Computers Quote by Mario Savio
““There’s a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can’t take part, you can’t even tacitly take part, and you’ve got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you’ve got to make it stop. And you’ve got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you are free, the machine will be prevented from working at all.””
About This Quote
When a system's cruelty becomes intolerable, individuals must physically intervene to halt its operation, demonstrating that oppression cannot function without the cooperation of the oppressed.
In simple terms: Active resistance to oppressive structures
Key Takeaway
Disrupt the machine to reclaim freedom
Themes
civil disobedience
power dynamics
collective action
moral responsibility
social change
Mood
defiant
urgent
hopeful
Type
political manifesto
call to action
When to use this quote
- participating in unjust institutions
- witnessing exploitation
- being forced to comply with harmful policies
- seeing the suffering caused by a system
- recognizing personal complicity
Key Concepts
authority
agency
ethical limits
systemic oppression
Practical Applications
- organizing protests
- refusing to support exploitative practices
Questions to Reflect On
- What personal costs are justified in resisting oppression?
- How can collective action be sustained without losing moral high ground?
A Different Perspective
Some argue that nonviolent sabotage can backfire, harming innocents and undermining legitimacy
