Aristocracy Quotes

(On criticism of The Devils (1971)) It was very disturbing to make. I still haven`t got over it... Where do you draw the line? This is the way it happened - those nuns were used for political ends, toted round France as a side show for a year. Do you ignore the actual historical accuracy and the fact that the Church, the politicians and the aristocracy were corrupt? I get so angry with the opinion makers who class it with the sex films. If we ignore history because it was unpleasant we`re going to end up with nothing but nature films.

Today we frankly recognize that democracy can be no more than aspiration, and have rule not so much by the people as by the cleverest people; not an aristocracy of birth, not a plutocracy of wealth, but a true meritocracy of talent.

Fred Astaire represented the aristocracy, I represented the proletariat.

There are no wise few. Every aristocracy that has ever existed has behaved, in all essential points, exactly like a small mob.

The proponents of estate tax repeal are fond of calling it the `death tax`. It`s not a death tax, it`s a Rich Kids` tax. The estate tax is one of our time-tested and best tools in preventing the aristocracy of an `Old Europe` from establishing itself on our shores.

The fate of you, the aristocracy of industry, will be as the fate of the aristocracy of land if you do not show that you have some humanity still among you.

Our aristocracy, unlike that of Europe, is open to all comers.

Let us in education dream of an aristocracy of achievement arising out of a democracy of opportunity

There is...an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth, without either virtue or talents.... The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government, and provisions should be made to prevent its ascendancy.

Democracy means government by the uneducated, while aristocracy means government by the badly educated.

Thirty years after drafting the US Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson warned of the dangers posed by the corporation, writing of the need to "crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country." Today, instead, the aristocracy of the corporation has grown to full maturity, wielding power over the state and its laws in the service of corporate aims.

An aristocracy in a republic is like a chicken whose head has been cut off; it may run about in a lively way, but in fact it is dead

The aristocracy is in decline in the City, and the cloth-cap professionals are in the ascent. And we will take over.

Aristocracy is always cruel