“Democracy is universal. Democracy means the right of citizens to elect their leaders and to dismiss the leaders when they fail in their duties. Democracy means the right of citizens to criticize their leaders. Democracy means the right of citizens to information and independent courts.”
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“Democracy is what we, Russians, need — not the Americans. We have our own traditions and our own history. Naturally, the foundations of Russian statehood should not be copied from anywhere else, but the basic right of every citizen to have a say in their own lives should be defended.”
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“It is hard to accomplish everything at once in Russia. Our country is a conservative one. People say that their lives are bad, but as soon as you suggest that we should work to make it better, cut taxes, promote private business, and defend free speech, they say, ‘No, we don’t need that!’ The nation is saying that we are poor and unhappy, but that you better not touch us, because — God forbid! — it could be even worse; we have to move forward with caution.”
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“Russia suffers from an ‘economic AIDS.’ The country is totally incapable of adapting to pressure from outside. This is a distinctive feature of any authoritarian system: It will carry on when everything is in order, but it will fall apart at the slightest problem.”
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“The main thing is that our leaders must be held accountable. The corridors of power need to be ventilated from time to time.”
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“Isolation from the West is pushing the country into China’s lap. Goodbye, Russia’s European choice! Welcome the Celestial Empire! This choice is civilizational and utterly unnatural, which is why educated and mindful people react to this so sharply and strongly. After all, Russia’s entire fate, her history and culture are linked with European and Christian traditions.”
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“There has always been a surplus of servitude and a deficit of freedom in Russia. We value those who grovel, which is why Russia remains a ‘nation of slaves and princes’ to this day. Russia has a great number of people of talent, yet they lack the possibility to apply their talents. I think that progress in Russia is inextricably linked with personal freedom, which is the key to success.”
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“No country with a dynamic development disregards human rights.”
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“There is a ‘Golden Billion’ — wealthy nations that are void of violence and possess a powerful middle class. In the countries of the ‘Golden Billion,’ human rights, the rule of law and democracy are regarded as the core values. If you want to enter the ‘Golden Billion,’ the club of rich and prosperous countries, then please do not talk about America, but about values that are common to humanity.”
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“The road to freedom is treacherous and long. Do you think that if you are free to say whatever you want, you can fill your coffers with money? ‘In the beginning was the Word.’ The Jewish people wondered in the wilderness for forty years in order to forget their servitude. Instead of curtailing human rights, we need to choose a different path.”
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