Fidel Castro Quotes

There is a holy mistaken zeal in politics as religion. By persuading others, we convince ourselves.

There is one thing stronger than all the armies of the world, and that is an idea whose time has come.

Both force and money are impotent against ideas.

You can kill a man, but you can't kill an idea.

Ideas can never be defeated by military force. They can only be defeated by better ideas.

The greatest weapon in an ideological war is words.

Social change without music would be void of soul. Nonviolence without music, meditation, action, and a willingness to take risks probably doesn't exist.

The nation needs a statesman who fears not to meet and who knows how to sway immense masses of the working classes.

Contrary to public understanding, Anarchism means 'peace on earth, good will to men'. Acts of violence done in the name of Anarchy are caused by men and women who forget to be philosophers - teachers of the people - because their physical and mental suffering drive them to desperation

You will see how little time we shall need in order to upset the ideas and the criteria of the whole world, simply and purely by attacking Judaism.... Anti-Semitism is a useful revolutionary expedient.

Eloquence may set fire to reason.

What does democracy come down to? The persuasive power of slogans invented by wily self-seeking politicians.

Why should freedom of speech and freedom of the press be allowed? Why should a government which is doing what it believes is right allow itself to be criticized? It would not allow opposition by lethal weapons. Ideas are much more fatal things than guns.

Conservatism, by all means, if there is anything worth conserving, and everything not worth losing. Revolution, if there is nothing worth conserving, and everything worth gaining. These are the class lines upon which the political battle is being fought, and is bound to be fought

Communism was not only defined as the things that Marx and Lenin had advocated, but included anything that had the potential for change in the society.

It is no longer possible to satirize this state of affairs. Every satire risks becoming a bible for yet another national liberation front. Every satirist risks becoming the founder of a new religion, a Buddha, Zarathustra, Jesus, Muhammad or Marx. Every exposure of the ravages of the dominant system, every critique of the system's functioning, becomes fodder for the horses of liberators, welding materials for builders of armies

Every ideology and mode of belief can, if true, implement itself by using the resources of technology and above all those of the media without having to resort to violence. In other words, violence has become unnecessary. In fact things have got to the point where violence cannot be afforded.

Propaganda is not French, it is not civilized to want other people to believe what you believe because the essence of being civilized is to possess yourself as you are, and if you possess yourself as you are, you of course cannot possess any one else, it is not your business.

What you say in defense of … ideas matters, and what people hear matters even more.

That desire which is in us all to better other people's condition by having them think as we think.

In the long run even the most despotic governments with all their brutality and cruelty are no match for ideas. Eventually the ideology that has won the support of the majority will prevail and cut the ground from under the tyrants feet. Then the oppressed many will rise in rebellion and overthrow their masters.

We are on the threshold of a significant breakthrough, and the greatest weapon is the mass demonstration.

Words are capable of shaking the entire structure of government

You cannot do anything without rousing the masses to action.

… propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new; nor can it keep people persuaded once they have ceased to believe. It penetrates only into minds already open, and rather than instill opinion it articulates and justifies opinions already present in the minds of its recipients. The gifted propagandist brings to a boil ideas and passions already simmering in the minds of his hearers. he echoes their innermost feelings.