There also exists another alliance - at first glance a strange one, a surprising one - but if you think about it, in fact, one which is well grounded and easy to understand. This is the alliance between our Communist leaders and your capitalists. This alliance is not new. ... We observe continuous and steady support by the businessmen of the West of the Soviet Communist leaders.
Interpretation
The quote highlights an unexpected alliance between communist leaders and capitalist businessmen, emphasizing their mutual interests.
In this quote, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn discusses an unconventional alliance between communist leaders and capitalist businessmen, which may seem surprising at first. However, upon closer inspection, it reflects the complexities and interdependencies in political and economic systems where both groups can support each other despite their ideological differences. This highlights the pragmatic nature of politics, where common interests can lead to unexpected partnerships.
In practice
In a panel discussion about global economics, one might use this quote to highlight unusual partnerships.
At what point, then, should one resist? When one's belt is taken away? When one is ordered to face into a corner? When one crosses the threshold of one's home? An arrest consists of a series of incidental irrelevancies, of a multitude of things that do not matter, and there seems no point in arguing about one of them individually...and yet all these incidental irrelevancies taken together implacably constitute the arrest.
To do evil a human being must first of all believe that what he's doing is good... Ideology - that is what gives devildoing its long-sought justification and gives the evildoer the necessary steadfastness and determination. That is the social theory which helps to make his acts seem good instead of bad in his own and others' eyes, so that he won't hear reproaches and curses but will receive praise and honors.
Today when we say the West we are already referring to the West and to Russia. We could use the word 'modernity' if we exclude Africa, and the Islamic world, and partially China.
To destroy a people, you must first sever their roots.
Like a bicycle, like a wheel that, once rolling, is stable only so long as it keeps moving but falls when its momentum stops, so the game between a man and woman, once begun, can exist only so long as it progresses. If the forward movement today is no more than it was yesterday, the game is over.
It's an universal law-- intolerance is the first sign of an inadequate education. An ill-educated person behaves with arrogant impatience, whereas truly profound education breeds humility.
The U.N. bureaucracy has grown to elephantine proportions. Now that the Cold War is over, we are asking that elephant to do gymnastics.
It is not in the nature of politics that the best men should be elected. The best men do not want to govern their fellowmen.
If someone is cynical and doesn't vote and ends up with a crummy job in a crummy country with a decimated environment, they only have themselves to blame.
In contrast to totalitarianism, democracy can face and live with the truth about itself.
These political movements flourish on the margins of Turkish society because of poverty and because of the people's feeling that they are not being represented.
My message to the people and rulers of Pakistan is, 'As neighbours, we want peace and friendship and cooperation with you so that together we can change the face of South Asia.'
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