this post was submitted on 03 Dec 2025
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[–] RichardDegenne@lemmy.zip 2 points 7 hours ago

I've always attributed that first quote to Machiavelli, but I can't any source for it either. Am I crazy?

[–] Ram_The_Manparts@hexbear.net 21 points 21 hours ago

What's funny about the Stalin one is that it can very easily be read as a condemnation of the fact that when someone who enjoys some sort of elevated status dies it will be on the front page of every newspaper, while if tons of common people die from preventable causes year after year those same newspapers will do their best to just ignore it.

[–] kittenzrulz123@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 19 hours ago

What next you're gonna tell me this quote isnt real? "Socialism is when the government does stuff. And it's more socialism the more stuff it does. And if it does a real lot of stuff, it's communism." - Carl Mark

[–] YaGirlAutumn@leminal.space 20 points 21 hours ago (4 children)

Fake Marx makes a good point though

[–] procapra@lemmy.ml 5 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

Yaroslavsky's "Religion in the USSR" is a very interesting work to me (he was the leader/founder of the Militant Atheist League), also check out the Little Lenin Library compilation titled "Lenin On Religion". Both are short if people are interested in reading them.

[–] eldavi@lemmy.ml 1 points 10 hours ago

it would do a log to remove the impetus for lots of violence around the world

[–] Coolkidbozzy@hexbear.net 8 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

This is not what Marxists believe. Religion is the opiate of the people, a way to numb suffering in a world full of pain and deprivation. The first requisite to a happy people is improving material conditions. All communist experiments believe this. Religious institutions are a different matter, where states deal with them situationally

[–] ShinkanTrain@lemmy.ml 5 points 14 hours ago

If you like your opium, you can keep it

[–] Typotyper@sh.itjust.works 2 points 17 hours ago

Very good point. Sign me up

[–] Red_October@hexbear.net 17 points 1 day ago

Yeah these quotes always sounded like they came out of the same G.I. Joe figurine.

[–] RiverRock@lemmy.ml 27 points 1 day ago

"We will wage our revolution by teaching gay in schools and taxing small business owners"

-Ho Chi Minh

[–] davel@lemmy.ml 34 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I wouldn’t be surprised if Mao really said that, where the quote is taken out of context. https://en.prolewiki.org/wiki/Library:Oppose_Book_Worship

Whatever is written in a book is right — such is still the mentality of culturally backward Chinese peasants. Strangely enough, within the Communist Party there are also people who always say in a discussion, "Show me where it's written in the book." When we say that a directive of a higher organ of leadership is correct, that is not just because it comes from "a higher organ of leadership" but because its contents conform with both the objective and subjective circumstances of the struggle and meet its requirements. It is quite wrong to take a formalist attitude and blindly carry out directives without discussing and examining them in the light of actual conditions simply because they come from a higher organ. It is the mischief done by this formalism which explains why the line and tactics of the Party do not take deeper root among the masses. To carry out a directive of a higher organ blindly, and seemingly without any disagreement, is not really to carry it out but is the most artful way of opposing or sabotaging it.

The method of studying the social sciences exclusively from the book is likewise extremely dangerous and may even lead one onto the road of counter-revolution. Clear proof of this is provided by the fact that whole batches of Chinese Communists who confined themselves to books in their study of the social sciences have turned into counter-revolutionaries. When we say Marxism is correct, it is certainly not because Marx was a "prophet" but because his theory has been proved correct in our practice and in our struggle. We need Marxism in our struggle. In our acceptance of his theory no such formalization of mystical notion as that of "prophecy" ever enters our minds. Many who have read Marxist books have become renegades from the revolution, whereas illiterate workers often grasp Marxism very well. Of course we should study Marxist books, but this study must be integrated with our country's actual conditions. We need books, but we must overcome book worship, which is divorced from the actual situation.

How can we overcome book worship? The only way is to investigate the actual situation.

If only Maoists would take Mao’s own advice…

[–] ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works 9 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

The lab work v field work divide transcends both politics and history.

[–] davel@lemmy.ml 20 points 21 hours ago

In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is.

[–] Objection@lemmy.ml 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Are we sure the Lenin one's not real? Lenin's plan for defeating the bourgeoisie was, famously, to work within the system to increase taxes through incremental reforms.

[–] garbagebagel@lemmy.world 15 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Idk if it's a real quote but I got a new plan, listen: "the way to crush the burgeoise is to grind them."

[–] Objection@lemmy.ml 12 points 22 hours ago

Finally, a grindset I can get behind.

[–] JillyB@beehaw.org 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Is this trolling? I've never heard any of these fake quotes.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 7 points 11 hours ago

I've definitely heard a few, like the Stalin one, passed around by anti-communists.

[–] Stez827@sh.itjust.works -1 points 20 hours ago

I don't know if the lenin one is real or fake but either way it's fire