--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are not the ones who create…" description: "\"We are not the ones who create revolutions. It is the imperialist system and its allies, internal allies, the ones who create revolution.\" — Che Guevara" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/226/che-guevara-2007_allies_we-are-not-the-ones-who-create-revolutio_2031937.jpg" --- # We are not the ones who create revolutions. It is the… ![“We are not the ones who create revolutions. It is the imperialist system and its allies, internal allies, the ones who create revolution.” quote by Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/226/che-guevara-2007_allies_we-are-not-the-ones-who-create-revolutio_2031937.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/226/che-guevara-2007_allies_we-are-not-the-ones-who-create-revolutio_2031937.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/226/che-guevara-2007_allies_we-are-not-the-ones-who-create-revolutio_2031937.jpg) > “We are not the ones who create revolutions. It is the imperialist system and its allies, internal allies, the ones who create revolution.” [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Revolutions are driven by systemic forces and their allies, not by individual actors alone. **In simple terms:** Systems, not individuals, spark revolutions. Key Takeaway Recognize structural causes. Themes politics revolution systems colonialism Mood revolutionary critical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - activist organizing - policy reform - academic study Key Concepts imperialism social movements Questions to Reflect On - What systemic factors enable change? - How can individuals responsibly influence those systems? A Different Perspective Individual agency still matters in shaping outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Allies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allies/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Revolutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolutions/) ## Related quotes > [By being natural and sincere, one often can create revolutions without having sought them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-dior/by-being-natural-and-sincere-one-often-can-create-revolutions-without/) [Christian Dior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-dior/) > [Al Jazeera is not a tool of revolution. We do not create revolutions. However, when something of that magnitude happens, we are at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wadah-khanfar/al-jazeera-is-not-a-tool-of-revolution-we-do-not-create-revolutions/) [Wadah Khanfar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wadah-khanfar/) > [Martyrs are needed to create incidents. Incidents are needed to create revolutions. Revolutions are needed to create progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-himes/martyrs-are-needed-to-create-incidents-incidents-are-needed-to-create/) [Chester Himes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-himes/) > [“We are here to create a revolution unlike any thing gone before. A Conscious Awareness Tsunami that will sweep the planet and shake our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-kumar/we-are-here-to-create-a-revolution-unlike-any-thing-gone-before-a/) [Abhishek Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-kumar/) > [“People who know what kind of new world they want to create through revolution are trouble enough; those who only know what they want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lilla/people-who-know-what-kind-of-new-world-they-want-to-create-through/) [Mark Lilla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lilla/) > [In a different moment, in the 60s and 70s, I did believe we were going to succeed - that we were going to create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hollibaugh/in-a-different-moment-in-the-60s-and-70s-i-did-believe-we-were-going/) [Amber Hollibaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hollibaugh/) > [We create revolution by living it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-rubin/we-create-revolution-by-living-it/) [Jerry Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-rubin/) > [I don't want to create a revolution — I just want to create a few more films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-chaplin/i-don-t-want-to-create-a-revolution-i-just-want-to-create-a-few-more/) [Charlie Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-chaplin/) > [The book, I think, like the map before it, like the clock, created or help create a revolution in the human mind in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-g-carr/the-book-i-think-like-the-map-before-it-like-the-clock-created-or/) [Nicholas G. Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-g-carr/) > [What we did with this mobile telephone was create a revolution. Before the mobile phone existed we were calling a place, now we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-cooper/what-we-did-with-this-mobile-telephone-was-create-a-revolution-before/) [Martin Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-cooper/) > [Revolutions are not exportable: revolutions are created by oppressive conditions which Latin American countries exercise against their peoples.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/revolutions-are-not-exportable-revolutions-are-created-by-oppressive/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [We sold sugar with the specific conditions established by American buyers, which in turn dominated the internal market and production in Cuba. Now if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/we-sold-sugar-with-the-specific-conditions-established-by-american/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [“Don't be afraid to go left when the world is going right. The French learned that the people have power to make change, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-r-lemieux/don-t-be-afraid-to-go-left-when-the-world-is-going-right-the-french/) [Martin R. Lemieux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-r-lemieux/) > [History respects revolutions; and yet, if a revolution is progressive, support it; if it is reactionary, resist it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/history-respects-revolutions-and-yet-if-a-revolution-is-progressive/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“For similar reasons, archaic humans did not initiate any revolutions. As far as we can tell, changes in social patterns, the invention of new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/for-similar-reasons-archaic-humans-did-not-initiate-any-revolutions/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) ## More by Che Guevara > [To accomplish much you must first lose everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/to-accomplish-much-you-must-first-lose-everything/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [I am not Christ or a philanthropist, old lady, I am all the contrary of a Christ I fight for the things I believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/i-am-not-christ-or-a-philanthropist-old-lady-i-am-all-the-contrary-of/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [I know you are here to kill me. Shoot, coward, you are only going to kill a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/i-know-you-are-here-to-kill-me-shoot-coward-you-are-only-going-to/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [Each spilt drop of blood, in any country under whose flag one has not been born, is an experience passed on to those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/each-spilt-drop-of-blood-in-any-country-under-whose-flag-one-has-not/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [We have no right to believe that freedom can be won without struggle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/we-have-no-right-to-believe-that-freedom-can-be-won-without-struggle/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [I am one of those people who believes that the solution to the world's problems is to be found behind the Iron Curtain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/i-am-one-of-those-people-who-believes-that-the-solution-to-the-world/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [We will not accept any conditions from the U.S.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/we-will-not-accept-any-conditions-from-the-u-s/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [Let's liquidate all the atomic bases in Cuba and in the U.S. and we are in complete agreement with that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/let-s-liquidate-all-the-atomic-bases-in-cuba-and-in-the-u-s-and-we/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [How is it possible to feel nostalgia for a world I never knew?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/how-is-it-possible-to-feel-nostalgia-for-a-world-i-never-knew/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [I have sworn before a picture of the old and mourned comrade Stalin that I won’t rest until I see these capitalist octopuses annihilated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/i-have-sworn-before-a-picture-of-the-old-and-mourned-comrade-stalin/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [We sold sugar with the specific conditions established by American buyers, which in turn dominated the internal market and production in Cuba. Now if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/we-sold-sugar-with-the-specific-conditions-established-by-american/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [I think harmonious relations with the U.S. would be very good for us from the economical point of view, more than in any other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/i-think-harmonious-relations-with-the-u-s-would-be-very-good-for-us/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [My nostrils dilate while savoring the acrid odor of gunpowder and blood… Crazy with fury I will stain my rifle red while slaughtering any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/my-nostrils-dilate-while-savoring-the-acrid-odor-of-gunpowder-and/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [In fact, if Christ himself stood in my way, I, like Nietzsche, would not hesitate to squish him like a worm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/in-fact-if-christ-himself-stood-in-my-way-i-like-nietzsche-would-not/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) > [Democracy is not compatible with financial oligarchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/democracy-is-not-compatible-with-financial-oligarchy/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) [Explore all 189 Che Guevara quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) ## More Allies quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) Brian Reade > [If the women in the factories stopped work for twenty minutes, the Allies would lose the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joffre/if-the-women-in-the-factories-stopped-work-for-twenty-minutes-the/) Joseph Joffre > [As far as Japan is concerned, I want to help all of our allies, but we are losing billions and billions of dollars. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/as-far-as-japan-is-concerned-i-want-to-help-all-of-our-allies-but-we/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/one-of-our-great-allies-at-present-is-the-church-itself-do-not/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Our security depends on having good relationships with our allies. Donald Trump mainly shows contempt for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wolfowitz/our-security-depends-on-having-good-relationships-with-our-allies/) [Paul Wolfowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wolfowitz/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-americans-understand-the-costs-of-war-yet-as-a-country-we-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What would your life be like if your body were your friend and ally?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christiane-northrup/what-would-your-life-be-like-if-your-body-were-your-friend-and-ally/) [Christiane Northrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christiane-northrup/) > [“Bacteria and viruses were the most effective allies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eduardo-hughes-galeano/bacteria-and-viruses-were-the-most-effective-allies/) [Eduardo Hughes Galeano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eduardo-hughes-galeano/) > [When black women are down with you and in your corner, you have an ally that will move Heaven and Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-perry/when-black-women-are-down-with-you-and-in-your-corner-you-have-an/) [Tyler Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-perry/) > [There is an irreplaceable ally. It's called the United States of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-netanyahu/there-is-an-irreplaceable-ally-it-s-called-the-united-states-of/) [Benjamin Netanyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-netanyahu/) > [It would have been easier to fight alone with inadequate forces than to have to accept...responsibility for our ally's lack of fighting qualities and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-kesselring/it-would-have-been-easier-to-fight-alone-with-inadequate-forces-than/) [Albert Kesselring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-kesselring/) > [It isn't until you begin to fight in your own cause that you become really committed to winning and become a genuine ally of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-morgan/it-isn-t-until-you-begin-to-fight-in-your-own-cause-that-you-become/) [Robin Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-morgan/) > [ Again, I hear almost everyday from atheists who write off religion as primitive, premodern nonsense. I summon Aquinas, Augustine, Paul \[of Tarsus\], Teresa of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barron/again-i-hear-almost-everyday-from-atheists-who-write-off-religion-as/) [Robert Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barron/) > [My own take on the word "transgender" is that it's an umbrella term for anyone who breaks any rules, laws, guidelines or protocol of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-bornstein/my-own-take-on-the-word-transgender-is-that-it-s-an-umbrella-term-for/) [Kate Bornstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-bornstein/) [Browse all 1,053 Allies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We are not the ones who create revolutions. It is the imperialist system and its allies, internal allies, the ones who create revolution.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Che Guevara" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/we-are-not-the-ones-who-create-revolutions-it-is-the-imperialist/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Allies" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/we-are-not-the-ones-who-create-revolutions-it-is-the-imperialist/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/226/che-guevara-2007_allies_we-are-not-the-ones-who-create-revolutio_2031937.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/226/che-guevara-2007_allies_we-are-not-the-ones-who-create-revolutio_2031937.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/226/che-guevara-2007_allies_we-are-not-the-ones-who-create-revolutio_2031937.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We are not the ones who create revolutions. It is the imperialist system and its allies, internal allies…” — Che Guevara", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Che Guevara", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We are not the ones who...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/we-are-not-the-ones-who-create-revolutions-it-is-the-imperialist/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/we-are-not-the-ones-who-create-revolutions-it-is-the-imperialist/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```