Political Activists

"Facebook, Google and other web giants know more about us than our friends do, and in the future they will know even more. This information can be used for various purposes, not just to offer us products or services, as highlighted by the so-called “Datagate” scandal. Stricter control over the management of personal data by governments is needed, along with a new system of rules."

"For any information, it is necessary to trace it back to the primary source, and unfortunately this is not always the case for online publications. This is also true for Wikipedia, which considers newspapers and magazines to be reliable sources. In my case, it was first published in a magazine and then on Wikipedia that my father was a driver, but, while I have absolutely nothing against drivers, my father was a Russian interpreter."

"Direct democracy, made possible by the Internet, does not only relate to popular consultations, but to a new centrality of citizens in society. Current political and social organisations will be dismantled, and some will disappear. Representative democracy, by proxy, will lose its meaning. It is a cultural revolution rather than a technological one, which is why it is often misunderstood or trivialised."

"Every time you break a rule, you practically cancel it out."

"To achieve a goal, you have to believe in it, sometimes irrationally. This increases the chances of success."

"Show me a modern politician who doesn't understand the internet, and I'll show you a loser.ù"

"Behind Gianroberto Casaleggio there is only Gianroberto Casaleggio. An ordinary citizen who, with his work and his (limited) resources, seeks, without any public or private funding, perhaps deluding himself, sometimes even making mistakes, to improve the society in which he lives."

"A person can believe words. But they will always believe examples."

"An idea is neither right-wing nor left-wing. It is an idea, good or bad."

"I am here. I am here, that is my name. Beppe Grillo and I are on the same level. Whether I write or he writes, it does not matter. We are the founders of the ive Star Movement. This happened yesterday morning. Neither I nor Beppe Grillo have ever drawn up lists for municipal and regional elections. Neither I nor Beppe Grillo have ever written a municipal or regional programme. Neither I nor Beppe Grillo have ever given instructions for council votes, nor infiltrated people into the Five Star Movement."

"At the slightest doubt, no doubt."

"The workers of Kembla, those leaders of men, Those leaders of deed as in thought. They challenged the might of the pound and the yen, And there at the 'Delfram' they fought The cause of the Chinese distraught. And still marching onward, With gaze lifted sunward, The call of Eureka is caught. Democracy thrills at that message of yore, The vow of Eureka has echoed once more."

"She trips along the street, a flashing wonder, Dazzling enigma! Courtesan or maid? Temple of chastity, or hall of trade? An angel-presence, or a soul of plunder Casting the doors of sanctitude asunder? A beauteousness, by love and laughter swayed, Or death in immemorial masquerade? A dainty dawn-song, or a snarl of thunder?"

"And Anzac now is an enchanted shore;A tragic splendor, and a holy name;A deed eternity will still acclaim;A loss that crowns the victories of yore;A glittering golden dome for evermoreShining above the minarets of fame."

"And for my owne part, the Lord himselfe hath so firmly by his owne enlightening Spirit so fully convinced me, and setled my soule so unmoveably his truth, that I assuredly know, that all the power in Earth, yea and the gates of Hell It selfe shall never be able to move me or prevaile against me, for the Lord who is the worker of all my workes in me and for me, hath founded and buit me upon that sure & unmoveable foundation the Lord lesus Christ and I know if ten thousand deaths for my conscience and the cause of my God, (for which with courage and rejoycing I now beare witnesse to, and am close prisoner in bonds, lying day and night in Fetters of Iron, both hands & legges) should be inflicted upon me, I should sing, rejoyce & triumph in them all."

"The history of Yugoslavia is of global relevance, and there's no one better placed to reveal, share, and analyse it than Andrej Grubacic."

"The reader will find me contradicting myself, as well as making mistakes and trying to correct them, all of which reflects my own development as a protagonist, propagandist, and essayist."

"Before the French Revolution, the idea that change is possible, change is normal, change is even something that is good, has been universally rejected by traditional monarchistic ways of thinking about the way that the world works and the way that history moves."

"Is John departed? and is Lilburn gone? Farewel to both, to Lilburn and to John, Yet being dead take this advice from me Let them not both in one grave buried be; But lay John here, lay Lilburn hereabout. For if they ever meet they will fal out."

"Anarchists were always skeptical of Marxism, because Marxism was a modernist ideology."

"Andrej Grubačić was born to a revolutionary family. His grandparents were socialists, and his grandfather represented Yugoslavia in the founding and aff airs of the Non-Aligned Movement. He grew up nourished on the ideas and reality of workers’ self-management and a particular path to socialism that was democratic and put people first, celebrating the particularity of every person, and the complementariness of collectivity and individuality. These qualities are present in Grubačić’s writing and his persona as an anarchist, or “libertarian socialist” as he prefers to be known. He has brought a new hope of unity in struggle, and the old-fashioned principle of “an injury to one is an injury to all” to the scattered movements in the United States."

"The future of Europe, should there be one, is in the Balkans, not the other way around."

"For my part I look upon the House of Commons, as the supream Power of England, who have residing in them that power that is inherent in the people, who yet are not to act according to their own wils and pleasure, but according to the fundamentall constitutions, and customes of the Land, which I conceive provides for the safety and preservation of the people."

"I am not against the Parliaments setting up a State-Government for such a Church as they shall thinke fit, to make the generality of the Land members of, for I for my part leave them to themselves, to doe what they shall thinke good, so that they leave my Conscience free to the Law and Will of my Lord and King."

"GOD, the absolute Soveraign Lord and King, of all things in heaven and earth, the originall fountain, and cause of all causes, who is circumscribed, governed, and limited by no rules, but doth all things meerly and onely by his soveraign will, and unlimited good pleasure, who made the world, and all things therein, for his own glory, and who by his own will and pleasure, gave man (his meer creature) the soveraignty (under himselfe) over all the rest of his Creatures, Gen. 1.26.28.29. and indued him with a rationall soule, or understanding, and thereby created him after his own image, Gen. 1.26.27. and 9.6. the first of which was Adam, a male, or man, made out of the dust or clay, out of whose side was taken a Rib, which by the soveraign and absolute mighty creating power of God, was made a female, or Woman cal'd Eve, which two are the earthly, original fountain, as begetters and bringers forth of all and every particular and individuall man and woman, that ever breathed in the world since, who are, and were by nature all equall and alike in power, dignity, authority, and majesty, none of them having (by nature) any authority dominion or majesteriall power, one over or above another, neither have they, or can they exercise any, but meerely by institution, or donation, that is to say, by mutuall agreement or consent, given, derived, or assumed, by mutuall consent and agreement, for the good benefit and comfort each of other, and not for the mischiefe, hurt, or damage of any."

"I am a Free-man, yea, a free borne Denizen of England, and I have been in the field with my sword in my hand, to venter my life and my blood (against Tyrants) for the preservation of my Freedome, and I doe not know that ever I did an act in all my life that disfranchised me of my freedome, and by vertue of being a Free-man, I conceive I have as true a right to all the priviledges that doth belong to a Free-man, as the greatest man in England, whatsoever he be, whether Lord or Commoner, and the ground and foundation of my Freedome, I build upon the grand Charter of England."

"If the World was emptied of all but John Lilbourne, Lilbourne would quarrel with John, and John with Lilbourne."

"Lilburne's political importance is easy to explain. In a revolution where others argued about the respective rights of king and parliament, he spoke always of the rights of the people. His dauntless courage and his powers of speech made him the idol of the mob. With Coke's Institutes in his hand he was willing to tackle any tribunal. He was ready to assail any abuse at any cost to himself, but his passionate egotism made him a dangerous champion, and he continually sacrificed public causes to personal resentments. It would be unjust to deny that he had a real sympathy with sufferers from oppression or misfortune; even when he was himself an exile he could interest himself in the distresses of English prisoners of war, and exert the remains of his influence to get them relieved... In his controversies he was credulous, careless about the truth of his charges, and insatiably vindictive. He attacked in turn all constituted authorities—lords, commons, council of state, and council of officers—and quarrelled in succession with every ally."

"“In the present situation, there is actually no need to even seek the reasons for the aforementioned organization and unification of Hindus. The most important reason is clearly evident—the declared aims and goals of Muslim religious and political organisations and their actions across the nation. The poisonous speeches of Muslim leaders; the kind of focused and deliberate pamphleteering done by anonymous Muslim organisations; the dangerous political and religious overtones taken by the Muslim League; the genocide of Hindus in Calcutta; the incessant flood of messages from East Pakistan calling Muslims to wage war against Hindus across the country and unleash large scale riots; forcible conversions of Hindus to Islam; abducting, raping and converting Hindu women; mercilessly slaughtering innocent Hindu infants; destroying temples; looting Hindu shops—this has been the continuous story over the last few months. It is imperative that immediate steps need to be taken by Hindus to halt and prevent such atrocities."

"“There are two urgent and important duties before the Hindu leaders of our society: the first duty is towards their Matrubhoomi; the second is towards their Dharma, culture, and their brethren. The immediate need of the hour is the fact that the Hindu society should organize itself as an unified whole. No group or section of the Hindu society is exempt from this duty. This calls for selfless service on the part of the last Hindu, done in a spirit of devotion to the Matrubhoomi. It is essential to forget distinctions of Jati and Varna. All Hindus must symbolize the ideal of Hindutva in their own selves and come forward for the protection of their eternal Hindu culture even if it means sacrificing their lives."

"“It is clear to plain sight that all these brutalities are not accidental. If the Hindu society is serious about its own honour and self-respect, it needs to prepare a powerful counter against such actions. Unfortunately, over the last few decades, Hindus have become associated only as a people endowed with Dharma, truth, non-violence, and peace-loving people. The spirit of Kshatra has completely vanished from the mental space of Hindus."

"I recall an incident told by a senior Shankaracharya Swamiji, a shishya of Karapatri Swamiji Maharaj, that Pandit Madan Mohan Malviyaji, the founder of Banaras Hindu University, was terminally ill and was getting treated on the university campus, which is outside of the aforementioned geography of Kashi. He was once questioned by a Vedic scholar. ‘Why isn’t he spending his final days within the sacred area?’ asked the scholar. ‘Doesn’t he have shraddha (faith) that by giving up [his] body there one attains mukti (liberation)?’ Malviyaji replied that he intentionally avoided staying in Kashi. He was not seeking liberation in that birth as his vision was to establish a large Hindu gurukul where students were grounded in ancient practices that were also relevant in the present. But this dream ended up as something else as the first graduate batch from BHU were the children of ‘Macaulay’. Malviyaji wished for another birth to rectify this. He felt that if he died in Kashi, he might miss that opportunity. Such was his conviction in the efficacy of mukti in Kashi, which is also common to all practicing Hindus."

"“For numerous years, Hindus have invested tremendous efforts at fostering Hindu-Muslim unity with a spirit of magnanimity. At every turn, Hindus have come forward on their initiative to cooperate with Muslims and have yielded to their demands. However, when I increasingly noticed that the tolerant spirit of the Hindu society has been mistaken for its weakness, it has filled me with immense sadness. Each time the Hindu society has extended its cooperative hand, a corresponding measure of response has not emanated from the Muslim society. I am uttering these words after a lifetime of deep contemplation. Till the time the Hindu society does not strengthen its own condition and plight, there will be no solution for the Hindu-Muslim problem."

"“It is beyond even the imagination of Hindus that one community in the same country will have to prepare itself for a violent clash with another community. Muslims have all along misused this deep-rooted mental outlook of Hindus. Not only have they increasingly escalated their intransigent demands, they have also coloured it with the communal nature of their faith. Propaganda based on falsehood has been the foundation of their fight. Owing to all these reasons, they have attained success far beyond even their own expectations."

"“Hindus must unfailingly, selflessly, and freely extend every support to fellow Hindus—whether the support is asked or unasked. Only Hindus can support Hindus. No other community in India cares for the welfare of Hindus. Barbaric aggression, false and communal political propaganda, attempts to hasten the sunset of the Darshana of Bharatavarsha—Hindus should show no leniency against any or all such attempts, no matter how powerful they are. In addition, Hindus must safeguard against the decline in their population. If all this is not done, Hindus won’t have a future in their own homeland. Negligence is an invitation to annihilation. Therefore, laziness and inertia are not options. In this noble endeavour, valour must shine with brilliance, which in turn must inspire other Hindus. No Muslim who tries to cause trouble in the peaceful coexistence of Hindus must be tolerated."

"“I utter these words, I have offered these suggestions from a profound sense of duty towards Dharma. The Hindu society and culture is now faced with grave danger. In these tumultuous times, all Hindus must organize themselves being inspired by the same sense of existential duty and make provisions for their self-defence. At the present time, Muslim leaders have embarked on a dangerous spree of making incendiary speeches and writings. They are repeatedly throwing challenges to the Hindu community in a spirit of heightened, unprovoked aggression. Not a single leader of the Muslim League has issued even a whimper of condemnation against the genocide of Hindus in Bengal. It appears that they are delighted at this Hindu genocide. I am not calling for unleashing aggression against Muslims where they are in a minority. On the contrary, wherever Hindus are in a majority, the rights and peaceful existence of Muslims has been guaranteed. However, the exact opposite is true in places where Muslims are in a majority: the lives, property, and religious practices of Hindus have become endangered. It is precisely the lack of powerful organization and unity of Hindus that is at the root of this Hindu societal weakness and is what has emboldened Muslim obduracy."

"Having learned that the English lady to whom some of her daughters were sent to school, had placed the pupils connected with persons in public life (her children amongst the number) at the upper end of the table, upon the ground that the young ladies of rank should sit together, Mrs. Bache sent her word that in this country there was no rank but rank mutton."

"Her fighting spirit, knowledge and courage were inspiring, Johnson said"

"Mabuyane said:We bid farewell to yet another colossal legend of our beloved Eastern Cape"

"We say rest in peace to Mama Diedericks, you have served your people with diligence, steadfastness, dignity, with your integrity and legacy intact"

"Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Eugene Johnson said Diedericks was the kind of woman she was always eager to learn from"

"She was someone who called a spade, a spade"

"Auntie Lilly remained rooted in her community and did not accept anything in return for the role she played"

"She was fierce to the very end. One of the last things she said was that her feet were cold"

"She led a significant life and contributed immensely to the struggle"

"I put her socks on but a few moments later she asked me to take them off her"

"Lucille Berrien is definitely one of Milwaukee’s unsung heros. She gives of herself tirelessly to the downtrodden, the voiceless and the hopeless. It is such a pleasure to have her serve on the board of directors at Village of Hope."

"She put the voice in my head that says, You have a responsibility to take care of people less fortunate than you are."

"They need to know why they are where they are. And they don’t. It’s the young people that make the world go ‘round."

"On a professional level, my law firm also enacts her philosophy. If we make Lucille proud, I know we’re doing our job and making good on our mission statement."