--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no evidence to support the…" description: "\"There is no evidence to support the belief that Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev ever questioned Americas power. He questioned only the President's Joh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a8/lord-acton-3040_abel_there-is-no-evidence-to-support-the-beli_987860.jpg" --- # There is no evidence to support the belief that Soviet… ![“There is no evidence to support the belief that Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev ever questioned Americas power. He questioned only the President's John F. Kennedys readiness to use it. Elie Abel, The Missile Crisis (1966) Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” quote by Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a8/lord-acton-3040_abel_there-is-no-evidence-to-support-the-beli_987860.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a8/lord-acton-3040_abel_there-is-no-evidence-to-support-the-beli_987860.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a8/lord-acton-3040_abel_there-is-no-evidence-to-support-the-beli_987860.jpg) > “There is no evidence to support the belief that Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev ever questioned Americas power. He questioned only the President's John F. Kennedys readiness to use it. Elie Abel, The Missile Crisis (1966) Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, warning that unchecked authority leads to moral decay. **In simple terms:** Power corrupts, especially when absolute. Key Takeaway Guard against concentration of power. Themes politics ethics authority corruption Mood cautious reflective Type philosophical warning When to use this quote - government leadership - corporate governance - personal relationships - activism Key Concepts Moral philosophy political theory Questions to Reflect On - How do you check power in your own sphere? - When is strong authority necessary? A Different Perspective Absolute power can be justified under certain emergency contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abel/) [Absolute power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolute-power/) [Absolute power corrupts absolutely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolute-power-corrupts-absolutely/) [Absolutes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absolutes/) [Americas Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americas-power-2003386/) [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Crisis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crisis/) [Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evidence/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Khrushchev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/khrushchev-436856/) [Khrushchev Questioned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/khrushchev-questioned-2003384/) [Missiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/missiles/) [Nikita Khrushchev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nikita-khrushchev/) [Power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power/) [Power corrupts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-corrupts/) [Power Corrupts Absolutely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-corrupts-absolutely/) [Power Questioned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-questioned-2003383/) [Power Tends To Corrupt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-tends-to-corrupt/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Questioned Americas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questioned-americas-2003385/) [Readiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/readiness/) [Soviet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soviet/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) ## Related quotes > [Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end...liberty is the only object which benefits all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/liberty-is-not-a-means-to-a-higher-political-end-it-is-itself-the-3/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [I cannot accept your canon that we are to judge Pope and King unlike other men, with a favorable presumption that they do no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/i-cannot-accept-your-canon-that-we-are-to-judge-pope-and-king-unlike/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/power-tends-to-corrupt-and-absolute-power-corrupts-absolutely-great-2/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-emerich-edward-dalberg-acton/power-tends-to-corrupt-and-absolute-power-corrupts-absolutely-great/) [John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-emerich-edward-dalberg-acton/) > [We have all been told that power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. I have long thought this is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-weinstein/we-have-all-been-told-that-power-tends-to-corrupt-and-absolute-power/) [Bret Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-weinstein/) > [Power tends to corrupt. But the power in Washington resides in Congress, if it wants to use it. It can do anything - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/power-tends-to-corrupt-but-the-power-in-washington-resides-in/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [“But… all I said was that I was scared." After what you got to experience? That's smart, kid," I said. "I'm scared, too. Every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/but-all-i-said-was-that-i-was-scared-after-what-you-got-to-experience/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [Power tends to corrupt - so we should, in both the public and the private spheres, be on guard against, and erect sturdy guardrails…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kristol/power-tends-to-corrupt-so-we-should-in-both-the-public-and-the/) [Bill Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kristol/) > [As a young man, you're dazzled by the power of the White House and all that. But power tends to corrupt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonin-scalia/as-a-young-man-you-re-dazzled-by-the-power-of-the-white-house-and-all/) [Antonin Scalia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonin-scalia/) > [“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Thus”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-boaz/power-tends-to-corrupt-and-absolute-power-corrupts-absolutely-thus/) [David Boaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-boaz/) > [“Knowledge is power but too much power tends to corrupt the minds of those who possess it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidy-sidique/knowledge-is-power-but-too-much-power-tends-to-corrupt-the-minds-of/) [Sidy Sidique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidy-sidique/) > [Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/power-tends-to-corrupt-and-absolute-power-corrupts-absolutely/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Whether you like it or not, history is on our side. We will bury you! -Nikita Khrushchev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/call-of-duty/whether-you-like-it-or-not-history-is-on-our-side-we-will-bury-you/) [Call Of Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/call-of-duty/) > [When Nikita Khrushchev wrapped himself in the bloody mantle of the Czars he broke Hungary, he broke the little Communist parties over the western…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cameron/when-nikita-khrushchev-wrapped-himself-in-the-bloody-mantle-of-the/) [James Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cameron/) > [Stalin, of course, never went on trial, but his legacy did. In 1956, three years after his death, he was denounced by Nikita Khrushchev.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sebag-montefiore/stalin-of-course-never-went-on-trial-but-his-legacy-did-in-1956-three/) [Simon Sebag Montefiore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sebag-montefiore/) ## More by Lord Acton > [The history of institutions is often a history of deception and illusions; for their virtue depends on the ideas that produce and on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/the-history-of-institutions-is-often-a-history-of-deception-and/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [A liberal is only a bundle of prejudices until he has mastered, has understood, experienced the philosophy of Conservatism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/a-liberal-is-only-a-bundle-of-prejudices-until-he-has-mastered-has/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Every class is unfit to govern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/every-class-is-unfit-to-govern/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Fanaticism displays itself in the masses; but the masses were rarely fanaticised; and the crimes ascribed to it were commonly due to the calculations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/fanaticism-displays-itself-in-the-masses-but-the-masses-were-rarely/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [In England Parliament is above the law. In America the law is above Congress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/in-england-parliament-is-above-the-law-in-america-the-law-is-above/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [There is not a more perilous or immoral habit of mind than the sanctifying of success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/there-is-not-a-more-perilous-or-immoral-habit-of-mind-than-the/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Towns were the nursery of freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/towns-were-the-nursery-of-freedom/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [It was from America that the plain ideas that men ought to mind their business, and that the nation is responsible to Heaven for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/it-was-from-america-that-the-plain-ideas-that-men-ought-to-mind-their/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Character is tested by true sentiments more than by conduct. A man is seldom better than his word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/character-is-tested-by-true-sentiments-more-than-by-conduct-a-man-is/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Liberty and good government do not exclude each other; and there are excellent reasons why they should go together. Liberty is not a means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/liberty-and-good-government-do-not-exclude-each-other-and-there-are/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [The test of liberty is the position and security of minorities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/the-test-of-liberty-is-the-position-and-security-of-minorities/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [The common vice of democracy is disregard for morality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/the-common-vice-of-democracy-is-disregard-for-morality/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [Feudalism made land the measure and the master of all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/feudalism-made-land-the-measure-and-the-master-of-all-things/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [“power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutley”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/power-corrupts-absolute-power-corrupts-absolutley/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [There are many things the government cant do, many good purposes it must renounce. It must leave them to the enterprise of others. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/there-are-many-things-the-government-cant-do-many-good-purposes-it/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) [Explore all 141 Lord Acton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) ## More Abel quotes > [Take the story of Cain and Abel. Why were we given that story? Scientifically, you may have an explanation for it, but I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/take-the-story-of-cain-and-abel-why-were-we-given-that-story/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Abel's sacrifice was accepted by God because it was made according to God's instructions. Cain, however, tried to approach God in his own way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jeffress/abel-s-sacrifice-was-accepted-by-god-because-it-was-made-according-to/) [Robert Jeffress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jeffress/) > [“Abel flared his Grace and allowed the power to spark behind his eyes. “That is the second minor insult you’ve tossed my way. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tricia-skinner/abel-flared-his-grace-and-allowed-the-power-to-spark-behind-his-eyes/) [Tricia Skinner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tricia-skinner/) > [This is a very violent place to live, the Earth, and we're a very violent species. Cain is still killing Abel. We see that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/this-is-a-very-violent-place-to-live-the-earth-and-we-re-a-very/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Until now the theory of infinite series in general has been very badly grounded. One applies all the operations to infinite series as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-henrik-abel/until-now-the-theory-of-infinite-series-in-general-has-been-very/) [Niels Henrik Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-henrik-abel/) > [There are very few theorems in advanced analysis which have been demonstrated in a logically tenable manner. Everywhere one finds this miserable way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niels-henrik-abel/there-are-very-few-theorems-in-advanced-analysis-which-have-been/) [Niels Henrik Abel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niels-henrik-abel/) > [Abel has left mathematicians something to keep them busy for five hundred years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-hermite/abel-has-left-mathematicians-something-to-keep-them-busy-for-five/) [Charles Hermite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-hermite/) > [“No one can ever say the name Abel without saying Cain first.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberley-troutte/no-one-can-ever-say-the-name-abel-without-saying-cain-first/) [Kimberley Troutte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberley-troutte/) > [Let's be honest, the cards' on the table: Jealousy's a sin, Cain killed Abel. Backstabber...Caesar had Brutus. It's hard to weed 'em out, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pusha-t/let-s-be-honest-the-cards-on-the-table-jealousy-s-a-sin-cain-killed/) [Pusha T](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pusha-t/) > [“I hate fucking pussies like that." Felix reached out and shook Hector's hand. "Good for you, man. I would've cracked him too." He turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-reyes/i-hate-fucking-pussies-like-that-felix-reached-out-and-shook-hector-s/) [Elizabeth Reyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-reyes/) > [We do not wonder that there is conflict in the world. There is now, and has been from the time that Cain slew Abel,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/we-do-not-wonder-that-there-is-conflict-in-the-world-there-is-now-and/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [“There's so much love in him, Dad." The mating bond showed her a depth of feeling, of heart, even greater than she'd imagined. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nalini-singh/there-s-so-much-love-in-him-dad-the-mating-bond-showed-her-a-depth-of/) [Nalini Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nalini-singh/) > [No mathematician should ever allow him to forget that mathematics, more than any other art or science, is a young man's game. ... Galois…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-mathematician-should-ever-allow-him-to-forget-that-mathematics/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I switched to my new trainer Abel Sanchez to add versatility to my game. I'm coming to fight a serious fight. If I knock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavoris-cloud/i-switched-to-my-new-trainer-abel-sanchez-to-add-versatility-to-my/) [Tavoris Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavoris-cloud/) > [“Maté a Abel porque no podía matarte a ti, pero en mi intención estás muerto.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/mat-a-abel-porque-no-pod-a-matarte-a-ti-pero-en-mi-intenci-n-est-s/) [José Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) [Browse all 53 Abel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abel/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is no evidence to support the belief that Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev ever questioned Americas power. He questioned only the President's John F. Kennedys readiness to use it. Elie Abel, The Missile Crisis (1966) Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lord Acton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/there-is-no-evidence-to-support-the-belief-that-soviet-premier-nikita/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abel" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/there-is-no-evidence-to-support-the-belief-that-soviet-premier-nikita/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a8/lord-acton-3040_abel_there-is-no-evidence-to-support-the-beli_987860.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a8/lord-acton-3040_abel_there-is-no-evidence-to-support-the-beli_987860.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a8/lord-acton-3040_abel_there-is-no-evidence-to-support-the-beli_987860.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is no evidence to support the belief that Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev ever questioned Americas…” — Lord Acton", "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": "Lord Acton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is no evidence to support...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/there-is-no-evidence-to-support-the-belief-that-soviet-premier-nikita/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/there-is-no-evidence-to-support-the-belief-that-soviet-premier-nikita/#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 } } ] } ```