--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm a great aficionado of history. I was…" description: "\"I'm a great aficionado of history. I was deeply affected by seeing the disintegration of any chance of democracy coping with fascism in the Weimar repu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/778/david-blunkett-4087_actually_i-m-a-great-aficionado-of-history-i-was_1644542.png" --- # I'm a great aficionado of history. I was deeply affected… ![“I'm a great aficionado of history. I was deeply affected by seeing the disintegration of any chance of democracy coping with fascism in the Weimar republic, where woolly-minded, well-meaning liberalism actually allowed the forces of darkness to use democracy, to exploit democracy, to overturn…” quote by David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/778/david-blunkett-4087_actually_i-m-a-great-aficionado-of-history-i-was_1644542.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/778/david-blunkett-4087_actually_i-m-a-great-aficionado-of-history-i-was_1644542.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/778/david-blunkett-4087_actually_i-m-a-great-aficionado-of-history-i-was_1644542.png) > “I'm a great aficionado of history. I was deeply affected by seeing the disintegration of any chance of democracy coping with fascism in the Weimar republic, where woolly-minded, well-meaning liberalism actually allowed the forces of darkness to use democracy, to exploit democracy, to overturn democracy.” [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democracy can be undermined when well-meaning liberals enable extremist forces, leading to loss of democratic safeguards. **In simple terms:** Liberal complacency can destroy democracy. Key Takeaway Guard against complacency. Themes politics democracy history extremism Mood cautious reflective Type analytical historical When to use this quote - policy making - education - civic engagement Key Concepts political theory historical analysis Questions to Reflect On - What signs indicate democratic erosion? - How can societies balance liberty with security? A Different Perspective Democracy also requires active citizen vigilance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Coping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coping/) [Darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Disintegration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disintegration/) [Fascism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fascism/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Liberalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberalism/) [Republic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republic/) [Well-meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/well-meaning/) ## Related quotes > [If increased government spending with borrowed or newly created money is a 'stimulus,' then the Weimar Republic should have been stimulated to unprecedented prosperity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/if-increased-government-spending-with-borrowed-or-newly-created-money/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [As Eric Weitz argues, the Weimar Republic (1919-1933) was not responsible for the Reich; it was a democratic, socially aware and progressive government, way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/as-eric-weitz-argues-the-weimar-republic-1919-1933-was-not/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) > [“The first step in “saving” Germany from the Jews and other inferior races, from this perspective, was the destruction of the Weimar Republic. Like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-goldstein/the-first-step-in-saving-germany-from-the-jews-and-other-inferior/) [Phyllis Goldstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-goldstein/) > [“The path taken by the authorities in their so-called Rauschgiftbekämpfung, or “war on drugs,” lay less in an intensification of the opium law, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-ohler/the-path-taken-by-the-authorities-in-their-so-called-rauschgiftbek/) [Norman Ohler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-ohler/) > [“The Weimar Republic gave nectar to the artists, social reformers and progressive people of all classes. 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That's not a slam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/white-folks-no-matter-how-well-meaning-or-open-minded-have-no-true/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [The playing field is anything but level when you walk into the grocery store. So much government subsidy goes into processed foods. Even when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moss/the-playing-field-is-anything-but-level-when-you-walk-into-the/) [Michael Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moss/) > [Well-meaning Europeans sometimes argue that unlike the U.S., their countries are traditionally 'homogeneous' and have little experience with immigration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/well-meaning-europeans-sometimes-argue-that-unlike-the-u-s-their/) [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) > [I get tired of hearing people, well-meaning people, talking about African-American kids or Hispanic kids as if they're all the same. Which isn't true.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/i-get-tired-of-hearing-people-well-meaning-people-talking-about/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [In Holland I have seen well-meaning, principled people blinded by multiculturalism, overwhelmed by the imperative to be sensitive and respectful of immigrant culture, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/in-holland-i-have-seen-well-meaning-principled-people-blinded-by/) [Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/) ## More by David Blunkett > [Strengthening our identity is one way of reinforcing people's confidence and sense of citizenship and well-being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/strengthening-our-identity-is-one-way-of-reinforcing-people-s/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [Politics is about the participation and engagement of the wider citizenry - to miss that point would doom us to irrelevance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/politics-is-about-the-participation-and-engagement-of-the-wider/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [I don't think anyone can say I have said one thing in public and done another in private.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/i-don-t-think-anyone-can-say-i-have-said-one-thing-in-public-and-done/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [As a former home secretary, I have access to and knowledge of the workings of the system in a way that individuals unfamiliar with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/as-a-former-home-secretary-i-have-access-to-and-knowledge-of-the/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [The Home Office culture was one of being just above the problem, of hovering just out of reach of knowing what was going on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/the-home-office-culture-was-one-of-being-just-above-the-problem-of/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [And we think that our citizens and yours would be very angry if they thought that we hadnt taken every possible step for prevention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/and-we-think-that-our-citizens-and-yours-would-be-very-angry-if-they/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [I was affected by the harshness of government, the reality of 16-hour days, and the pressures of modern communications.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/i-was-affected-by-the-harshness-of-government-the-reality-of-16-hour/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [Yes, it will go through the disciplines that all puppies go through including house training and puppy walking, then at twelve month old it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/yes-it-will-go-through-the-disciplines-that-all-puppies-go-through/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [At school, I was brought up on revolting food - sausages, sausages and Spam - but at home, I had the most wonderful sponge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/at-school-i-was-brought-up-on-revolting-food-sausages-sausages-and/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [Let's not allow the voice of the people to be overwhelmed by the siren song of those who opposed regulation, who demanded that government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/let-s-not-allow-the-voice-of-the-people-to-be-overwhelmed-by-the/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [The clash between capital and labour, between those seeking to maximise profit and those with only their toil to sell, was the driving force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/the-clash-between-capital-and-labour-between-those-seeking-to/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [Without the political parties and the volunteering work of their members day in, day out, we would have a very different sort of politics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/without-the-political-parties-and-the-volunteering-work-of-their/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [If I pleaded guilty to a mistake while I was home secretary, it wasn't that I didn't get tough - 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