Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes About Capitalism

• We all too often have socialism for the rich and rugged free market capitalism for the poor.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  African American, Baptists, Socialism

• We have deluded ourselves into believing the myth that capitalism grew and prospered out of the Protestant ethic of hard work and sacrifices. Capitalism was built on the exploitation of black slaves and continues to thrive on the exploitation of the poor, both black and white, both here and abroad.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Believe, Hard Work, Black And White

  "Secretary Zinke, we can't afford to ignore diversity" by Andre Perry, www.cnn.com. March 27, 2018.

• What I'm saying to you this morning is that Communism forgets that life is individual. Capitalism forgets that life is social, and the Kingdom of Brotherhood is found neither in the thesis of Communism nor the antithesis of capitalism but in a higher synthesis.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Morning, Justice, Brotherhood

• Capitalism does not permit an even flow of economic resources. With this system, a small privileged few are rich beyond conscience, and almost all others are doomed to be poor at some level. That's the way the system works. And since we know that the system will not change the rules, we are going to have to change the system.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Doe, Levels, Way

  "Biography/ Personal Quotes". www.imdb.com.

• You can't talk about solving the economic problem of the Negro without talking about billions of dollars. You can't talk about ending the slums without first saying profit must be taken out of the slums. You're really tampering and getting on dangerous ground because you are messing with folk then. You are messing with captains of industry. Now this means that we are treading in difficult water, because it really means that we are saying that something is wrong with capitalism.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Taken, Mean, Talking

• Call it democracy, or call it democratic socialism, but there must be a better distribution of wealth within this country for all God's children.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Wisdom, Country, Children

  Thomas F. Jackson, Martin Luther King (Jr.) (2007). “From Civil Rights to Human Rights: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Struggle for Economic Justice”, p.230, University of Pennsylvania Press

• The evils of capitalism are as real as the evils of militarism and evils of racism.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Real, Racism, Evil

  "Yes, the Martin Luther King Jr. Estate Approved That Ram Trucks Super Bowl Ad" by April Glaser, slate.com. February 4, 2018.

• I imagine you already know that I am much more socialistic in my economic theory than capitalistic. And yet I am not so opposed to capitalism that I have failed to see its relative merits. It started out with a noble and high motive, to block the trade monopolies of nobles, but like most human systems it falls victim to the very thing it was revolting against. So today capitalism has outlived its usefulness. It has brought about a system that takes necessities from the masses to give luxuries to the classes.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Block, Fall, Class

• Truth is found neither in Marxism nor in traditional capitalism. Each represents a partial truth. Historically capitalism failed to see the truth in collective enterprise, and Marxism failed to see the truth in individual enterprise. Nineteenth century capitalism failed to see that life is social and Marxism failed and still fails to see that life is individual and personal. The Kingdom of God is neither the thesis of individual enterprise nor the antithesis of collective enterprise, but a synthesis which reconciles the truths of both.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Wisdom, Synthesis, Kingdoms

  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2015). “The Radical King”, p.32, Beacon Press

• Truth is not to be found either in traditional capitalism or in Marxism. Each represents a partial truth. Historically, capitalism failed to discern the truth in collective enterprise and Marxism failed to see the truth in individual enterprise.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Political, Truth Is, Individual

  Kenneth L. Smith, Martin Luther King (Jr.), Ira G. Zepp (1986). “Search for the beloved community: the thinking of Martin Luther King, Jr”, Univ Pr of Amer

• Communism forgets that life is individual. Capitalism forgets that life is social, and the kingdom of brotherhood is found neither in the thesis of communism nor the antithesis of capitalism but in a higher synthesis. It is found in a higher synthesis that combines the truths of both.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Life, War, Communication

  "Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?". Book by Martin Luther King, Jr., 1967.

• Capitalism is always in danger of inspiring men to be more concerned about making a living than making a life. We are prone to judge success by the index of our salaries or the size of our automobiles, rather than by the quality of our service and relationship to humanity-thus capitalism can lead to a practical materialism that is as pernicious as the materialism taught by communism.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Wisdom, Men, Judging

  Martin Luther King (Jr.) (1964). “A Martin Luther King Treasury”

• Good and just society is neither the thesis of capitalism nor the antithesis of communism, but a socially conscious democracy which reconciles the truths of individualism and collectivism.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Democracy, Individualism, Communism

  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (2010). “Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?”, p.216, Beacon Press

• Capitalism started out with a noble and high motive, but like most human systems it fell victim to the very thing it was revolting against.

  Martin Luther King, Jr.

  Noble, Victim, Motive

  "The Uncompromising Anti-Capitalism of Martin Luther King Jr." by Obery M. Hendricks, Jr., www.huffingtonpost.com. January 20, 2014.

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