"Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas"
- Joseph Stalin
About this Quote
This quote is often attributed to Joseph Stalin, the former General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Nevertheless, there is some dispute about whether Stalin really claimed this quote or whether it is a misattribution.
If Stalin did state this quote, it most likely reflects his idea in the power of publicity and also suggestions to shape public opinion and also control people's activities. Stalin was recognized for his use propaganda to promote the ideas of communism in the Soviet Union as well as to show skeptics as enemies of the state. By controlling the circulation of info and ideas, Stalin was able to keep his grasp on power for many years.
The quote also suggests that ideas can be equally as hazardous as weapons, if not much more so. In Stalin's sight, permitting his opponents to spread their concepts might be equally as intimidating to his regime as enabling them to possess weapons. This reflects the Soviet Union's stringent control of dissenting opinions and also the suppression of free speech.
In general, this quote highlights the relevance that some leaders place on controlling public opinion and restricting the spread of suggestions that contradict their own belief.
This quote is written / told by Joseph Stalin between December 21, 1879 and March 5, 1953. He was a famous Leader from Russia.
The author also have 25 other quotes.
"A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself. He makes his failure certain by himself being the first person to be convinced of it"
"A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act"