Liu Xiaobo quotes - page 2

Elegy to Lin Zhao, Lone Voice of Chinese Freedom. (Liu Xiaobo)
Power and money reign supreme in our nation today. Universities count for nothing, and scholarship and ideas count for even less. Love, truth, and sacrifice are meaningless concepts, while betrayal and collective amnesia are taken as a matter of course. View quote
Liu Xiaobo
The nostalgia for Mao Zedong that we see in China today is in part a longing of the poor and downtrodden - the losers in the economic boom - for the egalitarianism an job security of the Mao era. But it is more than that. For the "patriots" in today's rabid nationalism, it is nostalgia for a time when China dared to say "no" to both of the world's superpowers, the Us. S. and the Soviet Union. View quote
Liu Xiaobo
In a totalitarian state, the purpose of politics is power and power alone. The "nation" and its peoples are mentioned only to give an air of legitimacy to the application of power. The people accept this devalued existence, asking only to live from day to day. View quote
Liu Xiaobo
We must note that speaking truth to power has rewards as well as costs. People who dare to speak out about major public events may not receive tangible benefits, but they receive the very considerable rewards of high moral reputation among fellow Chinese as well as in the international community. View quote
Liu Xiaobo
When a people like ours, who struggle with feelings of inferiority, have to face the facts of inadequate national strength, or of less than full respect from others, one way we try to feel better is to grab onto any piece of historical material that can make us proud. View quote
Liu Xiaobo
In the conflict between survival of the flesh and dignity of the spirit, if we cower to preserve ourselves, we become mere zombies, despite our trappings of prosperity. If we stand up for our dignity, we live nobly, no matter how much we may risk or suffer. View quote
Liu Xiaobo
My view as a Chinese is that Obama's elevation to the position of 44th president of the United States underscores teh greatness of the American system. View quote
Liu Xiaobo
Resting beneath the mighty Communist regime is a civil society that remains weak. It doesn't have much courage and is not very sophisticated. As a civil society it is still in a nascent stage, and this is why we mus not expect it, in the near term, to produce a political organization that might replace the Communist regime. View quote
Liu Xiaobo
If you want to enter hell, don't complain of the dark; you can't blame the world for being unfair if you start on the path of the rebel. View quote
Liu Xiaobo
For those of us in the opposition movement under dictatorships, part of our job is confronting police and spending time in prison. So, a dissident not only needs to learn how to oppose oppression but also how to face the crackdowns and time in prison. (Liu Xiaobo)
I do my best to make every word from my pen a cry from the heart for the souls of the dead. View quote
Liu Xiaobo
If there has been any progress in the Chinese society and politics over the last 20 years, it is all because the citizens have been pushing for change. View quote
Liu Xiaobo
I have no enemies and no hatred. None of the police who monitored, arrested, and interrogated me, none of the prosecutors who indicted me, and none of the judges who judged me are my enemies. View quote
Liu Xiaobo
Our political system continues to produce human rights disasters and social crises, thereby not only constricting China's own development but also limiting the progress of all of human civilization. View quote
Liu Xiaobo
In order to exercise the right to freedom of speech conferred by the Constitution, one should fulfill the social responsibility of a Chinese citizen. View quote
Liu Xiaobo