A notable quote about "democracy."

"A democracy cannot exist 
as a permanent form of government. 

It can only exist until the voters discover 
that they can vote themselves largess of the 
public treasury. 

From that time on the majority always votes 
for the candidates promising the most benefits 
from the public treasury, with the results that a 
democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, 
always followed by a dictatorship then a monarchy."

"The average age of the world's greatest 
civilizations has been two hundred years. 
These nations have progressed through this sequence: 

From bondage to spiritual faith; 
from spiritual faith to great courage; 
from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; 
from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to
complacency; from complaceny to apathy; 
from apathy to dependence; from dependency 
back again into bondage."