Karl Kautsky Quotes

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

I wanted everyone to be equal. I wanted everyone to be rich. Nobody would oppress anybody. Nobody would look down on anybody. No capitalism. No oppression.

The socialist labor party of Germany endeavors by every lawful means to bring about a free state and a socialistic society, to effect the destruction of the iron law of wages by doing away with the system of wage labor, to abolish exploitation of every kind, and to extinguish all social and political inequality.

What being a socialist means is... that you hold out... a vision of society where poverty is absolutely unnecessary, where international relations are not based on greed... but on cooperation... where human beings can own the means of production and work together rather than having to work as semi-slaves to other people who can hire and fire.

Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.

But Socialism, alone, can bring self-determination of their peoples.

The goal of socialism is communism.

The Socialist group in the Chamber affirms .... that, in conformity with the fundamental thinking of the Socialists in all countries and with the tradition of French Socialism ever since the Revolution, it aims to abolish the capitalist system itself and to put an end to the exploitation of man by man, through the conquest of political power by the proletariat, through the substitution of social property for capitalist property, and through international agreement of the workers.

There can be no socialism without democracy.

Marxist literature dealt with wage exploitation, exploitation of women by men, the exploitation of people of color by white peoples, the exploitation of colonial countries by imperialist countries. And Marx spoke of the fact that socialism will be the kingdom of freedom, where man realizes himself in a way that humankind has never seen before. This was an inspiring body of literature to read.

Socialism appeals to Jews because it embraces the interests of the oppressed.

The Constituent Assembly ratifies the transfer of all banks to the ownership of the workers' and peasants' government as one of the conditions for the emancipation of the toiling masses from the yoke of capitalism.

I am a socialist; of course I am a socialist. To hold a vision that society can be fundamentally different, to believe that all people can be equal - that is not a new idea.

I'm a socialist.

There is no other definition of socialism valid for us than that of the abolition of the exploitation of man by man.

Socialism is the only answer and I urge all comrades to take this struggle to a victorious conclusion. Only this will free us from the chains of bigotry and exploitation.

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

Libertarian socialism is properly to be regarded as the inheritor of the liberal ideals of the Enlightenment.

I'm a socialist. I'm amazed at how the spirit of socialism is alive and well in New York. I had always thought I wouldn't want to be here without a lot of money, but I was wrong about that.

Political Freedom without economic equality is a pretense, a fraud, a lie; and the workers want no lying.

Long live the liberation of the workers off all countries from the infernal chasm of war, exploitation and slavery!

For me, socialism has always been about liberty and solidarity, but also about responsibility.

I don't think socialism, and I don't think warmness and respect are necessarily bad words.

There have been as many varieties of socialists as there are wild birds that fly in the woods and sometimes go up and on through the clouds.

We believe in loving our brothers regardless of race, color or creed and we believe in showing this love by working for better conditions immediately and the ultimate owning by the workers of their means of production.