If government, or those in positions of power and authority, can silence criticism by the argument that such criticism might be misunderstood somewhere, there is an end to all criticism, and perhaps an end to our kind of political system. For men in authority will always think that criticism of their policies is dangerous. They will always equate their policies with patriotism, and find criticism subversive.
quote by Henry Steele Commager

Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
Men in authority will always think that criticism of their policies is dangerous. They will always equate their policies with patriotism, and find criticism subversive.
quote by Henry Steele Commager

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!

On the Critical Attitude
The critical attitude
Strikes many people as unfruitful
That is because they find the state
Impervious to their criticism
But what in this case is an unfruitful attitude
Is merely a feeble attitude. Give criticism arms
And states can be demolished by it.
Canalising a river
Grafting a fruit tree
Educating a person
Transforming a state
These are instances of fruitful criticism
And at the same time instances of art.
poem by Bertolt Brecht

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!

I do see value in music criticism. Most of the criticism I have received over the years has been very good.
quote by Van Morrison

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Many French directors, having now realised there was no more real criticism, that the standards of the past have gone, are very offended about the quality of film criticism.
quote by Wim Wenders

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
As a piece of literacy criticism, Freud's best writing is about Dostoyevsky. It's a kind of displaced literacy criticism.
quote by Dennis Potter

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
I've had trouble with criticism, I guess. It's hard to know what role criticism plays in either encouraging poets or in getting other people to read them.
quote by Kenneth Koch

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Learn to control ego. Humans hold their dogmas and biases too tightly, and we only think that our opponents are dogmatic! But we all need criticism. Criticism is the only known antidote to error.
quote by David Brin

Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
Vote! | Copy!
I have been frequently accused of deliberately twisting subject matter to my point of view. Above all, I know that life for a photographer cannot be a matter of indifference. Opinion often consists of a kind of criticism. But criticism can come out of love.
quote by Robert Frank

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!

Poetry; a criticism of life under the conditions fixed for such a criticism by the laws of poetic truth and poetic beauty.
quote by Matthew Arnold

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Neither praise nor blame is the object of true criticism. Justly to discriminate, firmly to establish, wisely to proscribe, and honestly to award - these are the true aims and duties of criticism.
Neither praise or blame is the object of true criticism. Justly to discriminate, firmly to establish, wisely to prescribe, and honestly to award. These are the true aims and duties of criticism.
quote by William Gilmore Simms

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
That does not mean that we must forego just and fair criticism, or refrain from opposition to policies which are debatable or which do not command our approval.
quote by Bainbridge Colby

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
You can't operate a company by fear, because the way to eliminate fear is to avoid criticism. And the way to avoid criticism is to do nothing.
quote by Steve Ross

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Harassed
Yeah yeah yeah
Well when I was a young boy
My mama told me:
"Blood's thicker than water"
That's what she told me
I don't give a damn anymore
I can't see what makes me so
I remember your criticism
I can't be an organism of your kind
Yeah (yeah), yeah, yeah
Well when I was a little older
My papa said:
"Son yours does not cry
Get your act together boy
Then get the hell out of my sight"
I don't give a damn anymore
I can't see what makes me so
I remember your criticism
I can't be an organism of your kind
Yeah (yeah), Yeah (yeah)
Your kind
Yeah (yeah), Yeah...
You watch the circles
You treat me so bad
I don't dare think it over
Yeah...(mutter)
I can't give.
I said "yeah!"
I don't give a damn anymore
I can't see what makes me so
I remember your criticism
I can't be an organism of your kind
Yeah (yeah), Yeah (yeah)
Your kind (x3)
song performed by by Puddle Of Mudd

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
An Unintended Blessing
the critic serves a useful purpose
criticism can contain a surprising
amount of suddenly revealed truth
comments may have been venom versed
yet these are a great source of inspiration
in identifying areas to accurately improve
my philosophy, to use criticism, for a better,
more determined purpose, as focus point,
as an inspiration, to succeed, to attain excellence
poem by Terence George Craddock

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Criticism in a time of war is essential to the maintenance of any kind of democratic government.
quote by Robert Taft

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
In every society in human history, including the United States, those in power seek to imbue themselves with the attributes of religion and patriotism as a way of getting greater support for their policy and insulating themselves from any criticism.
quote by George J. Mitchell

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Political criticism is our enemies' best friend.
quote by Bernard Kerik

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Why Do You Judge Me?
Why do you tend to judge me
cause I'm of different race.
Why do you tend to hate me
cause I'm from a different place.
Why is it that you think I'm stupid
because of where I'm from.
In my own opinion,
You have classified yourself as dumb.
You act as if I'm a criminial
evil and a crook.
And all this because
your job from you I took..
All this hatred that you show
is nothing more than envy.
Why can't you just see
that you are not better nor worse than me.
I was born in this country,
I grew up just around the corner.
The difference between you and I,
is that my father crossed that border.
He has struggled in the past
to make our lives all better.
I admire him for that
why do u have to be a hater.
And even though I respect you,
You show me nothing more than racism.
When will this all stop
When will you stop your criticism?
We are no longer that minority..
Nor will we be for ever more.
We will one day rise above low standards
that's what we're fighting for.
So I suggest you learn to love my kind
and just be all that you can be.
Cause all your racism and your criticism
can no longer bother me....
poem by Arely Corral

Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Also, the commercial media in a superior position, really, to any other corporate lobby, because where would people hear about commercial media or corporate media criticism, where would they hear criticism of them other than in the commercial media?
quote by Robert McChesney

Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!