"The main vice of capitalism is the uneven distribution of prosperity.
The main vice of socialism is the even distribution of misery."
by:
Sir Winston Churchill
(1874-1965) Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1940-1945, 1951-1955)
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Churchill was and is as always the consummate statesman. There is none; neither British, Canadian (notice that's before American) or American that is any near his equal. Certainly the last World War was fought - and won with American assistance it should be recognized that the bulk of the intelligence - and counter intelligence were performed by British, French and Canadian operatives throughout the European Theater. .
 -- Flicktripper, Red Deer, Alberta, CANADA     
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    Flicktripper, I like it - John Wayne didn't make it up to Canada enough and the schools down south here just ignore most of history ;-), as to the quote, far more accurate than not; lets see, 4 or 5 stars, aahhh - ok - 5 stars.
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    Free enterprise and the responsibility of practicing it with prudence with the general welfare of all individuals in mind is what we need to return to. Greed with no one else in mind is what we live by today.
     -- Anon     
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    Under Communism in the Soviet Union, 3% of the people, the rulers, lived in luxury while 97% lived in abject poverty and misery. I suspect that this percentage holds true in countries such as Cuba and N Korea.
     -- jim k, austin     
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    Winston had American relatives and this quote proves he also had a taint of American pragmatism. The ideologues should not really like this quote. But this quote shows Winston's sensitivity to the human dialogue started by Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle "which way is best for humanity to live".
     -- Waffler, Smith     
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    I laugh everytime Obama is presented ever so gingerly by the press that perhaps his policies or ideologies are socialistic -- he never denies it, but manages to side step answering it by saying that people shouldn't assume any ideology from his actions. ;-) Yeah... I guess that is why he is always talking about a future of gloom and doom -- that means that he is preparing us for the (un)even distribution of misery to come.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    The fact that some high percentage of Americans see Obama favorably flies in the face of Archer's talking about a furture of gloom and doom. The heavy favorable ratings would do not go with a prophet of gloom and doom. Regardless of what the future may or may not bring most people do not see Obama as talking gloom and doom. Just another example of how out of step and unaware Archer is of the environment in which he lives.
     -- Waffler, Smith     
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    Winston Churchill could say more in a few words than any man since Abraham Lincoln. I believe both men would be shocked and saddened by the depth of dependency on government to which their respective countries have sunken.
     -- J Rice, Wellsville, NY USA     
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    Pure conservatism. Obama supporters are nothing more than morons.
     -- waren, olathe     
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    The force behind socialism is pretty simple: the search for some kind of 'cosmic justice'. It's not fair that some people are born more talented than others. It's not fair that some people are born into better families than others. It's not fair that some people work hard and overcome their horrendous upbringing while others never escape their slough of despond. Socialism is a religious jihad against cosmic unfairness. Its sacrament is righteous indignation consumed in large doses. And it's creed is that government, by wielding the threat of deadly force, can make everything right.
     -- wabbott, Atlanta, GA, USA     
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    Clever quote, but irrelevant to current events in 2009 USA. Socialism is not an all-or-nothing proposition, and merely taking health care out of the abusive hands of HMOs where decisions are determined based on the need to grow profits is hardly crossing a line into Stalinism. The America you love is already partially socialized, and I doubt you've ever worried much about it. We already have socialized medicine for the elderly (medicare) and for some poor people (medicaid), socialized retirement (social security), socialized education (public schools), not to mention socialized defense (the military), socialized infrastructure construction and maintenance (Depts of Transportation), etc, etc... Socialism is just the govt providing a service to the citizenry at-large, instead of requiring that we fend for ourselves. Merely expanding the availability of medicare/medicaid to make sure that everyone has access to basic health care would not turn the USA into the USSR, no matter how often or how loudly Rush Limbaugh tells you it is (as he shills for corporate interests).
     -- Sam, Philadelphia     
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     -- bud, boston      

     -- M.Brown, Florida     
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    The main vice of power mongering ideologues is their morbid disposition to endeavor to level the Human Race.

    Egalitarianism constitutes a willfully obtuse denial of the Creator ordained, self evident, differences that exist among human beings.

    An actuality such as was profoundly understood by our Noblemen of Nature Founders.
     -- Patrick Henry, Red Hill     
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     -- Mary - MI      
    I love these 'either or, this or that quotes' Churchill was 50% wrong all of the time and 50% right none of the time.
     -- Mick, Manchester     
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    This quote is quite diversionary, for it is the uneven prosperity that is at the heart of the distribution of the misery. Socialism distributes equal terms and understanding. All prosper with equal regard of participation sharing in the equal distribution that the socialized mentality is offered 
     -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown     
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