Winston Churchill: Capitalism Vice

Winston Churchill Money Quote saying capitalism is unequal in its rewards and socialism entirely equal in suffering. Winston Churchill said:
 

 

“The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings. The inherent virtue of Socialism is the equal sharing of miseries” — Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill seems to be contrasting the economic systems of capitalism and socialism. He argues that under capitalism, while wealth and prosperity are created, they are not distributed equally among members of society.

However, under socialism, while everyone may share equally in government entitlements, it limits overall prosperity and innovation in the economy.

Churchill’s view is that capitalism is superior because it generates greater overall blessings, even if they are not evenly distributed, whereas socialism aims for equal distribution but risks sharing equally in fewer resources and opportunities for advancement.

The quote suggests Churchill believed neither system was perfect, but capitalism’s virtues outweighed socialism’s in terms of economic outcomes.

Birthday: November 30, 1874 – Death: January 24, 1965

Bill Ackman: Shutdown Capitalism

Bill Ackman Money Quote saying short term shutdown is financially feasible, while long term shutdowns threaten capitalism. Bill Ackman said:
 

 

“Capitalism does not work in an 18-month shutdown; capitalism can work in a 30-day shutdown” — Bill Ackman

In this quote, Bill Ackman seems to be arguing that while short-term shutdowns can be overcome through capitalist economic systems, very long-term shutdowns risk seriously damaging those systems.

By stating that “Capitalism does not work in an 18-month shutdown” but “can work in a 30-day shutdown”, Ackman implies that shutdowns of around a month can be weathered through capitalist principles of private enterprise and market forces, with support from temporary relief policies. However, shutdowns stretching over a year and a half risk being too prolonged for capitalism to properly function and recover from.

The quote conveys Ackman’s perspective that capitalism, with its emphasis on free exchange and profit motive, relies on a baseline level of regular economic activity among businesses, consumers and investors. Shutdowns of just a few weeks disrupt but do not destroy this, but shutdowns approaching two years potentially undermine the very foundations of how capitalism is structured to operate by halting activity for too lengthy a period.

Overall, Ackman appears to be arguing that while short-term disruptions can be overcome within a capitalist system, extraordinarily protracted shutdowns risk seriously damaging capitalism’s ability to self-correct and regain stability due to the unprecedented scale and duration of shutdown.

Martin Luther King, Capitalism Flow

Martin Luther King, Jr. Money Quote saying the capitalist system is designed to be biased toward the wealthy and not the poor – so we’ll need to work to change that bias. Martin Luther King, Jr. said:
 

 

“Capitalism does not permit an even flow of economic resources. With this system, a small privileged few are rich beyond conscience, and almost all others are doomed to be poor at some level. That’s the way the system works. And since we know that the system will not change the rules, we are going to have to change the system” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

In this quote, Martin Luther King Jr. is critiquing capitalism and the free market system. He argues that under capitalism, economic resources and wealth do not naturally spread evenly throughout society.

Instead, it concentrates wealth in the hands of a small privileged group who become extremely rich, while the vast majority are left in some form of poverty. King asserts this is an inherent feature of how the capitalist system functions, as it does not aim to distribute resources equally but rather rewards those who accumulate wealth.

His view is that since the system is unlikely to change its rules to correct this imbalance, the only option is for people to work towards changing the system itself in order to create a more just and equitable distribution of economic resources across all of society.

Birthday: January 15, 1929 – Death: April 4, 1968

Tilda Swinton: Capitalism Loneliness

Tilda Swinton Money Quote saying that Capitalism is the ability to pay for companionship or entertainment that can be bought as distractions. Tilda Swinton said:
 

 
 
“If we don’t accept loneliness, then capitalism wins hands down. Because capitalism is all about trying to convince people that you can distract yourself, that you can make it better. And it ain’t true” — Tilda Swinton
 

Margaret Drabble: Capital Collapse

Margaret Drabble Money Quote saying there is no doubt that capitalism will collapse and barter will replace profiting. Home vegetable gardens will proliferate. Margaret Drabble said:
 

 

“I confidently predict the collapse of capitalism and the beginning of history. Something will go wrong in the machinery that converts money into money, the banking system will collapse totally, and we will be left having to barter to stay alive. Those who can dig in their garden will have a better chance than the rest” — Margaret Drabble

In this quote, Margaret Drabble is making a prediction about the eventual downfall of capitalism. She confidently forecasts that something will go wrong in the financial system where money is used to generate more money through banking and investments. Drabble believes this will lead to a total collapse of the banking system.

In the aftermath, she envisions people having to resort to bartering the goods they have just to survive, as money and the economy cease to function normally. She suggests those with skills like gardening to grow food will be better positioned than others who lack resources.

Overall, the quote reflects Drabble’s view that capitalism’s emphasis on wealth accumulation through financial means rather than direct production will prove unsustainable and usher in a new post-capitalist era.

Jane Campion: Macho Capitalism

Jane Campion Money Quote saying Money-making systems seem brutish and can overrun us. Jane Campion said:
 

 

“Capitalism is such a macho force. I felt run over” — Jane Campion

In this quote, film director Jane Campion is expressing her view that capitalism can function like a domineering masculine force. She says she personally felt “run over” by it. Campion seems to be suggesting that capitalism prioritizes aggressiveness, competition and power dynamics akin to traditional masculine stereotypes.

By describing it as a “macho force”, she implies it overwhelmed and overpowered her at times. Overall, the quote conveys Campion’s perception that capitalism behaves in a way that can feel oppressive, like an overbearing male presence.

She portrays it as lacking the empathy, cooperation or balance sometimes associated with feminine qualities. Campion characterizes her experience with capitalism in terms that liken it to being bullied by an imposing patriarchal system.

Birthday April 30

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: Repulsive $

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Money Quote saying that without decency and morals, any ideology is corrupt. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said:
 

 

“Untouched by the breath of God, unrestricted by human conscience, both capitalism and socialism are repulsive” — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

In this quote, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn appears to be criticizing both capitalism and socialism as economic systems when taken to an extreme, without limits. By saying they are “untouched by the breath of God, unrestricted by human conscience”, he seems to mean that when either system operates solely based on secular principles like profit/growth or state control, without regard for moral/ethical concerns, they can become “repulsive”.

Solzhenitsyn may have felt that for an economic system to function in a just and humane way over the long term, it needs to be informed and balanced by spiritual/ethical values like compassion – not just material or ideological goals.

So in summary, the best interpretation is he believed that unrestrained or unlimited capitalism and socialism, when divorced from moral/ethical concerns, could dehumanize societies.

Birthday December 11, 1918 – Died August 3, 2008
 

Mikhail S. Gorbachev: Market Capitalism

Mikhail S. Gorbachev Money Quote saying the marketplace didn’t spring from the mind of a capitalist – it has existed as long as trade has – forever. Mikhail S. Gorbachev said:
 

 

“The market is not an invention of capitalism. It has existed for centuries. It is an invention of civilization” — Mikhail S. Gorbachev

In this quote, Mikhail Gorbachev seems to be challenging the notion that free markets are a construct of capitalism alone. Specifically:

• Gorbachev states that while markets have become strongly associated with capitalist systems, they in fact predate capitalism by “centuries” and are not unique to it.
• He argues that well-functioning markets are a “civilization” in general, implying they can and have existed in various economic models throughout history, not just capitalist ones.

The best interpretation is that Gorbachev believes markets are a natural outgrowth and facilitator of advanced societies, not an invention of any single modern ideology. From his perspective, commerce and voluntary exchange between participants have long been an element of developed human communities regardless of the dominant economic structure, contrary to views of markets as a purely capitalist phenomenon.

The quote conveys Gorbachev’s view that markets are a product of social progress rather than the property of any single modern school of economic thought.

Birthday: March 2, 1931 – Death: August 30, 2022