--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We need to change the system. We need to…" description: "\"We need to change the system. We need to overthrow, not the government, as the authorities are always accusing the Communists 'of conspiring to teach [..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/231/dorothy-day-1629_accusing_we-need-to-change-the-system-we-need-to_1179426.png" --- # We need to change the system. We need to overthrow, not… ![“We need to change the system. We need to overthrow, not the government, as the authorities are always accusing the Communists 'of conspiring to teach [us] to do,' but this rotten, decadent, putrid industrial capitalist system which breeds such suffering in the whited sepulcher of New York.” quote by Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/231/dorothy-day-1629_accusing_we-need-to-change-the-system-we-need-to_1179426.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/231/dorothy-day-1629_accusing_we-need-to-change-the-system-we-need-to_1179426.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/231/dorothy-day-1629_accusing_we-need-to-change-the-system-we-need-to_1179426.png) > “We need to change the system. We need to overthrow, not the government, as the authorities are always accusing the Communists 'of conspiring to teach \[us\] to do,' but this rotten, decadent, putrid industrial capitalist system which breeds such suffering in the whited sepulcher of New York.” [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The capitalist system creates suffering; systemic change is needed beyond merely replacing government. **In simple terms:** Capitalism causes suffering; change needed. Key Takeaway Advocate systemic reform. Themes economics politics social justice systemic oppression Mood urgent critical Type political activist When to use this quote - labor movements - policy advocacy - community organizing - education campaigns Key Concepts marxism activism economic theory Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives to capitalism can reduce suffering? - How can individuals act within the system? A Different Perspective Revolution can lead to unintended consequences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accusing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accusing/) [Accusing Communists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accusing-communists-3453528/) [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Capitalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalist/) [Communist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communist/) [Communists Conspiring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communists-conspiring-3453529/) [Conspiring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conspiring/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Need a change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-a-change/) [Need Overthrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-overthrow-2094097/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [New york](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york/) [Overthrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overthrow/) [Overthrow Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overthrow-government-678593/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Rotten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rotten/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach/) ## Related quotes > [No one is going to give you the education you need to overthrow them. Nobody is going to teach you your true history, teach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assata-shakur/no-one-is-going-to-give-you-the-education-you-need-to-overthrow-them-2/) [Assata Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assata-shakur/) > [No one is going to give you the education you need to overthrow them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assata-shakur/no-one-is-going-to-give-you-the-education-you-need-to-overthrow-them/) [Assata Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assata-shakur/) > [I've never conspired to overthrow the government; all I did was report on the Arab Spring and suggest that something similar might happen in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eskinder-nega/i-ve-never-conspired-to-overthrow-the-government-all-i-did-was-report/) [Eskinder Nega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eskinder-nega/) > [“Note to self: Overthrow government of magical Britain at earliest convenience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliezer-yudkowsky/note-to-self-overthrow-government-of-magical-britain-at-earliest/) [Eliezer Yudkowsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliezer-yudkowsky/) > [ \[T\]he people as ultimate sovereigns, retain the ultimate power - and even the duty - to overthrow any government that fails to respect their… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-reynolds/t-he-people-as-ultimate-sovereigns-retain-the-ultimate-power-and-even/) [Glenn Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-reynolds/) > [It's embarrassing ... you try to overthrow the government and you wind up on the Best Seller's List.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbie-hoffman/it-s-embarrassing-you-try-to-overthrow-the-government-and-you-wind-up/) [Abbie Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbie-hoffman/) > [I don't want to overthrow the government. I wanna fire 'em.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gallagher/i-don-t-want-to-overthrow-the-government-i-wanna-fire-em/) [Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gallagher/) > [It is easy to overthrow a government but very difficult to build a new one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/it-is-easy-to-overthrow-a-government-but-very-difficult-to-build-a/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [In Chile, they had penas, where the community would come together to sing and plan how they were going to overthrow the government. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/in-chile-they-had-penas-where-the-community-would-come-together-to/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [“Anyone can overthrow a government. It’s ruling that’s hard.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elan-mastai/anyone-can-overthrow-a-government-it-s-ruling-that-s-hard/) [Elan Mastai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elan-mastai/) > [“she learned slowly and painfully that it was easier to overthrow a government than to create a one...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-withey/she-learned-slowly-and-painfully-that-it-was-easier-to-overthrow-a/) [Lynne Withey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-withey/) > [In using the strong hand, as now compelled to do, the government has a difficult duty to perform. At the very best, it will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/in-using-the-strong-hand-as-now-compelled-to-do-the-government-has-a/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“The Declaration of Independence states that we the people have the right to revolution, the right to overthrow a government that has committed abuses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodolpho-gonzales/the-declaration-of-independence-states-that-we-the-people-have-the/) [Rodolpho Gonzales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodolpho-gonzales/) > [God picks you up. You don't pick yourself up. You're the one who knocked you down or even if somebody else knocked you down,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/god-picks-you-up-you-don-t-pick-yourself-up-you-re-the-one-who/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [“If you believe that the world is conspiring against you, it will just do that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/if-you-believe-that-the-world-is-conspiring-against-you-it-will-just/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) ## More by Dorothy Day > [“There was no attack on religion because people were generally indifferent to religion. They were neither hot nor cold. They were the tepid, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/there-was-no-attack-on-religion-because-people-were-generally/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [We must recognize the fact that many Nazis, Marxists and Fascists believe passionately in their fundamental rightness, and allow nothing to hinder them from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/we-must-recognize-the-fact-that-many-nazis-marxists-and-fascists/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [“Now don't think I've lost my mind - but I'll tell you, I'll look at some of the cards I have, some of Van…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/now-don-t-think-i-ve-lost-my-mind-but-i-ll-tell-you-i-ll-look-at-some/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [The Sexual Revolution is a complete rebellion against authority, natural and supernatural, even against the body and its needs, its natural functions of child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/the-sexual-revolution-is-a-complete-rebellion-against-authority/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Idealism in the young, I guess I'm saying, is curiosity as well as goodness trying to express itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/idealism-in-the-young-i-guess-i-m-saying-is-curiosity-as-well-as/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Voluntary poverty isn't going around with some burlap bag around you and imitating the poor. 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This conviction brought me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/my-whole-life-so-far-my-whole-experience-has-been-that-our-failure/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [I think one of the things we must constantly keep in mind is, 'If anybody hits you on one cheek, turn the other.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/i-think-one-of-the-things-we-must-constantly-keep-in-mind-is-if/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [It is only through religion that communism can be achieved, and has been achieved over and over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/it-is-only-through-religion-that-communism-can-be-achieved-and-has/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [The Communists in Cuba didn't assist Castro in his revolution. They weren't on the side of the students. 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