Americans have a severe disease - worse than AIDS. It's called the winner's complex.
Mikhail GorbachevRead
The market is not an invention of capitalism. It has existed for centuries. It is an invention of civilization.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The market is a fundamental aspect of human society, not just a capitalist concept.
Mikhail Gorbachev emphasizes that markets have been integral to human civilization throughout history, suggesting that they are not exclusive to capitalist systems. This viewpoint encourages a broader understanding of economic systems, indicating that the marketplace is a fundamental social construct that has evolved over time, entwined with the development of civilization itself.
Themes
MarketCivilizationCapitalismEconomySociety
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about economic history, one might quote Gorbachev to highlight the ancient roots of trade.
More from Mikhail Gorbachev
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The soviet people want full-blooded and unconditional democracy.
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New approaches are needed, new orientations in both thought and action. We must make the transition to a new civilization...We are talking of a transition toward a new civilization. No one knows what it will be like. What is important is to orient in that direction... I am convinced that a new civilization will inevitably take on certain features that are characteristic of, or inherent in, the socialist ideal.
Mikhail GorbachevRead
According to Lenin, socialism and democracy are indivisible.... The essence of perestroika lies in the fact that it unites socialism with democracy and revives the Leninist concept of socialist construction both in theory and in practice. We want more socialism and, therefore, more democracy.
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