--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Capitalism was reasonably content under…" description: "\"Capitalism was reasonably content under Hitler, happy under Mussolini, very happy under Franco and delirious under General Pinochet.\" — John Ralston Saul" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a09/john-ralston-saul-3128_capitalism_capitalism-was-reasonably-content-under_2831029.jpg" --- # Capitalism was reasonably content under Hitler, happy… ![“Capitalism was reasonably content under Hitler, happy under Mussolini, very happy under Franco and delirious under General Pinochet.” quote by John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a09/john-ralston-saul-3128_capitalism_capitalism-was-reasonably-content-under_2831029.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a09/john-ralston-saul-3128_capitalism_capitalism-was-reasonably-content-under_2831029.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a09/john-ralston-saul-3128_capitalism_capitalism-was-reasonably-content-under_2831029.jpg) > “Capitalism was reasonably content under Hitler, happy under Mussolini, very happy under Franco and delirious under General Pinochet.” [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Different authoritarian regimes have varied relationships with capitalism **In simple terms:** Capitalism adapts to diverse political contexts Key Takeaway Understand economic systems within political frameworks Themes politics economics history authoritarianism ideology Mood critical inquisitive Type academic reflective When to use this quote - policy analysis - academic study - public discourse Key Concepts systemic analysis comparative politics Questions to Reflect On - How does ideology shape economic policy? - What lessons can be learned from past regimes? A Different Perspective Complex histories cannot be oversimplified ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Capitalism Reasonably](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism-reasonably-3657254/) [Delirious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delirious/) [Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/franco/) [Happy Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-franco-3657256/) [Happy Mussolini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-mussolini-3657253/) [Hitler Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hitler-happy-3657251/) [Mussolini Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mussolini-happy-3657249/) [Pinochet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pinochet-144724/) [Very happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/very-happy/) ## Related quotes > [All of us, who are members of the Germanic peoples, can be happy and thankful that once in thousands of years fate has given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-himmler/all-of-us-who-are-members-of-the-germanic-peoples-can-be-happy-and/) [Heinrich Himmler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-himmler/) > [The problem that we have is that most Americans don't even study American history, let alone Pinochet, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin and all these guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/the-problem-that-we-have-is-that-most-americans-don-t-even-study/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [“The hours I spent in this anachronistic, bibliophile, Anglophile retreat were in surreal contrast to the shrieking horror show that was being enacted in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/the-hours-i-spent-in-this-anachronistic-bibliophile-anglophile/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [On the one side, I welcome prosecutions of individuals such as Pinochet, and would welcome the indictment, prosecution, and punishment of Kissinger. On the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-a-falk/on-the-one-side-i-welcome-prosecutions-of-individuals-such-as/) [Richard A. Falk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-a-falk/) > [It was a step forward to charge Pinochet with terrorism, and to acknowledge that the essence of the crime is the use of political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-a-falk/it-was-a-step-forward-to-charge-pinochet-with-terrorism-and-to/) [Richard A. Falk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-a-falk/) ## More by John Ralston Saul > [Of course, corporations and governments have a right to something for their money. They pay the wages. But they don't have the ethical right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/of-course-corporations-and-governments-have-a-right-to-something-for/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Some people don't like the 'comeback' because that suggests they went somewhere, which they didn't. That isn't what I mean. In my mind, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/some-people-don-t-like-the-comeback-because-that-suggests-they-went/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [In the humanist ideal, the mainstream is where interesting debate, the generating of new ideas and creativity take place. In rational society this mainstream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/in-the-humanist-ideal-the-mainstream-is-where-interesting-debate-the/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [There's two ways of dealing with fears of mortality. One of them is to hide, so every day you wear the same suit and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/there-s-two-ways-of-dealing-with-fears-of-mortality-one-of-them-is-to/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [A foreigner is an individual who is considered either comic or sinister. When the victim of a disaster - preferably natural but sometimes political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/a-foreigner-is-an-individual-who-is-considered-either-comic-or/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Rights are a protection from society. But only by fulfilling their obligations to society can the individual give meaning to that protection. (V -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/rights-are-a-protection-from-society-but-only-by-fulfilling-their/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [All the lessons of psychiatry, psychology, social work, indeed culture, have taught us over the last hundred years that it is the acceptance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/all-the-lessons-of-psychiatry-psychology-social-work-indeed-culture/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [The neo-conservatives, who are closely linked to the neo-corporatists, are rather different. They claim to be conservatives, when everything they stand for is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/the-neo-conservatives-who-are-closely-linked-to-the-neo-corporatists/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Armaments; extremely useful for fighting wars, a deadweight in any civil economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/armaments-extremely-useful-for-fighting-wars-a-deadweight-in-any/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [In the European tradition, rivers are seen as divisions between peoples. But in the Aboriginal tradition, rivers are seen as the glue, the highway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/in-the-european-tradition-rivers-are-seen-as-divisions-between/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [“Basic technical training is, of course, useful. But to treat it as anything more than that is to lock students into technology that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/basic-technical-training-is-of-course-useful-but-to-treat-it-as/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Bankers - pillars of society who are going to hell if there is a God and He has been accurately quoted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/bankers-pillars-of-society-who-are-going-to-hell-if-there-is-a-god/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [If allowed to run free of the social system, capitalism will attempt to corrupt and undermine democracy, which is after all not a natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/if-allowed-to-run-free-of-the-social-system-capitalism-will-attempt/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [For about 125 years, give or take, the Canadian government has acted extremely badly - even in a way which should be called evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/for-about-125-years-give-or-take-the-canadian-government-has-acted/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Ten geographers who think the world is flat will tend to reinforce each other's errors ... Only a sailor can set them straight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/ten-geographers-who-think-the-world-is-flat-will-tend-to-reinforce/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) [Explore all 139 John Ralston Saul quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) ## More Capitalism quotes > [Don't let's lose sight of what creates wealth. It is open markets, it is capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/don-t-let-s-lose-sight-of-what-creates-wealth-it-is-open-markets-it/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [ Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a \[Soviet socialistic\] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-national-socialism-have-anything/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [Corporations have nothing to do with values, and they know it, and sometimes say it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kierans/corporations-have-nothing-to-do-with-values-and-they-know-it-and/) [Eric Kierans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kierans/) > [Both fact and logic seem to me to support the view that savings invested in privately owned economic tools of production amount to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-a-harper/both-fact-and-logic-seem-to-me-to-support-the-view-that-savings/) [F. A. Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-a-harper/) > [The free market is ugly and stupid, like going to the mall; the unfree market is just as ugly and just as stupid, except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-free-market-is-ugly-and-stupid-like-going-to-the-mall-the-unfree/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Capitalism, communism ... it's all garbage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mstislav-rostropovich/capitalism-communism-it-s-all-garbage/) [Mstislav Rostropovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mstislav-rostropovich/) > [There are no two countries with the same style of economic mechanism, with the same capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatoly-chubais/there-are-no-two-countries-with-the-same-style-of-economic-mechanism/) [Anatoly Chubais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatoly-chubais/) > [It is more than a little ironic that "capital accumulation" once a rather tendentious Marxian view of a supposed capitalist obsession, should have become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/it-is-more-than-a-little-ironic-that-capital-accumulation-once-a/) [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) > [Historically, usury was defined as any interest whatever on an unproductive loan.Our whole banking system I have ever abhorred, I continue to abhor, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/historically-usury-was-defined-as-any-interest-whatever-on-an/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [Socialism is humanity's second nature. All politicians do is turn human vice into votes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilana-mercer/socialism-is-humanity-s-second-nature-all-politicians-do-is-turn/) [Ilana Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilana-mercer/) > [“Scholars have long debated whether capital markets lead to appropriate levels of saving and investment for future generations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-l-weimer/scholars-have-long-debated-whether-capital-markets-lead-to/) [David L. Weimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-l-weimer/) > [“A car is one of the most interesting inventions, but driving is one of the most boring activities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-car-is-one-of-the-most-interesting-inventions-but-driving-is-one-of/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) [Browse all 3,832 Capitalism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Capitalism was reasonably content under Hitler, happy under Mussolini, very happy under Franco and delirious under General Pinochet.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ralston Saul" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/capitalism-was-reasonably-content-under-hitler-happy-under-mussolini/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Capitalism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/capitalism-was-reasonably-content-under-hitler-happy-under-mussolini/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a09/john-ralston-saul-3128_capitalism_capitalism-was-reasonably-content-under_2831029.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a09/john-ralston-saul-3128_capitalism_capitalism-was-reasonably-content-under_2831029.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a09/john-ralston-saul-3128_capitalism_capitalism-was-reasonably-content-under_2831029.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Capitalism was reasonably content under Hitler, happy under Mussolini, very happy under Franco and delirious…” — John Ralston Saul", "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": "John Ralston Saul", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Capitalism was reasonably content under Hitler,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/capitalism-was-reasonably-content-under-hitler-happy-under-mussolini/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/capitalism-was-reasonably-content-under-hitler-happy-under-mussolini/#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 } } ] } ```