--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Like most terms of political discourse…" description: "\"Like most terms of political discourse, socialism has more or less, lost its meaning. Socialism used to mean something. If you go back far enough it me..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae5/noam-chomsky-42_commerce_like-most-terms-of-political-discourse-s_1534118.jpg" --- # Like most terms of political discourse, socialism has more… ![“Like most terms of political discourse, socialism has more or less, lost its meaning. Socialism used to mean something. If you go back far enough it meant basically control of production by producers, elimination of wage labor, democratization of all spheres of life; production, commerce…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae5/noam-chomsky-42_commerce_like-most-terms-of-political-discourse-s_1534118.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae5/noam-chomsky-42_commerce_like-most-terms-of-political-discourse-s_1534118.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae5/noam-chomsky-42_commerce_like-most-terms-of-political-discourse-s_1534118.jpg) > “Like most terms of political discourse, socialism has more or less, lost its meaning. Socialism used to mean something. If you go back far enough it meant basically control of production by producers, elimination of wage labor, democratization of all spheres of life; production, commerce, education, media, workers control of factories, community control of communities, and so on. That was socialism once. But it hasn't meant that for a hundred years. Socialism meant something different.” [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 originally meant collective control over production and democratic participation, but its meaning has shifted and become ambiguous over time. **In simple terms:** Original socialism = collective control; now unclear. Key Takeaway Clarify definitions before debating. Themes politics ideology history Mood analytical critical Type theoretical educational When to use this quote - policy analysis - academic research - activist organizing - public discourse Key Concepts Collective ownership democratization Questions to Reflect On - What does socialism mean to you today? - How can we preserve its original intent? A Different Perspective Modern usage often conflates socialism with unrelated concepts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Commerce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commerce/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Democratization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratization/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Discourse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discourse/) [Elimination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elimination/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Factories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/factories/) [Hundred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hundred/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Meaning Socialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaning-socialism-4273972/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political discourse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-discourse/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Producers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/producers/) [Productions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/productions/) [Socialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/socialism/) [Socialism Meant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/socialism-meant-992222/) [Socialism Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/socialism-used-5699957/) [Spheres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spheres/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workers/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years Socialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-socialism-2708546/) ## Related quotes > [“Since its origins, socialism has meant the liberation of working people from exploitation. As the Marxist theoretician Anton Pannekoek observed, “this goal is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/since-its-origins-socialism-has-meant-the-liberation-of-working/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [It is already clear, after twenty years of socialism in Russia, that if you do not provide your society with a new religion, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-read/it-is-already-clear-after-twenty-years-of-socialism-in-russia-that-if/) [Herbert Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-read/) > [To grasp the true meaning of socialism, imagine a world where everything is designed by the post office, even the sleaze.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-grasp-the-true-meaning-of-socialism-imagine-a-world-where/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I certainly did not know what the word 'socialism' meant growing up, because I was brought up in a very nonpolitical family. My brother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/i-certainly-did-not-know-what-the-word-socialism-meant-growing-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [Our movement took a grip on cowardly Marxism and from it extracted the meaning of socialism. It also took from the cowardly middle-class parties…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-goring/our-movement-took-a-grip-on-cowardly-marxism-and-from-it-extracted/) [Hermann Goring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-goring/) > [Three hundred years after its appearance Christianity was the recognized state religion in the Roman World Empire, and in barely sixty years socialism has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-engels/three-hundred-years-after-its-appearance-christianity-was-the/) [Friedrich Engels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-engels/) > [“But there's one word. You look at any other term of political discourse, and you're going to find the same thing: the terms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/but-there-s-one-word-you-look-at-any-other-term-of-political/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I think the press, by and large, is what we call "liberal". But of course what we call "liberal" means well to the right.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-think-the-press-by-and-large-is-what-we-call-liberal-but-of-course/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Labor # Unions are the leading force for # democratization and # progress .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/labor-unions-are-the-leading-force-for-democratization-and-progress/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Virtually all political discourse in the days of my youth was devoted to the ferreting out of hypocrisy... Because they were hypocrites, the Victorians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/virtually-all-political-discourse-in-the-days-of-my-youth-was-devoted/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [If you listen to the political discourse in America today, you would think that all our problems have been caused by the Mexicans of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/if-you-listen-to-the-political-discourse-in-america-today-you-would/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [I grew up in the sort of cultural milieu that always regarded conversations about the political discourse as tremendously low-brow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-brodsky/i-grew-up-in-the-sort-of-cultural-milieu-that-always-regarded/) [Joseph Brodsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-brodsky/) > [I've watched politics for years. Republicans rarely get credit for the good things that happen in the economy during their watch. Democrats always get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-ve-watched-politics-for-years-republicans-rarely-get-credit-for-the/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [It's important that people understand who I am and where I come from and not just have it shaped by purely political discourse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-trudeau/it-s-important-that-people-understand-who-i-am-and-where-i-come-from/) [Justin Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-trudeau/) > [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) ## 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](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": "Like most terms of political discourse, socialism has more or less, lost its meaning. Socialism used to mean something. If you go back far enough it meant basically control of production by producers, elimination of wage labor, democratization of all spheres of life; production, commerce, education, media, workers control of factories, community control of communities, and so on. That was socialism once. But it hasn't meant that for a hundred years. Socialism meant something different.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Noam Chomsky" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/like-most-terms-of-political-discourse-socialism-has-more-or-less/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Capitalism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/like-most-terms-of-political-discourse-socialism-has-more-or-less/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae5/noam-chomsky-42_commerce_like-most-terms-of-political-discourse-s_1534118.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae5/noam-chomsky-42_commerce_like-most-terms-of-political-discourse-s_1534118.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae5/noam-chomsky-42_commerce_like-most-terms-of-political-discourse-s_1534118.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Like most terms of political discourse, socialism has more or less, lost its meaning. Socialism used to mean…” — 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": "Like most terms of political discourse,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/like-most-terms-of-political-discourse-socialism-has-more-or-less/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/like-most-terms-of-political-discourse-socialism-has-more-or-less/#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 } } ] } ```