---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can't think of a single example of two…"
description: "\"I can't think of a single example of two mature democracies going to war with each other in the 20th century. It's where there was an absence of democr..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faf/nigel-farage-2307_absence_i-can-t-think-of-a-single-example-of-two_1887410.png"
---

#  I can't think of a single example of two mature…

![“I can't think of a single example of two mature democracies going to war with each other in the 20th century. It's where there was an absence of democracy and a breakdown of democracy that we finish up with these wars.” quote by Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faf/nigel-farage-2307_absence_i-can-t-think-of-a-single-example-of-two_1887410.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faf/nigel-farage-2307_absence_i-can-t-think-of-a-single-example-of-two_1887410.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faf/nigel-farage-2307_absence_i-can-t-think-of-a-single-example-of-two_1887410.png)

> “I can't think of a single example of two mature democracies going to war with each other in the 20th century. It's where there was an absence of democracy and a breakdown of democracy that we finish up with these wars.”

[Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

War between mature democracies is rare; conflicts arise when democratic institutions break down or are absent.

**In simple terms:** Democracies rarely fight each other; wars follow democratic collapse.

Key Takeaway

Strengthen democratic institutions to prevent war.

Themes

democracy war political stability

Mood

analytical concerned

Type

political educational

When to use this quote

- foreign policy
- government reform
- conflict prevention

Key Concepts

institutional decay international conflict democratic peace theory

Questions to Reflect On

- How can societies detect early signs of democratic erosion?
- What safeguards prevent wars between democracies?

A Different Perspective

Democratic breakdown can be gradual and unnoticed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) [Breakdown Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breakdown-democracy-2704343/) [Democracies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracies/) [Democracies Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracies-going-2704342/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy Breakdown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-breakdown-1383169/) [Finish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finish/) [Mature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mature/) [Mature Democracies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mature-democracies-2704341/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [D-Day represents the greatest achievement of the american people and system in the 20th century. It was the pivot point of the 20th century.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-ambrose/d-day-represents-the-greatest-achievement-of-the-american-people-and/)

[Stephen Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-ambrose/)

> [Democracy or breakdown in Syria would change the whole Middle East overnight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/democracy-or-breakdown-in-syria-would-change-the-whole-middle-east/)

[Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/)

> [The all but unanimous judgment seems to be that we, the democracies, are just as responsible for the rise of the dictators as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/the-all-but-unanimous-judgment-seems-to-be-that-we-the-democracies/)

[Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/)

> [I think we need to be a superpower of human rights, of support for true grassroots democracy, not corporatist economic development, which suits our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/i-think-we-need-to-be-a-superpower-of-human-rights-of-support-for/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [Democracies don't go to war against each other, and by and large they don't sponsor terrorism. They're more likely to respect the environment and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/democracies-don-t-go-to-war-against-each-other-and-by-and-large-they/)

[William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/)

> [What other, newer democracies find relatively easy - conducting an election, the counting of votes, the peaceful transition of power - seems to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barkha-dutt/what-other-newer-democracies-find-relatively-easy-conducting-an/)

[Barkha Dutt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barkha-dutt/)

> [Israel is one of the greatest and most modern democracies on the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matteo-salvini/israel-is-one-of-the-greatest-and-most-modern-democracies-on-the/)

[Matteo Salvini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matteo-salvini/)

> [It is a law of governance that democracies have to spend themselves dizzy. Citizens of democracies can, after all, tell their government to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/it-is-a-law-of-governance-that-democracies-have-to-spend-themselves/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [Developing and newer democracies are much more susceptible to the tactics of populists and demagogues - they often do not have strong institutions, free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/developing-and-newer-democracies-are-much-more-susceptible-to-the/)

[Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/)

> [Our Declaration of Independence declares that democracies derive their power from the 'consent of the governed.' But this democracy will fail if only some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/our-declaration-of-independence-declares-that-democracies-derive/)

[Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/)

> [All democracies turn into dictatorships - but not by coup. The people give their democracy to a dictator, whether it's Julius Caesar or Napoleon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/all-democracies-turn-into-dictatorships-but-not-by-coup-the-people/)

[George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/)

> [There is one safeguard known generally to the wise, which is an advantage and security to all, but especially to democracies as against despots.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demosthenes/there-is-one-safeguard-known-generally-to-the-wise-which-is-an/)

[Demosthenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demosthenes/)

> [The idea that democracies could be vulnerable to demagogues is not a new notion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kristol/the-idea-that-democracies-could-be-vulnerable-to-demagogues-is-not-a/)

[Bill Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kristol/)

> [In view of China's growing military strength and intentions, the best way to safeguard Asia's permanent peace and prosperity is to have all Asian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-costa/in-view-of-china-s-growing-military-strength-and-intentions-the-best/)

[Jim Costa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-costa/)

> [“the democracies that arose after the First World War (and the Second) often collapsed when a single party seized power in some combination of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/the-democracies-that-arose-after-the-first-world-war-and-the-second/)

[Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/)

## More by Nigel Farage

> [Perhaps our own opposition to even the level of European integration we have now, let alone any more, is well known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/perhaps-our-own-opposition-to-even-the-level-of-european-integration/)

[Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/)

> [UKIP's success would never have happened without the invention of YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/ukip-s-success-would-never-have-happened-without-the-invention-of/)

[Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/)

> [I don't drive smart cars; I don't go on fancy holidays. All my money has gone on my kids' education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/i-don-t-drive-smart-cars-i-don-t-go-on-fancy-holidays-all-my-money/)

[Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/)

> [We wouldn't want to be like the Swiss, would we? That would be awful! We'd be rich!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/we-wouldn-t-want-to-be-like-the-swiss-would-we-that-would-be-awful-we/)

[Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/)

> [If you take away people's identity and their ability through the ballot box to determine their future, don't be surprised if they turn to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/if-you-take-away-people-s-identity-and-their-ability-through-the/)

[Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/)

> [Let's get real: would any American president seriously open up their borders unconditionally to Mexico as the U.K. has done to the whole of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/let-s-get-real-would-any-american-president-seriously-open-up-their/)

[Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/)

> [There are two completely different Britains. There's London, and there's the rest of Britain. Attitudes are very different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/there-are-two-completely-different-britains-there-s-london-and-there/)

[Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/)

> [Minimum sales prices for alcohol are a startlingly bad idea. As with excise duties, the effects are regressive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/minimum-sales-prices-for-alcohol-are-a-startlingly-bad-idea-as-with/)

[Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/)

> [“Angela Merkel in Private is even more miserable than she looks in Public.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/angela-merkel-in-private-is-even-more-miserable-than-she-looks-in/)

[Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/)

> [We, as a party, are colour-blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/we-as-a-party-are-colour-blind/)

[Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/)

> [I think I am quite a good listener.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/i-think-i-am-quite-a-good-listener/)

[Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/)

> [The great and the good will decide what is good for us and make sure that we get what is good for us, good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/the-great-and-the-good-will-decide-what-is-good-for-us-and-make-sure/)

[Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/)

> [I think NATO needs to redefine itself. There has been no substantial thought about what NATO is for since the Berlin Wall came down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/i-think-nato-needs-to-redefine-itself-there-has-been-no-substantial/)

[Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/)

> [It's amazing how ideas start out, isn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/it-s-amazing-how-ideas-start-out-isn-t-it/)

[Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/)

> [Brexit will happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/brexit-will-happen/)

[Nigel Farage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/)

[Explore all 173 Nigel Farage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/)

## More Absence quotes

> [Distance sometimes endears friendship, and absence sweeteneth it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howell/distance-sometimes-endears-friendship-and-absence-sweeteneth-it/)

[James Howell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howell/)

> [The work, the work, the work. This is what the business is all about. This is the fun, the glory, the pleasure. It's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-dusenberry/the-work-the-work-the-work-this-is-what-the-business-is-all-about/)

[Phil Dusenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-dusenberry/)

> [Total depravity means the entire absence of holiness, not the highest intensity of sin. A totally depraved man is not as bad as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greenough-thayer-shedd/total-depravity-means-the-entire-absence-of-holiness-not-the-highest/)

[William Greenough Thayer Shedd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greenough-thayer-shedd/)

> [Local and state governments have outrun the federal government. The EPA has served notice that it will enact a rule requiring CO2 reductions by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/local-and-state-governments-have-outrun-the-federal-government-the/)

[Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/)

> [There, in the center of that silence was not eternity but the death of time and a loneliness so profound the word itself had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/there-in-the-center-of-that-silence-was-not-eternity-but-the-death-of/)

[Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/)

> [Of all the bewildering things about a new country, the absence of human landmarks is one of the most depressing and disheartening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/of-all-the-bewildering-things-about-a-new-country-the-absence-of/)

[Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/)

> [Young men have strong passions and tend to gratify them indiscriminately. Of the bodily desires, it is the sexual by which they are most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/young-men-have-strong-passions-and-tend-to-gratify-them/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [It is suggested that in domestic violence at least the presence or absence of a firearm, or of any other type of weapon, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/it-is-suggested-that-in-domestic-violence-at-least-the-presence-or/)

[Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/)

> [The absence of God in most spheres of life is perceived to be normal, and even Christians feel it as normal - which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-absence-of-god-in-most-spheres-of-life-is-perceived-to-be-normal/)

[John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/)

> [Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/every-person-needs-to-take-one-day-away-a-day-in-which-one/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [“I was thinking how most people don't make you feel much of anything at all. Don't make you feel like time spent with them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-lotter/i-was-thinking-how-most-people-don-t-make-you-feel-much-of-anything/)

[Jane Lotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-lotter/)

> [Cooperation isn't the absence of conflict but a means of managing conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/cooperation-isn-t-the-absence-of-conflict-but-a-means-of-managing/)

[Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/)

> [Many are observing Ferguson and witnessing the anger, demonstrations, looting and vandalism and calling for quiet. But quiet isn't enough. The absence of noise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/many-are-observing-ferguson-and-witnessing-the-anger-demonstrations/)

[Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/)

> [Will capitalist economies operate at full employment in the absence of routine intervention? Certainly not. Are deviations from full employment a social problem? Obviously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-yellen/will-capitalist-economies-operate-at-full-employment-in-the-absence/)

[Janet Yellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-yellen/)

> [We must begin by acknowledging that there is a complete absence of two things in Indian Society. One of these is equality. On the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-r-ambedkar/we-must-begin-by-acknowledging-that-there-is-a-complete-absence-of/)

[B. R. Ambedkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-r-ambedkar/)

[Browse all 2,057 Absence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I can't think of a single example of two mature democracies going to war with each other in the 20th century. It's where there was an absence of democracy and a breakdown of democracy that we finish up with these wars.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nigel Farage"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/i-can-t-think-of-a-single-example-of-two-mature-democracies-going-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Absence"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/i-can-t-think-of-a-single-example-of-two-mature-democracies-going-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faf/nigel-farage-2307_absence_i-can-t-think-of-a-single-example-of-two_1887410.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faf/nigel-farage-2307_absence_i-can-t-think-of-a-single-example-of-two_1887410.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/faf/nigel-farage-2307_absence_i-can-t-think-of-a-single-example-of-two_1887410.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I can't think of a single example of two mature democracies going to war with each other in the 20th…” — Nigel Farage",
                "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": "Nigel Farage",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-farage/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I can't think of a single...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/i-can-t-think-of-a-single-example-of-two-mature-democracies-going-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-farage/i-can-t-think-of-a-single-example-of-two-mature-democracies-going-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
