--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Democracy is like three oxen pulling a…" description: "\"Democracy is like three oxen pulling a plough. The oxen are the independent powers, but you have to walk in the same direction; otherwise, you cannot p..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65c/juan-manuel-santos-8923_colombia_democracy-is-like-three-oxen-pulling-a-p_3175318.jpg" --- # Democracy is like three oxen pulling a plough. The oxen… ![“Democracy is like three oxen pulling a plough. The oxen are the independent powers, but you have to walk in the same direction; otherwise, you cannot plough and that is what was happening in Colombia. One ox was walking in one direction, the other in another direction, so the democracy was not…” quote by Juan Manuel Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65c/juan-manuel-santos-8923_colombia_democracy-is-like-three-oxen-pulling-a-p_3175318.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65c/juan-manuel-santos-8923_colombia_democracy-is-like-three-oxen-pulling-a-p_3175318.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/65c/juan-manuel-santos-8923_colombia_democracy-is-like-three-oxen-pulling-a-p_3175318.jpg) > “Democracy is like three oxen pulling a plough. The oxen are the independent powers, but you have to walk in the same direction; otherwise, you cannot plough and that is what was happening in Colombia. One ox was walking in one direction, the other in another direction, so the democracy was not working.” [Juan Manuel Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-manuel-santos/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The analogy compares democracy to oxen pulling a plough, emphasizing that independent powers must align directionally to function effectively; misalignment leads to failure. **In simple terms:** Democracy works when all forces move together. Key Takeaway Ensure political alignment for effective governance. Themes politics democracy cooperation Mood analytical concerned Type political educational When to use this quote - legislative negotiations - coalition building - policy coordination Key Concepts governance power dynamics collective action Questions to Reflect On - How can diverse groups find common direction? - What mechanisms foster political unity? A Different Perspective Alignment is difficult in pluralistic societies with competing interests. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Colombia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colombia/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-like-360386/) [Democracy Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-working-873946/) [Direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direction/) [Direction Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/direction-democracy-2946769/) [Independent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independent/) [Independent Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independent-powers-1717345/) [One direction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-direction/) [Oxen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oxen/) [Pulling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pulling/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Walk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walk/) [Walking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walking/) [Walks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walks/) ## Related quotes > [When the president acts in absence of a congressional grant of authority, he can rely only upon his own independent powers. 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But we've achieved some things; the inequality is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-manuel-santos/it-was-shameful-that-after-haiti-colombia-was-the-second-most-unequal/) [Juan Manuel Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-manuel-santos/) > [I have had extremely good relations with the United States and with both parties (Republicans and Democrats), and I hope to continue to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-manuel-santos/i-have-had-extremely-good-relations-with-the-united-states-and-with/) [Juan Manuel Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-manuel-santos/) > [The notion that you do not negotiate with terrorists is not the history of humanity or of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-manuel-santos/the-notion-that-you-do-not-negotiate-with-terrorists-is-not-the/) [Juan Manuel Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-manuel-santos/) > [The rebels will be thinking about retaliation, what we have to do is stop; stop and transform it into a spiral of forgiveness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-manuel-santos/the-rebels-will-be-thinking-about-retaliation-what-we-have-to-do-is/) [Juan Manuel Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-manuel-santos/) > [You can't settle a 50-year conflict in 52 weeks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-manuel-santos/you-can-t-settle-a-50-year-conflict-in-52-weeks/) [Juan Manuel Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-manuel-santos/) > [You will never hear me denigrating other countries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-manuel-santos/you-will-never-hear-me-denigrating-other-countries/) [Juan Manuel Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-manuel-santos/) > [During the Cold War, tensions between the West and the Soviet Union affected virtually all countries worldwide. As a result, throughout Latin America, guerrilla…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-manuel-santos/during-the-cold-war-tensions-between-the-west-and-the-soviet-union/) [Juan Manuel Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-manuel-santos/) > [I have the complete support of the military. I personally served in the navy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-manuel-santos/i-have-the-complete-support-of-the-military-i-personally-served-in/) [Juan Manuel Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-manuel-santos/) > [It's in the interest of the U.S. to maintain a strong democracy in Colombia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-manuel-santos/it-s-in-the-interest-of-the-u-s-to-maintain-a-strong-democracy-in/) [Juan Manuel Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-manuel-santos/) > [Colombia is a different country today. The state is now present in every single corner, the drug lords are in jail or dead. 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It's so evident that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-manuel-santos/anybody-who-doesn-t-see-the-impact-of-climate-change-is-really-i/) [Juan Manuel Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-manuel-santos/) > [That has been the concept to my life - setting very high objectives and trying to fulfil them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-manuel-santos/that-has-been-the-concept-to-my-life-setting-very-high-objectives-and/) [Juan Manuel Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-manuel-santos/) > [No one, no one has hit the FARC harder than I have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-manuel-santos/no-one-no-one-has-hit-the-farc-harder-than-i-have/) [Juan Manuel Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-manuel-santos/) [Explore all 77 Juan Manuel Santos quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-manuel-santos/) ## More Colombia quotes > [It was shameful that, after Haiti, Colombia was the second most unequal country in Latin America. But we've achieved some things; the inequality is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-manuel-santos/it-was-shameful-that-after-haiti-colombia-was-the-second-most-unequal/) [Juan Manuel Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-manuel-santos/) > [The problem was that Panama technically belonged to Colombia, which refused to sign a treaty leasing it to the United States. So Roosevelt sent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-problem-was-that-panama-technically-belonged-to-colombia-which/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [As nearly two dozen Secret Service agents and members of the military were punished or fired following a 2012 prostitution scandal in Colombia, Obama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-d-leonnig/as-nearly-two-dozen-secret-service-agents-and-members-of-the-military/) [Carol D. Leonnig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-d-leonnig/) > [I started the 1998 World Cup with Teddy Sheringham up front but always planned for Michael Owen to face Colombia in our final group…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-hoddle/i-started-the-1998-world-cup-with-teddy-sheringham-up-front-but/) [Glenn Hoddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-hoddle/) > [When I was growing up, the Spanish-speaking world was Balkanized. We were isolated. We didn't know what was happening in cultural terms in Ecuador,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/when-i-was-growing-up-the-spanish-speaking-world-was-balkanized-we/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [In Colombia, education is sometimes considered a luxury, not a human right. And it's not a priority in the agendas of many leaders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakira/in-colombia-education-is-sometimes-considered-a-luxury-not-a-human/) [Shakira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakira/) > [May God fill this beautiful land of Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador with his peace and love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juan-luis-guerra/may-god-fill-this-beautiful-land-of-colombia-venezuela-and-ecuador/) [Juan Luis Guerra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juan-luis-guerra/) > [If my goal is to change Colombia, which it is because I really think Columbia has to change in many, many ways - I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-betancourt/if-my-goal-is-to-change-colombia-which-it-is-because-i-really-think/) [Ingrid Betancourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-betancourt/) > [The actual consequences of Plan Colombia are to devastate peasant communities, which have been driven to drug production. These peasants have no particular desire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-actual-consequences-of-plan-colombia-are-to-devastate-peasant/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Alfredo Morelos is going to be a star for us. When you look at attitude he has and commitment he shows, he's ready to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radamel-falcao/alfredo-morelos-is-going-to-be-a-star-for-us-when-you-look-at/) [Radamel Falcao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radamel-falcao/) > [The left is being funded primarily by the drug traffickers who provide this tax money and that's why the guerrillas in Colombia, unlike the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alma-guillermoprieto/the-left-is-being-funded-primarily-by-the-drug-traffickers-who/) [Alma Guillermoprieto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alma-guillermoprieto/) > [Travelling to make television programmes means I have some unusual food memories. 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They've got a peace process that's going nowhere, and a drug production problem that's skyrocketing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-mccaffrey/colombia-is-in-a-risky-position-they-ve-got-a-peace-process-that-s/) [Barry McCaffrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-mccaffrey/) [Browse all 139 Colombia quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colombia/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Democracy is like three oxen pulling a plough. The oxen are the independent powers, but you have to walk in the same direction; otherwise, you cannot plough and that is what was happening in Colombia. 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