Capitalism Quotes

• Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone.

  John Maynard Keynes

  Fun, Business, Men

  Attributed by Michael Albert, "Moving Forward: Programme for a Participatory Economy", (p. 128), 2000.

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• One of the first things we must get rid of is the idea that democracy is tantamount to capitalism.

  Eleanor Roosevelt

  Ideas, Democracy, Firsts

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• I pity the man who wants a coat so cheap that the man or woman who produces the cloth will starve in the process.

  Benjamin Harrison

  Money, Inspirational Life, Men

  "Rain Still Follows Him: The President's Vermont Trip Marked by Storms". Speech in Rutland, Vermont, reported in The New York Times, August 29, 1891 issue p. 5,

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• It is a government of the people by the people for the people no longer it is a government of corporations by corporations for corporations

  Rutherford B. Hayes

  Government, People, Political

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• There are only three ways by which any individual can get wealth — by work, by gift or by theft. And, clearly, the reason why the workers get so little is that the beggars and thieves get so much.

  Henry George

  Money, Work, Way

  "Social Problems".

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• Capitalism works better than it sounds, while socialism sounds better than it works.

  Richard M. Nixon

  Sound, Socialism

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  Government 'help' to business is just as disastrous as government persecution... the only way a government can be of service to national prosperity is by keeping its hands off.

  Ayn Rand

  Witty, Business, Government

  Ayn Rand, Nathaniel Branden, Alan Greenspan, Robert Hessen (1986). “Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal”, p.131, Penguin

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• Capital as such is not evil; it is its wrong use that is evil. Capital in some form or other will always be needed.

  Mahatma Gandhi

  Money, Evil, Political

  Mahatma Gandhi, Mohandas Gandhi, Ronald Duncan (2005). “Gandhi: Selected Writings”, p.247, Courier Corporation

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• The capitalist workplace is one of the most profoundly undemocratic institutions on the face of the Earth. Workers have no say over decisions affecting them. If workers sat on the board of directors of democratically operated self-managed enterprises, they wouldn't vote for the wildly unequal distribution of profits to benefit a few and for cutbacks for the many.

  Richard D. Wolff

  Self, Decision, Voting

  "The Progressive Interview". Interview with Ed Rampell, www.democracyatwork.info. April 10, 2014.

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• The new community which the capitalists are now constructing will be a very complete and absolute community; and one which will tolerate nothing really independent of itself.

  Gilbert K. Chesterton

  Independent, Community, Tolerate

  "Utopia of Usurers". Book by Gilbert K. Chesterton, pp. 33-34, 1917.

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• What breaks capitalism, all that will ever break capitalism, is capitalists. The faster they run the more strain on their heart.

  Raymond Williams

  Running, Heart, Break

  Raymond Williams (1985). “Loyalties”, Hodder & Stoughton

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• If we want the whole world to be rich, we need to start loving wealth. In the difference between poverty and plenty, the problem is the pverty, not the difference. Wealth is good.

  P. J. O'Rourke

  Differences, Needs, World

  "Eat the Rich". Book by P. J. O'Rourke, www.sfgate.com. 1998.

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• If I had to give a definition of capitalism I would say: the process whereby American girls turn into American women.

  Christopher Hampton

  Girl, Giving, Definitions

  1974 Savages, sc.16.

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• Money must serve, not rule! The Pope loves everyone, rich and poor alike, but he is obliged in the name of Christ to remind all that the rich must help, respect and promote the poor. I exhort you to generous solidarity and a return of economics and finance to an ethical approach which favours human beings.

  Pope Francis

  Names, Return, Favour

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• Fascism is capitalism plus murder.

  Upton Sinclair

  Tyrants, Murder, Plus

  Upton Sinclair (2016). “Presidential Agent”, p.373, Open Road Media

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• In this system, which tends to devour everything which stands in the way of increased profits, whatever is fragile, like the environment, is defenseless before the interests of a deified market, which become the only rule.

  Pope Francis

  Way, Politics, Environment

  Pope Francis (2014). “The Joy of the Gospel”, p.21, BookBaby

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• These capitalists generally act harmoniously and in concert, to fleece the people.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Wisdom, Live Concerts, People

  Abraham Lincoln (2012). “The Complete Papers And Writings Of Abraham Lincoln (Biographically Annotated Edition)”, p.149, Jazzybee Verlag

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• Capitalism is a system in which the central institutions of society are, in principle, under autocratic control. Thus, a corporation or an industry is, if we were to think of it in political terms, fascist, that is, it has tight control at the top and strict obedience has to be established at every level. [...] Just as I'm opposed to political fascism, I am opposed to economic fascism. I think that until the major institutions of society are under the popular control of participants and communities, it's pointless to talk about democracy.

  Noam Chomsky

  Thinking, Community, Political

  "One Man’s View". Interview, chomsky.info. May, 1973.

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• I dislike Communism because it is undemocratic, and capitalism because it favors exploitation.

  Bertrand Russell

  Favors, Communism, Exploitation

  "Unarmed Victory". Book by Bertrand Russell, p. 14, 1963.

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• Advocates of capitalism are very apt to appeal to the sacred principles of liberty, which are embodied in one maxim: The fortunate must not be restrained in the exercise of tyranny over the unfortunate.

  Bertrand Russell

  Exercise, Liberty, Principles

  Bertrand Russell (1960). “Sceptical Essays”

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• The issue is always the same: the government or the market. There is no third solution.

  Ludwig von Mises

  Issues, Government, Liberty

  Ludwig Von Mises (1947). “Planned Chaos”, p.15, Ludwig von Mises Institute

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• I find capitalism repugnant. It is filthy, it is gross, it is alienating... because it causes war, hypocrisy and competition.

  Fidel Castro

  Fake People, War, Hypocrisy

  Biography/Personal Quotes, www.imdb.com.

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• World wide capitalism kills more people everyday then Hitler did. And he was crazy.

  Ken Livingstone

  Crazy, People, Everyday

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• To the free man, the country is the collection of individuals who compose it, not something over and above them. He is proud of a common heritage and loyal to common traditions. But he regards government as a means, an instrumentality, neither a grantor of favors and gifts, nor a master or god to be blindly worshipped and served.

  Milton Friedman

  Country, Mean, Men

  "Capitalism and Freedom". Book by Milton Friedman, 1962.

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• In the Soviet Union, capitalism triumphed over communism. In this country, capitalism triumphed over democracy.

  Fran Lebowitz

  Country, Democracy, Literature

  FaceBook post by Fran Lebowitz from Jul 27, 2012

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