Capitalism Quote by Arundhati Roy
“Soviet-style communism failed, not because it was intrinsically evil, but because it was flawed. It allowed too few people to usurp too much power. Twenty-first century market capitalism, American-style, will fail for the same reasons. Both are edifices constructed by human intelligence, undone by human nature.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Algebra of Infinite Justice, 2001
Human‑designed systems fail when power concentrates in too few hands, regardless of ideology.
In simple terms: Power concentration causes system failure.
Key Takeaway
Limit power concentration.
Themes
politics
economics
human nature
Mood
cautious
critical
Type
analytical
political
When to use this quote
- government
- corporate governance
- social movements
Key Concepts
centralization
institutional design
corruption
Questions to Reflect On
- How can power be more evenly distributed?
- What safeguards prevent elite capture?
A Different Perspective
Even balanced systems can be undermined by human self‑interest.
![“Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a [Soviet socialistic] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants, lands, banks, means of transportation, etc., remain untouched there, and, therefore, capitalism in Germany and Italy…” quote by Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/411/joseph-stalin-1734_capitalism_neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-natio_1430.jpg)
