--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't really think there have been…" description: "\"I don't really think there have been transitional periods to socialism. There have been efforts, but they have usually been destroyed by a combination ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/781/noam-chomsky-42_combination_i-don-t-really-think-there-have-been-tra_1145285.jpg" --- # I don't really think there have been transitional periods… ![“I don't really think there have been transitional periods to socialism. There have been efforts, but they have usually been destroyed by a combination of external force and internal corruption.” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/781/noam-chomsky-42_combination_i-don-t-really-think-there-have-been-tra_1145285.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/781/noam-chomsky-42_combination_i-don-t-really-think-there-have-been-tra_1145285.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/781/noam-chomsky-42_combination_i-don-t-really-think-there-have-been-tra_1145285.jpg) > “I don't really think there have been transitional periods to socialism. There have been efforts, but they have usually been destroyed by a combination of external force and internal corruption.” [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Socialism has never emerged through smooth transitions; attempts are often crushed by outside pressure and internal decay. **In simple terms:** Socialism fails due to external attacks and internal corruption. Key Takeaway Recognize and address both external and internal threats. Themes politics ideology revolution failure corruption Mood critical analytical Type theoretical political When to use this quote - activist movements - labor unions - government reforms - grassroots campaigns Key Concepts Marxism state power political economy Questions to Reflect On - How can movements safeguard against external sabotage? - What internal reforms prevent corruption? A Different Perspective Even with strong internal resolve, external forces can still derail socialist projects. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Corruption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corruption/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [External forces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/external-forces/) [Socialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/socialism/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“Sometimes transitional periods in life leave you feeling like a great big jumble of loose, split ends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandi-l-bates/sometimes-transitional-periods-in-life-leave-you-feeling-like-a-great/) [Brandi L. Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandi-l-bates/) > [Civilization is to groups what intelligence is to individuals. It is a means of combining the intelligence of many to achieve ongoing group adaptation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/civilization-is-to-groups-what-intelligence-is-to-individuals-it-is-a-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Believers often forget that most atheists used to be religious, that many non-believers used to think they had a personal relationship with their God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-mcafee/believers-often-forget-that-most-atheists-used-to-be-religious-that/) [David G. McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-mcafee/) > [A republic of this kind, able to withstand an external force, may support itself without any internal corruptions. The form of this society prevents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/a-republic-of-this-kind-able-to-withstand-an-external-force-may/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [The kind of work that should be the main part of life is the kind of work you would want to do if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-kind-of-work-that-should-be-the-main-part-of-life-is-the-kind-of/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Say the Pentagon Papers, - that material went much deeper. It went into internal government planning back for twenty - five years. Those are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/say-the-pentagon-papers-that-material-went-much-deeper-it-went-into/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Language would have evolved first as an internal object, a kind of "language of thought" (LOT), with externalisation (hence communication) an ancillary process. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/language-would-have-evolved-first-as-an-internal-object-a-kind-of/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Why was the United States so afraid of an independent South Vietnam? Well, I think the reason again is pretty clear from the internal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/why-was-the-united-states-so-afraid-of-an-independent-south-vietnam/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Long before the technology revolution there was declassification of documents and I've spent quite a lot of time studying declassified internal documents and written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/long-before-the-technology-revolution-there-was-declassification-of/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [A war must be avoided at all costs. Russia is against any type of use of external force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-yakunin/a-war-must-be-avoided-at-all-costs-russia-is-against-any-type-of-use/) [Vladimir Yakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-yakunin/) > [“Ignorant of our own and our mate’s inner life, we are ruled largely by external forces at this stage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/ignorant-of-our-own-and-our-mate-s-inner-life-we-are-ruled-largely-by/) [Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/) > [Don't worry about society's conditioning and the labels that are put on you by external forces. Hold onto your true self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gugu-mbatha-raw/don-t-worry-about-society-s-conditioning-and-the-labels-that-are-put/) [Gugu Mbatha-Raw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gugu-mbatha-raw/) > [It cannot but happen?that those will survive whose functions happen to be most nearly in equilibrium with the modified aggregate of external forces? This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/it-cannot-but-happen-that-those-will-survive-whose-functions-happen/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [The body is a cell state in which every cell is a citizen. Disease is merely the conflict of the citizens of the state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-virchow/the-body-is-a-cell-state-in-which-every-cell-is-a-citizen-disease-is/) [Rudolf Virchow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-virchow/) > [True Freedom Is An Inner Thing. It Is A State Of Mind. It Is A Deliberate Exercise Of Choice. Thus, If We Think We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/true-freedom-is-an-inner-thing-it-is-a-state-of-mind-it-is-a/) Pacifiersucker ## More by Noam Chomsky > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [If you believe in democracy, why shouldn't you know what the government is doing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-believe-in-democracy-why-shouldn-t-you-know-what-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [It’s a shameful moment for U.S. media when it insists on being subservient to the grotesque propaganda agencies of a violent, aggressive state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/it-s-a-shameful-moment-for-u-s-media-when-it-insists-on-being/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are questions as to whether it should even exist. Who should corporations be responsive to, the management of a corporation? Theoretically they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-questions-as-to-whether-it-should-even-exist-who-should/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Governments regard their own citizens as their main enemy, and they have to be - protect themselves. That's why you have state secret laws.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/governments-regard-their-own-citizens-as-their-main-enemy-and-they/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The first thing you ought to do is verify what I present. Just because I say it doesn't make it true. So check it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-first-thing-you-ought-to-do-is-verify-what-i-present-just-because/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ I wrote an article about the marine landing \[in Haiti\] right away, but barely mentioned the oil, because my article would come out two… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-wrote-an-article-about-the-marine-landing-in-haiti-right-away-but/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [American society is now remarkably atomized. Political organizations have collapsed. In fact, it seems like even bowling leagues are collapsing. The left has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/american-society-is-now-remarkably-atomized-political-organizations/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Discovery is the ability to be puzzled by simple things. Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/discovery-is-the-ability-to-be-puzzled-by-simple-things-noam-chomsky/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's an interesting book about that called The Third Reich and the Ivory Tower, written by Stephen H. Norwood. It has a long discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-an-interesting-book-about-that-called-the-third-reich-and-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [This is class war on an international scale, and power is in the hands of those who control the international economic system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/this-is-class-war-on-an-international-scale-and-power-is-in-the-hands/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There are big, extremely irrational parts of the society, and they have now been mobilized politically by the Republican establishment, hoping that these people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-big-extremely-irrational-parts-of-the-society-and-they-have/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [There's plenty to criticize about the mass media, but they are the source of regular information about a wide range of topics. You can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-plenty-to-criticize-about-the-mass-media-but-they-are-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The 50,000 Korean mercenaries we had in Vietnam were professional killers and just massacred people outright. And the American army did plenty of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-50-000-korean-mercenaries-we-had-in-vietnam-were-professional/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Explore all 2,129 Noam Chomsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## 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 > [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 > [“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": "I don't really think there have been transitional periods to socialism. There have been efforts, but they have usually been destroyed by a combination of external force and internal corruption.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Noam Chomsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-really-think-there-have-been-transitional-periods-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Capitalism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-really-think-there-have-been-transitional-periods-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/781/noam-chomsky-42_combination_i-don-t-really-think-there-have-been-tra_1145285.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/781/noam-chomsky-42_combination_i-don-t-really-think-there-have-been-tra_1145285.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/781/noam-chomsky-42_combination_i-don-t-really-think-there-have-been-tra_1145285.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't really think there have been transitional periods to socialism. There have been efforts, but they…” — Noam Chomsky", "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": "Noam Chomsky", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't really think there have...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-really-think-there-have-been-transitional-periods-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-really-think-there-have-been-transitional-periods-to/#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 } } ] } ```