Alex Munter Quotes

I think there`s a lot of merit in an international economy and global markets, but they`re not sufficient because markets don`t look after social needs.

The people currently in charge have forgotten the first principle of an open society, namely that we may be wrong and that there has to be free discussion. That it`s possible to be opposed to the policies without being unpatriotic.

The financial markets generally are unpredictable. So that one has to have different scenarios... The idea that you can actually predict what`s going to happen contradicts my way of looking at the market.

My foundations support people in the country who care about an open society. It`s their work that I`m supporting. So it`s not me doing it. But I can empower them. I can support them, and I can help them.

When I had made more money than I needed for myself and my family, I set up a foundation to promote the values and principles of a free and open society.

Markets are designed to allow individuals to look after their private needs and to pursue profit. It`s really a great invention and I wouldn`t under-estimate the value of that, but they`re not designed to take care of social needs.

Now, I have not worked out the details, because I don`t think it`s for me to work out the details. It`s for them to work out the details.

I`m not doing my philanthropic work, out of any kind of guilt, or any need to create good public relations. I`m doing it because I can afford to do it, and I believe in it.

If the terrorists have the sympathy of people, it`s much harder to find them. So we need people on our side, and that leads us to be responsible leaders of the world, show some concern with the problems.

Bush`s war in Iraq has done untold damage to the United States. It has impaired our military power and undermined the morale of our armed forces. Our troops were trained to project overwhelming power. They were not trained for occupation duties.

A full and fair discussion is essential to democracy.

We must recognize that as the dominant power in the world we have a special responsibility. In addition to protecting our national interests, we must take the leadership in protecting the common interests of humanity.

Well, you know, I was a human being before I became a businessman.

Now that I have called you on your false accusation, you are using additional smear tactics.

We are the most powerful nation on earth. No external power, no terrorist organization, can defeat us. But we can defeat ourselves by getting caught in a quagmire.

Stock market bubbles don`t grow out of thin air. They have a solid basis in reality, but reality as distorted by a misconception.

When it comes to social consequences, they`ve got all different people acting in different ways, very difficult to even have a proper criterion of success. So, it`s a difficult task.

I give away something up to $500 million a year throughout the world promoting Open Society. My foundations support people in the country who care about an open society. It`s their work that I`m supporting. So it`s not me doing it.

An open society is a society which allows its members the greatest possible degree of freedom in pursuing their interests compatible with the interests of others.

I chose America as my home because I value freedom and democracy, civil liberties and an open society.

Once we realize that imperfect understanding is the human condition there is no shame in being wrong, only in failing to correct our mistakes.

Most of the poverty and misery in the world is due to bad government, lack of democracy, weak states, internal strife, and so on.

The worse a situation becomes the less it takes to turn it around, the bigger the upside.

To my mind, there is a solution which has to do with democracy, because democratic governments are subject to the will of the people. So, if the people will it, you can actually create international institutions through the democratic states.

There is a resurgence of anti-Semitism in Europe. The policies of the Bush administration and the Sharon administration contribute to that. It`s not specifically anti-Semitism, but it does manifest itself in anti-Semitism as well.

Markets are constantly in a state of uncertainty and flux and money is make by discounting the obvious and betting on the unexpected.

President Bush is endangering our safety, hurting our vital interests, and undermining American values.