--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In all the socialist literature I had…" description: "\"“In all the socialist literature I had read, there was hardly a chapter devoted to the creation of wealth, the problem of getting people to work or to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbb/david-horowitz-4695_books_in-all-the-socialist-literature-i-had-re_2938979.jpg" --- # In all the socialist literature I had read, there was… ![“In all the socialist literature I had read, there was hardly a chapter devoted to the creation of wealth, the problem of getting people to work or to behave in a civilized manner. Socialist theory was exclusively addressed to the conquest of power and the division of wealth that someone else had…” quote by David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbb/david-horowitz-4695_books_in-all-the-socialist-literature-i-had-re_2938979.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbb/david-horowitz-4695_books_in-all-the-socialist-literature-i-had-re_2938979.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbb/david-horowitz-4695_books_in-all-the-socialist-literature-i-had-re_2938979.jpg) > ““In all the socialist literature I had read, there was hardly a chapter devoted to the creation of wealth, the problem of getting people to work or to behave in a civilized manner. Socialist theory was exclusively addressed to the conquest of power and the division of wealth that someone else had created. Was it any surprise that socialist societies had broken world records in making their inhabitants poor?”” [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Socialist ideas often ignore wealth creation and labor incentives, focusing on power and redistribution, leading to poverty. **In simple terms:** Neglecting incentives harms economies. Key Takeaway Consider incentive structures in policy. Themes politics economics socialism wealth creation Mood critical analytical Type political economic When to use this quote - government planning - economic reform - social welfare programs - development aid Key Concepts Marxist theory public policy human behavior Questions to Reflect On - What incentives could a socialist system include? - How do cultural values affect economic outcomes? A Different Perspective Critics argue that some socialist models incorporate incentives successfully. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Broken world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broken-world/) [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Socialist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/socialist/) ## Related quotes > [“In my own passage out of the left nearly 20 years ago, it occurred to me that my revolutionary comrades never addressed to themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/in-my-own-passage-out-of-the-left-nearly-20-years-ago-it-occurred-to/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [“If one faces facts one must admit that nearly everything describable as Socialist literature is dull, tasteless, and bad”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/if-one-faces-facts-one-must-admit-that-nearly-everything-describable/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [The high-water mark, so to speak, of Socialist literature is W.H. Auden, a sort of gutless Kipling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-high-water-mark-so-to-speak-of-socialist-literature-is-w-h-auden/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [“In the vast library of socialist theory, and in all of Marx’s compendious works, there is not a chapter devoted to the creation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/in-the-vast-library-of-socialist-theory-and-in-all-of-marx-s/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [“The catastrophe of every socialist scheme in the 20th century has had a devastating effect on leftwing optimism and has replaced it with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/the-catastrophe-of-every-socialist-scheme-in-the-20th-century-has-had/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [it is a serious thing // just to be alive / on this fresh morning / in this broken world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/it-is-a-serious-thing-just-to-be-alive-on-this-fresh-morning-in-this/) [Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/) > [“Pain is a lifelong fixture in a broken world, girl. All of us need strength from God to face hurts from inside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pepper-d-basham/pain-is-a-lifelong-fixture-in-a-broken-world-girl-all-of-us-need/) Pepper D. Basham > [Adoption is a redemptive response to tragedy that happens in this broken world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/adoption-is-a-redemptive-response-to-tragedy-that-happens-in-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Then, with a stately leap, the sun bounded into the sky, and the whole, messy, beautiful, broken world was stained with fire.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-constable/then-with-a-stately-leap-the-sun-bounded-into-the-sky-and-the-whole/) [Kate Constable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-constable/) > [“I had never been so close to death before. For a long time, as I lay there trying to clear my mind, I couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-brink/i-had-never-been-so-close-to-death-before-for-a-long-time-as-i-lay/) [Andre Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-brink/) > [“That was when I realized we weren’t born to be slaves. It was ignorant for any man to think he could be the master…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-grewal/that-was-when-i-realized-we-weren-t-born-to-be-slaves-it-was-ignorant/) [Jay Grewal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-grewal/) > [“we elevate what we deem beautiful, endeavor to create spheres of pristine beauty, and perhaps rightly so, for “whatever is good, pure, lovely, think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zondervan-publishing/we-elevate-what-we-deem-beautiful-endeavor-to-create-spheres-of/) [Zondervan Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zondervan-publishing/) > [“We’ve all been at least a little broken by the world. But the world only notices when we try to hurt it back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-nickless/we-ve-all-been-at-least-a-little-broken-by-the-world-but-the-world/) [Barbara Nickless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-nickless/) > [“Let us then try what love can do to mend a broken world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/let-us-then-try-what-love-can-do-to-mend-a-broken-world/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [Fiction and non-fiction are only different techniques of story telling. For reasons I do not fully understand, fiction dances out of me. Non-fiction is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/fiction-and-non-fiction-are-only-different-techniques-of-story/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) ## More by David Horowitz > [In entirely unrelated news, there's a new proposal to mandate coverage for gay infertility. The problem is that gay infertility is just biology. Two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/in-entirely-unrelated-news-there-s-a-new-proposal-to-mandate-coverage/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [“The utility of "structural" racism for demagogues like Jackson is that even while acknowledging that the vast majority of whites are no longer overtly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/the-utility-of-structural-racism-for-demagogues-like-jackson-is-that/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [Sanctimony is the most inexpensive form of morality. It costs us nothing to make much of small matters in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/sanctimony-is-the-most-inexpensive-form-of-morality-it-costs-us/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [“If Republicans care about the Constitution, they have to find the courage to say no or lose their constituencies and ultimately their cause. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/if-republicans-care-about-the-constitution-they-have-to-find-the/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [Instead of educating students, these professors are trying to indoctrinate them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/instead-of-educating-students-these-professors-are-trying-to/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [In politics intentions count for nothing; actions are what matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/in-politics-intentions-count-for-nothing-actions-are-what-matter/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [“It was this rallying of the Republican troops, who turned out in record crowds during the campaign, that led Trump to call what he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/it-was-this-rallying-of-the-republican-troops-who-turned-out-in/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [No one is responsible under liberalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/no-one-is-responsible-under-liberalism/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [“This is not a small matter. According to a recent poll conducted by the Freedom Forum, a liberal foundation in Tennessee, 89 percent of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/this-is-not-a-small-matter-according-to-a-recent-poll-conducted-by/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [“Conservatism does not have a party line. It is possible for conservatives to question virtually any position held by other conservatives including, evidently, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/conservatism-does-not-have-a-party-line-it-is-possible-for/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [“The remedy is to terminate them after the founding generation dies out. Older foundations like Ford should be sunset immediately and its funds distributed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/the-remedy-is-to-terminate-them-after-the-founding-generation-dies/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [“… I do not feel that life is a downhill run. Nor do I think of it as an arc that rises steadily until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/i-do-not-feel-that-life-is-a-downhill-run-nor-do-i-think-of-it-as-an/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [“But Hayek is also one of the handful of social scientists who (along with his teacher Ludwig von Mises) demonstrated more than sixty years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/but-hayek-is-also-one-of-the-handful-of-social-scientists-who-along/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [The source of the terror in Lebanon as in Iraq is to be found in the Koran and in the despotisms of the Arab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/the-source-of-the-terror-in-lebanon-as-in-iraq-is-to-be-found-in-the/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) > [“The doctrine that only whites can be racist is, in fact, itself an instigation to hate crimes. It is a doctrine that has already…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/the-doctrine-that-only-whites-can-be-racist-is-in-fact-itself-an/) [David Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) [Explore all 107 David Horowitz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In all the socialist literature I had read, there was hardly a chapter devoted to the creation of wealth, the problem of getting people to work or to behave in a civilized manner. Socialist theory was exclusively addressed to the conquest of power and the division of wealth that someone else had created. Was it any surprise that socialist societies had broken world records in making their inhabitants poor?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Horowitz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/in-all-the-socialist-literature-i-had-read-there-was-hardly-a-chapter/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/in-all-the-socialist-literature-i-had-read-there-was-hardly-a-chapter/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbb/david-horowitz-4695_books_in-all-the-socialist-literature-i-had-re_2938979.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbb/david-horowitz-4695_books_in-all-the-socialist-literature-i-had-re_2938979.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbb/david-horowitz-4695_books_in-all-the-socialist-literature-i-had-re_2938979.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In all the socialist literature I had read, there was hardly a chapter devoted to the creation of wealth…” — David Horowitz", "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": "David Horowitz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-horowitz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“In all the socialist literature I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/in-all-the-socialist-literature-i-had-read-there-was-hardly-a-chapter/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-horowitz/in-all-the-socialist-literature-i-had-read-there-was-hardly-a-chapter/#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 } } ] } ```