Defiance Quote by Bertrand de Jouvenel

“Revolutions are not always brought about by a gradual decline from bad to worse. Nations that have endured patiently and almost unconsciously the most…

— Alexis de Tocqueville

“Revolutions as often take place because the old regime simply collapse out of economic inefficiency and bureaucratic rigidity rather than for the reasons given…

— Bernard Crick

Few revolutions succeed, and when they do, you often discover they did not gain what you hoped for, and you condemn yourself to perpetual…

— Francesco Guicciardini

“When you destroyed autocratic regimes, you caused more death and suffering than the regime itself, and often ended up with something worse. Your violent…

— Neal Asher

“The struggle is lost from the beginning, long before the victorious party or army conquers state power and ‘betrays’ its promises. It is lost…

— John Holloway

“Violent revolution fails because it is not revolutionary enough. It changes the rulers but not the rules, the ends but not the means. Most…

— Walter Wink

Every successful revolution puts on in time the robes of the tyrant it has deposed.

— Barbara Tuchman

All revolutions have failed? Perhaps. But rebellion for good cause is self- justifying -- a good in itself. Rebellion transforms slaves into human beings,…

— Edward Abbey

History teaches us that the great revolutions aren't started by people who are utterly down and out, without hope and vision. They take place…

— Hubert H. Humphrey

And revolutions always mean the breakdown of old authority.

— Hu Shih

INSURRECTION, n. An unsuccessful revolution. Disaffection's failure to substitute misrule for bad government.

— Ambrose Bierce

All revolutions more or less threaten the tenure of property: but most of those who live in democratic countries are possessed of property -…

— Alexis de Tocqueville