Skip to content

Impotence therefore faces both those who believe in what…

“Impotence therefore faces both those who believe in what amounts to a pure, stateless, market capitalism, a sort of international bourgeois anarchism, and those who believe in a planned socialism uncontaminated by private profit-seeking. Both are bankrupt. The future, like the present and the…” quote by Eric Hobsbawm
Download Open image
“Impotence therefore faces both those who believe in what amounts to a pure, stateless, market capitalism, a sort of international bourgeois anarchism, and those who believe in a planned socialism uncontaminated by private profit-seeking. Both are bankrupt. The future, like the present and the past, belongs to mixed economies in which public and private are braided together in one way or another. But how? That is the problem for everybody today, but especially for people on the left.”

Eric Hobsbawm

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Pure market or pure planned economies fail; mixed economies blend public and private strengths.

In simple terms: Mixed economies combine public and private.

Key Takeaway

Advocate balanced economic policies.

Themes

economics political theory mixed economies

Mood

thoughtful balanced

Type

theoretical strategic

When to use this quote

  • policy design
  • urban planning
  • social welfare
  • business strategy

Key Concepts

capitalism socialism public‑private partnership

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can mixed models address inequality?
  • What safeguards prevent private capture?
A Different Perspective

Balancing interests can be politically contentious.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Eric Hobsbawm

Explore all 29 Eric Hobsbawm quotes

More Amount quotes

Browse all 4,202 Amount quotes