In this quote, Mikhail Gorbachev, a former Soviet statesman and Nobel Peace Prize winner, is emphasizing the importance of democracy being able to protect and defend itself. He is recommending that democracy is not a perfect system and it should be able to stand up to obstacles and risks in order to endure. Gorbachev is most likely speaking from his own experience with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the rise of democracy in Eastern Europe. He is advising for a strong and resistant democracy that can withstand internal and external pressures, and eventually, continue to flourish and serve its people.
