“Democracy is the wholesome and pure air without which a socialist public organization cannot live a full-blooded life.”
— Mikhail Gorbachev
Simplified Meaning:
For a society where everyone shares resources and works together equally (socialism) to function well, it needs the freedom and fairness that come with democracy. Democracy is like clean air that people need to breathe to stay healthy. Without the ability to speak freely, choose their leaders, and have fair laws, a socialist society will struggle and not work properly. Imagine a group of friends trying to run a community garden together. They need to make decisions about what to plant, how to distribute the vegetables, and who will do the work. If just one person makes all the decisions and the others have no say, the garden might fail. People might feel unhappy and unwilling to help. But if everyone gets to vote on decisions and share ideas, the garden can thrive because everyone feels included and committed. In real life, this means that even when we aim for fairness and equality, we still need everyone's voice to be heard. By listening to each other and making decisions together, we can create a stronger, happier, and more successful community.