It is impossible to predict the time and progress of revolution. It is governed by its own more or less mysterious laws.
Vladimir LeninRead
A democracy is a state which recognizes the subjection of the minority to the majority, that is, an organization for the systematic use of violence by one class against the other, by one part of the population against another.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote critiques democracy as a system where the majority's will can oppress the minority.
Vladimir Lenin's quote highlights the inherent conflict within a democratic system, suggesting that it often operates on the principle of majority rule, which can lead to the oppression of minority groups. He argues that democracy, rather than being a purely egalitarian structure, can become a mechanism that enables the systematic use of force by one group over another, thus revealing the complexities and potential injustices embedded within democratic governance.
Themes
DemocracyMajorityMinorityOppressionPoliticsConflict
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the limitations of democratic systems during a political science lecture.
More from Vladimir Lenin
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We are not utopians, we do not “dream” of dispensing at once with all administration, with all subordination. These anarchist dreams, based upon incomprehension of the tasks of the proletarian dictatorship, are totally alien to Marxism, and, as a matter of fact, serve only to postpone the socialist revolution until people are different. No, we want the socialist revolution with people as they are now, with people who cannot dispense with subordination, control, and "foremen and accountants".
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The way to crush the bourgeoisie is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation.
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No amount of political freedom will satisfy the hungry masses.
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