It is impossible to predict the time and progress of revolution. It is governed by its own more or less mysterious laws.
Vladimir LeninRead
The state does not function as we desired. A man is at the wheel and seems to lead it, but the car does not drive in the desired direction. It moves as another force wishes.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote critiques the disconnection between leadership intentions and the actual direction of governance.
Lenin reflects on the complexities of political leadership, suggesting that even when a leader appears to be in control, external forces and societal structures can significantly alter the direction of governance. The metaphor of a car being driven not by its intended driver underscores how personal ambitions may be overridden by systemic forces, illustrating the struggle between individual agency and larger societal dynamics.
Themes
LeadershipControlPoliticsGovernanceDirection
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a political discussion about the effectiveness of current leaders.
More from Vladimir Lenin
All quotes →For the complete extinction of the state, complete Communism is necessary.
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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 “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.
Vladimir LeninRead
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