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This quotation is now going around the web attributed to Churchill. Is it accurate? “Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.” —M.S.
It is more or less correct, but it’s a run-together, truncated version of two separate comments:
“Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy.” —Perth, Scotland, 28 May 1948, in Churchill, Europe Unite: Speeches 1947 & 1948 (London: Cassell, 1950), 347.
AND
“The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings. The inherent virtue of Socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.” —House of Commons, 22 October 1945.
A variation on the above is: “I do not at all wonder that British youth is in revolt against the morbid doctrine that nothing matters but the equal sharing of miseries, that what used to be called the ‘submerged tenth’ can only be rescued by bringing the other nine-tenths down to their level…” —House of Commons, 13 June 1948.
Churchill’s “withering barrage of sarcasm,” said the late Dr. Harry Jaffa, “moreover puts us in mind of that dictum concerning property asserted by the Father of the American Constitution, James Madison, when he said, in the tenth Federalist, that ‘the protection of different and unequal faculties of acquiring property [is] the first object of government.’ One might add that according to Madison, the U.S. Constitution is intended to provide equal protection to unequal abilities. This is just as surely what Abraham Lincoln meant when in 1864 wrote to the Workingmen’s Association of New York that ‘Property is the fruit of labor; property is desirable; it is a positive good in the world. That some should be rich shows that others may become rich, and hence is just encouragement to industry and enterprise’”1
1 Harry V. Jaffa, “Remarks for Churchill’s Birthday: Requiem for Socialism and the Iron Curtain Churchill’s Relevance to the Challenges of the Present,” Finest Hour, January 1, 1991, 22.
The problem with the quote from Churchill going around the web is not that it’s an inaccurate description of socialism. The problem is that it gives people the false impression that Churchill was genuinely opposed to socialism. I found this quote from Robert Welch, who describes Churchill as Stalin’s “great friend”: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2ca37e8a072a3f1f32d7533d8074d1f6c9774015c012a236b0c9e1a24dcf03c6.jpg
“This remained true right up to the time when Winston Churchill, with his usual flair for dramatic statements, announced: ‘I did not
become Her Majesty’s First Minister in order to preside over the dissolution of her empire.’ He then proceeded to do exactly that, with all the smoothness that his great friend, Stalin, could have asked; thus leaving as easy targets for Communist infiltration and takeover many peoples who had clearly earned the right to British protection from the Communists by being colonial subjects of the empire for generations.” ~ Robert Welch, The John Birch Society Bulletin, April, 1975
The Full October 22 Quote
I earnestly hope that the Government will give unprejudiced attention to the suggestions I have ventured to make. They are put forward in no spirit of controversy but in the general interest. If we do not get this country going again pretty soon, if we do not get the great wheels turning, we may lose for ever our rightful place in the post-war economic world and we may involve our finances in dire and irretrievable confusion. It is no party matter, but one in which the House as a whole should make its opinion felt in a way that will override all hesitations and obstacles which are found in the path. In order to bring us all together, I will end this practical discourse in a philosophic vein. The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings. The inherent virtue of Socialism is 1704 the equal sharing of miseries. In the present case, where an overwhelming majority of Service men and women would gain the blessings, can we not unite on the broad democratic principle of “the greatest good of the greatest number”?
Socialism doesn’t work. It’s the abode of Intellectual Idealists. Poor Souls.
The reason it doesn’t work is because doesn’t take into account Spiritual Law – or even recognize that such exists.
But is does.
There is a Plan down here, but Socialists have no clue what it is.
Care to offer any evidence for your claims?
This quote needs context. It can’t be applied out of its context which is the UK after the second world war emerging from an extremely unequal social system.
Imho pure capitalism doesn’t work and pure socialism doesn’t work, you need to strive for a balance that does work. I believe that this can be achieved and market forces will drive it to a balance.
I believe Churchill believed this also, he was trying to restrain the pure socialists that were born out of the unequal system.
Nice try Crazy- he would say it today.
Socialism isn’t equality. Why should we be equal anyway? Who thought that up -well St-Juste and Robespierre, who created a tyranny based on terror that furnished the blueprint for communism. You have the ruling elite who control everything and the general public under their thumb so the elite can stay in power. Venezuela is a beautiful example of where socialism leads. Leftists are always hung up on theories and fantasies but never want to look at cold, hard reality. Better to be oppressed by capitalism than starved by socialism. At least you have 40 brands of toilet paper to choose from and aspirin for your headache. Plus you can try to get a job that suits you, not the one that the state gives you. It is idiotic to rebuild what is basically the feudal system from the Middle Ages and that is what the paradise of the worker really seems to be.
Socialism is great when everyone is honest and has the same work ethic. Works great for ants and bees. If human honesty and work ethic were plotted they used to be a perfect bell curve. But today there are more and more slackers and cheats and of course those folks want socialism. As the county diversifies there will be an army of takers and not many makers. Its death throes will accelerate.
I believe that Capitalism is better than Socialism because it incentivises hard work. It rewards your work. Adrain Rogers said ” You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it” The problem is that in capitalism, when the gap between the haves and the have nots widens, it is then that the poor revolt and take to socialism. SO in order for Capitalism to be successful, it needs some element of planning. In short, a mixed economy with a minimal of government interference.
Exodus 20:15 – Thou shalt not steal.
This is the root of my entire political philosophy. The premise of this admonition is that someone owns ‘something’ – you shouldn’t take it. God is clearly in favor of owning property. Do not take, by force or fraud, property which does not belong to you. Could this possibly get any simpler?
The way to achieve more… (talents)… is to find ways to bring more value to the marketplace. The marketplace of industry.. .the marketplace of ideas… the marketplace of community… the marketplace of relationships – No one ever became more valuable to a company or any of these markets by simply demanding it. Life itself, however, demands from us.. that we make measurable progress … in reasonable time. And as we make progress… as we flex the muscles of commitment.. of perseverance.. of learning… we become more valuable in these markets. No one ever became more successful by simply moaning and begrudging what others have in Their pockets. If one would reap… then first one must plant… not protest.
Socialism is one of the doctrines of the Atheistic Humanist belief system (“religion”) that says that since we are nothing but evolve animals (their “creation account”), then WE (the small elite “shepherds” group) MUST take control of the evolution of mankind to be “made into our image”. The Atheistic Humanist belief system has a vision of a “man-made heaven on earth”, which history reveals has ALWAYS ultimately been ruled over by the biggest cut-throat egomaniac among them. Their “prophets” were Voltaire, Henri Saint-Simon, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, etc. that initiated the first revolutionary attempt with the French Revolution, which turned into a “dog-eat-dog” bloodbath and gave rise to Napoleon taking the crown of Emperor from the Pope to crown himself!…and that’s been the pattern of socialism ever since…the Communist (Common-ists), National SOCIALIST Workers Party (NAZI is the acronym), Fascism (meaning “bundle of sticks tied together), Progressivism (actually regressivism)…they’re all branches in the Atheistic Socialist Utopian family tree. They quarrel with each other as denominations of the same belief system over which one’s going to ultimately take domination of the global police state. It is a deceptive, conniving, EVIL belief system that unleashes the innate fallen sin nature of mankind through moral relativism without the restraining power of submitting to the Higher Authority of Holiness (just as Napoleon was symbolically shaking his fist in the face of God by crowning himself) . Nature reveals that when you turn out the “LIght” you automatically get “darkness”.
We are a nation of equal opportunity, not of guaranteed success. And it should stay that way . The poor will be with us always no matter what their reasons or excuses .
This is a great topic. Thanks for writing!
–Zach Bennett
“Capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings and socialism is the equal sharing of misery.” Winston Churchill
It’s as true as the day is long.
Don’t talk about Socialism if you live under Capitalism, don’t talk about it if you didn’t live in Cuba for at least the last thirty years. The words of Churchill seems to be written today for the people living there. I don’t know if Capitalism works, but for sure Socialism is not an alternative.
Few today have said it better, though many roll their eyes at Churchill’s maxim, while running off the cliff. He was right to realize that these humanisms comprise a religion separating itself from moral law. I think the most important word in his quotation is “envy”: the starting point for the nonproductive citizens who demand more of the working class, encouraged by comments like “you didn’t build that” or “it takes a village.” Capitalism allows individual ingenuity, which works when government allows people freely to use their God-given talents to better themselves, their family and their community.
Churchill’s ready with should appeal to everyone. One of my favorites is, “If a man is 20 and not a Socialist, he has no heart. If a man is 40 and not a Capitalist, he has no head.”
Sorry to disappoint, but he never said that, nor anything like it. A more common misquoite is: “If a man is not liberal in youth he has no heart. If he is not conservative when older he has no brain.” Another variation: “When I was a young liberal I thought with my heart; when I grew wiser and conservative I thought with my brain.” These are all over the internet, but do not occur in his 20 million published words and 60 million words about him by biographers or colleagues. It is a prime example of “Churchillian Drift.”