebanon was under Israeli occupation, up to its capital, but we did not consider that a disaster. Why? Because it was very clear that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/lebanon-was-under-israeli-occupation-up-to-its-capital-but-we-did-not/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [I never rejected any responsibility, but that depends on the decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/i-never-rejected-any-responsibility-but-that-depends-on-the-decision/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [If you are going to be a mediator or arbitrator you have to be in the middle between the two sides; you cannot take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/if-you-are-going-to-be-a-mediator-or-arbitrator-you-have-to-be-in-the/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [ The other thing we did as government is to open gates for the civilians to leave that \[ eastern part\] area \[in Aleppo\], and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/the-other-thing-we-did-as-government-is-to-open-gates-for-the/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [ This war \[in Syria\] is going to support Al-Qaeda and the same people that killed Americans in the 11th of September. The second thing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/this-war-in-syria-is-going-to-support-al-qaeda-and-the-same-people/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [Freedom and democracy are nothing but instruments, just like stability. The goal is called progress and growth. Anyone who puts freedom ahead of stability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/freedom-and-democracy-are-nothing-but-instruments-just-like-stability/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [ I will tell \[Barack Obama\] very simply : present what you have as evidence to the public, be transparent. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/i-will-tell-barack-obama-very-simply-present-what-you-have-as/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [ \[Enemies of Syria\] are the enemies of the people and the enemies of God. And the enemies of God will go to hell. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/enemies-of-syria-are-the-enemies-of-the-people-and-the-enemies-of-god/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [The problem is not the occupation, but how people deal with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/the-problem-is-not-the-occupation-but-how-people-deal-with-it/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [The first question that I ask : do I have public support or not. That is the first question that I asked as President.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/the-first-question-that-i-ask-do-i-have-public-support-or-not-that-is/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [The criteria or the paradigm for us is not the West, not the Western paradigm, because the West has its own culture, we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/the-criteria-or-the-paradigm-for-us-is-not-the-west-not-the-western/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [ \[It is important\] to have stability and to have security, which means humanitarian equals fighting terrorists. You cannot talk about humanitarian aid and supporting… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/it-is-important-to-have-stability-and-to-have-security-which-means/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [Iran doesn't have any soldier in Syria, so how could Iran help me ?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/iran-doesn-t-have-any-soldier-in-syria-so-how-could-iran-help-me/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [Conversely, it is correct to say that bringing about peace would be the best way to fight terror.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/conversely-it-is-correct-to-say-that-bringing-about-peace-would-be/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) > [The hope for an American is different from the hope of a Syrian. For me, I should be the hope of the Syrian, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/the-hope-for-an-american-is-different-from-the-hope-of-a-syrian-for/) [Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) [Explore all 306 Bashar al-Assad quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/) ## More Democracy quotes > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [For not only every democracy, but certainly every republic, bears within itself the seeds of its own destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-not-only-every-democracy-but-certainly-every-republic-bears/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [There is plenty of time for Republicans to have a Macaca moment. But right now, as of October 17, 2014, the Republican Senate candidates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-continetti/there-is-plenty-of-time-for-republicans-to-have-a-macaca-moment-but/) [Matthew Continetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-continetti/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [ Vote for Donald Trump. You're going to see something and you'll be so happy, you'll be so thrilled. This \[presidential\] election is about every… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/vote-for-donald-trump-you-re-going-to-see-something-and-you-ll-be-so/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The Republicans do not look on the Democrats as the evil empire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/the-republicans-do-not-look-on-the-democrats-as-the-evil-empire/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Failure to find a way to incorporate political Islam in democracy, however uncomfortable its ideology is for secular liberals, will mean we have given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-blunt/failure-to-find-a-way-to-incorporate-political-islam-in-democracy/) [Crispin Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-blunt/) > [In a democratic nation, power must be linked with responsibility, and obliged to defend and justify itself within the framework of the general good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/in-a-democratic-nation-power-must-be-linked-with-responsibility-and/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. No. You are not allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-eubank-sr/there-are-certain-things-you-must-not-say-in-spite-of-the-fact-that/) [Chris Eubank Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-eubank-sr/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Browse all 11,220 Democracy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We were on the way to democracy. We didn't say that we are fully democratic, we were on the way, we were moving forward. Slowly or fast, that's subjective, cannot be objective, that's always subjective. But we're moving forward in that regard.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bashar al-Assad" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/we-were-on-the-way-to-democracy-we-didn-t-say-that-we-are-fully/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Democracy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/we-were-on-the-way-to-democracy-we-didn-t-say-that-we-are-fully/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e90/bashar-al-assad-1027_democracy_we-were-on-the-way-to-democracy-we-didn_2371987.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e90/bashar-al-assad-1027_democracy_we-were-on-the-way-to-democracy-we-didn_2371987.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e90/bashar-al-assad-1027_democracy_we-were-on-the-way-to-democracy-we-didn_2371987.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We were on the way to democracy. We didn't say that we are fully democratic, we were on the way, we were…” — Bashar al-Assad", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bashar al-Assad", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We were on the way to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/we-were-on-the-way-to-democracy-we-didn-t-say-that-we-are-fully/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/we-were-on-the-way-to-democracy-we-didn-t-say-that-we-are-fully/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```