Alexander Dubcek Quotes

There can be no socialism without democracy.

Socialism, as I understand it, is a system of democracy. Without democracy, there is no socialism.

Liberal democracy - as you know, in the old days, we were saying we want socialism with a human face. Today's left effectively offers global capitalism with a human face, more tolerance, more rights and so on. So the question is, is this enough or not? Here I remain a Marxist: I think not.

I'm a very friendly socialist.

Socialist democracy is not, a luxury and its need is not limited to the most advanced industrial countries.

Socialism means slavery.

We who are members of the Communist Party repudiate the exclusive identification of democracy with capitalism. We declare that democracy can be widened, take on new aspects, become truly a rule of the people, only when it is extended to the economic life of the people.

Socialism or Death!

You cannot have socialism without democracy.

We are all socialists now.

What is the difference between democracy and democratic socialism? The same as between a chair and an electric chair.

All that socialism means to me, to be very frank with you, is democracy with a small 'd.' I believe in democracy, and by democracy, I mean that, to as great an extent as possible, human beings have the right to control their own lives. And that means that you cannot separate the political structure from the economic structure.

I think democratic socialism will ultimately prevail in this country because it makes an enormous amount of sense.

I even believed in a third way; I thought it was possible to put a human face on capitalism. But I was wrong. The only way to save the world is through socialism, but a socialism that exists within a democracy; there's no dictatorship here.

'Democratic socialism' is awful as a slogan and catastrophic as a policy. And 'social democracy' - a term that better fits the belief of more ordinary liberals who want, say, Medicare for all - is a politically dying force. Democrats who aren't yet sick of all their losing should feel free to embrace them both.

I'm still committed to the socialist idea because the socialist idea, correctly understood, includes the principles of freedom and social justice. It also includes the recognition of the value of democracy. When we speak about social justice, it means that freedom should be used not only in the interest of profit but also in the interest of the advancement of the people who create all values.

There is only one hope for mankind - and that is democratic Socialism.

I recognise that Socialism has ended its purely theoretical course, and that the hour to construct has come.

We approach closer and closer to socialism.

Socialism is the religion people get when they lose their religion.

The only way to save the world is through socialism, but a socialism that exists within a democracy; there's no dictatorship here.

Socialism's not a word that I use. I say 'social democracy' because I don't think the government needs to own all the means of production.

I am a socialist, a believer in rational thought and the rule of law.

If Socialism can only be realized when the intellectual development of all the people permits it, then we shall not see Socialism for at least five hundred years.

But we don't have an example of a democratic society existing in a socialist economy - which is the only real alternative to capitalism in the modern world.