Eugene V. Debs Quotes

It is but right that the men of brains and brawn who produce shall be recognized in the distribution. We simply ask a just proportion of the proceeds.

Factory workers are not working for capitalism, they are working for a living wage.

The issue is Socialism versus Capitalism. I am for Socialism because I am for humanity. We have been cursed with the reign of gold long enough. Money constitutes no proper basis of civilization. The time has come to regenerate society - we are on the eve of universal change.

If workers struggle for higher wages, this is hailed as "social gains", if businessmen struggle for higher profits, this is damned as "selfish greed".

The establishment people tell us that if the workers wanted to share the profits, it was called communism. When management wants to share profits, it's called a bonus.

The Labour Party believes in turning workers against owners; we believe in turning workers into owners.

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

Only with the tools of production in their own hands could the workers ever hope to control their own lives and receive the fruits of their labor.

In the United States you have socialism for the rich and free markets for the poor.

Unless you’re at the very top, you need a more equitable economy.

Since Mill, in 1848, wrote his chapter on the future of the working classes, the question of the distribution of wealth has be-come of still greater importance. We cannot look round on the political phenomena of to-day without seeing that this question is at the root of them. We see the perplexity in which men stand, and the divisions springing up in our great political parties, because of the uncertainty of politicians how to grapple with it.

We need to create an economy that works for everyone, not crony capitalism and unchecked corporate consolidation.

It is my idea to make capitalism create socialism in China so that these two economic forces of human evolution will work side by side in future civilization.

I stand with the working-class citizens.

Socialists will often talk as if some form of superbly equalized destitution were preferable to "maldistributed" plenty. A national income that is rapidly growing in absolute terms for practically everyone will be deplored because it is making the rich richer.

The greed of the billionaire class has got to end and we are going to end it for them.

They do say that socialism is the ideal philosophy-just as long as you have capitalists to pay for it.

To secure to each laborer the whole product of his labor, or as nearly as possible, is a worthy object of any good government.

We've got a lot of work to do economically in this country to bring about a more just and fair economy.

Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite.

I believe in capitalism for everybody, not necessarily high finance but capitalism that works for the working men and women of this country who are out there paddling alone in America right now.

Some day the workers will take possession of your city hall, and when we do, no child will be sacrificed on the altar of profit!

Socialism as such from its very origins is a workers' system, and when there occur deviations, it is workers that react first.

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.

The production of wealth is the result of agreement between labor and capital, between employer and employed. Its distribution, therefore, will follow the law of its creation, or great injustice will be done.