Imperialism Quotes

• I do not hesitate one second to state clearly and unmistakably: I belong to the American resistance movement which fights against American imperialism, just as the resistance movement fought against Hitler.

  Paul Robeson

  Fighting, Movement, Resistance

  Paul Robeson, Philip Sheldon Foner (1978). “Paul Robeson speaks: writings, speeches, interviews, 1918-1974”, Brunner-Routledge

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• Imperialism is a system of exploitation that occurs not only in the brutal form of those who come with guns to conquer territory. Imperialism often occurs in more subtle forms, a loan, food aid, blackmail . We are fighting this system that allows a handful of men on earth to rule all of humanity.

  Thomas Sankara

  Fighting, Gun, Men

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• If it were necessary to give the briefest possible definition of imperialism, we should have to say that imperialism is the monopoly stage of capitalism.

  Vladimir Lenin

  Should Have, Giving, Definitions

  Vladimir Lenin (2010). “Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism”, p.57, Penguin UK

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• The greatest menace to the world today is the growing, exploiting, irresponsible imperialism.

  Mahatma Gandhi

  World, Growing, Today

  Mahatma Gandhi (1949). “Communal Unity”

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• For behind all imperialism is ultimately the imperialistic individual, just as behind all peace is ultimately the peaceful individual.

  Irving Babbitt

  Love, Peace, Individual

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• Imperialism is an institution under which one nation asserts the right to seize the land or at least to control the government or resources of another people.

  John T. Flynn

  Peace, War, Government

  John Thomas Flynn (1944). “As We Go Marching”, p.213, Ludwig von Mises Institute

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• ...because it is the very nature of Imperialism to turn humans into beasts.

  Che Guevara

  Nature, Beast, Turns

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• Imperialism is a negation of God. It does ungodly acts in the name of God.

  Mahatma Gandhi

  God, Names, Doe

  Mahatma Gandhi (1949). “Communal Unity”

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• Imperialism leaves behind germs of rot which we must clinically detect and remove from our land but from our minds as well.

  Frantz Fanon

  Land, Mind, Germs

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• Who are we to say what's right for civilizations that were already thousands of years old when our own nation came into being?

  Unita Blackwell

  Years, Civilization, Nations

  Unita Blackwell, JoAnne Prichard Morris (2006). “Barefootin': Life Lessons from the Road to Freedom”, Crown

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• Imperialism was born when the ruling class in capitalist production came up against national limits to its economic expansion.

  Hannah Arendt

  Class, Expansion, Limits

  Hannah Arendt (1968). “Imperialism: Part Two Of The Origins Of Totalitarianism”, p.18, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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• Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.

  Theodore Roosevelt

  Leadership, Presidential, Sticks

  Letter to Henry L. Sprague, 26 Jan. 1900

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• Imperialism is capitalism at that stage of development at which the dominance of monopolies and finance capitalism is established; in which the export of capital has acquired pronounced importance; in which the division of the world among the international trusts has begun, in which the division of all territories of the globe among the biggest capitalist powers has been completed.

  Vladimir Lenin

  Development, World, Territory

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• The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much.

  Joseph Conrad

  Peace, Mean, Racism

  Heart of Darkness ch. 1 (1902)

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• I am an anti-imperialist. I am opposed to having the eagle put its talons on any other land.

  Mark Twain

  War, Eagles, Land

  Mark Twain (1970). “King Leopold's Soliloquy”, p.8, LeftWord Books

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• In my opinion and experience, imperialists of all nations and races will tell us anything to keep us fighting. For them.

  Alice Walker

  Fighting, Race, Opinion

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• The truth is that neither British nor American imperialism was or is idealistic. It has always been driven by economic or strategic interests.

  Charley Reese

  Peace, War, Truth Is

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• If there ever was in the history of humanity an enemy who was truly universal, an enemy whose acts and moves trouble the entire world, threaten the entire world, attack the entire world in any way or another, that real and really universal enemy is precisely Yankee imperialism.

  Fidel Castro

  Military, Real, Moving

  Fidel Castro (1969). “Fidel Castro Speaks”

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• Shall we go on conferring our Civilization upon the peoples that sit in darkness, or shall we give those poor things a rest?

  Mark Twain

  Civilization, Giving, Darkness

  Mark Twain (2004). “The Portable Mark Twain”, p.495, Penguin

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• Western interests: imperialism, colonialism, exploitation, racism, and other negative -isms.

  Malcolm X

  Racism, Colonialism, Negative

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• Imperialism as he [Kipling] sees it is a sort of forcible evangelising.

  George Orwell

  Kipling

  "All Art Is Propaganda: Critical Essays".

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• When the white man turns tyrant, it is his own freedom that he destroys

  George Orwell

  Men, White Man, Tyrants

  George Orwell (2009). “Facing Unpleasant Facts: Narrative Essays”, p.34, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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• The concept of unlimited expansion that alone can fulfill the hope for unlimited accumulation of capital, and brings about the aimless accumulation of power, makes the foundation of new political bodies - which up to the era of imperialism always had been the upshot of conquest - well-nigh impossible.

  Hannah Arendt

  Political, Foundation, Expansion

  Hannah Arendt (1968). “Imperialism: Part Two Of The Origins Of Totalitarianism”, p.29, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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• Imperialism is not the creation of any one or any one group of states.

  Karl Liebknecht

  Groups, Creation, States

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• It is in the nature of imperialism that citizens of the imperial power are always among the last to know-or care-about circumstances in the colonies.

  Bertrand Russell

  Tyrants, Citizens, Care

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