It is impossible to predict the time and progress of revolution. It is governed by its own more or less mysterious laws.
Vladimir LeninRead
No revolution is worth anything unless it can defend itself.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A true revolution must have the means to protect and uphold its values and ideals.
Vladimir Lenin emphasizes that a revolution, no matter how noble its intentions, is ultimately futile if it lacks the ability to safeguard its achievements and defend against counterforces. The quote suggests that the strength and sustainability of revolutionary ideas depend on their capacity for self-defense, highlighting the importance of resilience and preparedness in the face of opposition.
Themes
RevolutionDefenseSelf-DefenseResilienceValues
In practice
Example use cases
During a political discussion, one might use this quote to emphasize the need for a strong leadership to protect democratic values.
More from Vladimir Lenin
All quotes βFor the complete extinction of the state, complete Communism is necessary.
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Medicine is the keystone of the arch of socialism.
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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.
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We are not utopians, we do not βdreamβ 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.
Vladimir LeninRead
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