Joe Slovo Quotes

A reform is a correction of abuses; a revolution is a transfer of power.

In most revolutions, where events are drawn out, particularly after the initial flush of victory, the masses can feel the gains of the revolution slipping from their hands. The advanced sections of the proletariat, realizing the dangerous situation, begin to become impatient and attempt to recapture the initiative

To die for the revolution is a one-shot deal; to live for the revolution means taking on the more difficult commitment of changing our day-to-day life patterns.

All epoch-making revolutionary events have been produced not by the written word but by the spoken word.

Revolution is the duty of the worker and the peasant masses and not of just a few heroes, hence the necessity to organize these masses and draw them into the struggle.

In the course of time, however, the insolence of the nobles … induced the people to rise…. The nobility, to save a portion of their power, were forced to yield a share of it to the people.

Either the government will be given to us or we will take it.

All power is fast getting into the hands of the very lowest people.

Not one rebel or many rebels can change a government by force.

Revolution is always delightful in the preliminary stages. So long as it's a question of getting rid of the people at the top.

Fire in the lake: The image of revolution.

I want a prepared, organized, orderly and resistless revolution.

Comrades, the revolution is on.

… the most sacred right [revolution] to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better.

In difficult or critical times some comrades often have doubts about the survival of Red political power and become pessimistic. The reason is that they have not found the correct explanation for its emergence and survival. If only we realize that splits and wars will never cease within the White regime in China, we shall have no doubts about the emergence, survival and daily growth of Red political power.

In a county where power is in the hands of the local tyrants and evil gentry, the magistrate, whoever he may be, is almost invariably a corrupt official. In a county where the peasants have risen there is clean government, whoever the magistrate.

It is not leaders who make movements; it is movements that make leaders.

I do not believe that monarchy and aristocracy will continue seven years longer in any of the enlightened countries of Europe

Critics intend on changing the balance of public opinion and of political power.

The history of the Roman Empire is also the history of the uprising of the Empire of the Masses, who absorb and annul the directing minorities and put themselves in their place.

The National Socialist Revolution is not simply the taking of power in the state by one party from another, but brings a complete revolution of our German existence. Henceforth every matter demands decision, and every act demands responsibility.

When citizens have no political way to deal with revolution, they become counter-revolutionary.

We now have a literary movement. it is not very important; it will be followed by a political movement, that will not be very important; then must come a military movement, that will be important indeed

A party as such, in the course of the development of a revolution, becomes identical with the revolution.

Revolutions are not push button affairs; rather, they evolve only if there exists a reservoir of hope and grievance that can be galvanized into popular action.