Answers Quote by Ronald Reagan
“During my first press conference as president, in answer to a direct question, I pointed out that, as good Marxist-Leninists, the Soviet leaders have openly and publicly declared that the only morality they recognize is that which will further their cause, which is world revolution.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Press conference, 1985
The speaker claims that Soviet leaders justify any morality solely by its usefulness to their revolutionary goals, implying a pragmatic, ends‑justify‑the‑means ethic.
In simple terms: Soviets claim morality serves their cause.
Key Takeaway
Question the ethics of goal‑driven morality.
Themes
politics
ethics
ideology
Mood
skeptical
serious
Type
political
historical
When to use this quote
- international relations
- policy analysis
- historical study
Key Concepts
realpolitik
moral relativism
Questions to Reflect On
- What moral standards should guide leaders?
- Can ends ever justify means?
A Different Perspective
Simplifies complex Soviet ideology.
![“Whether they [left in America are] anarcho-communists, anarcho-syndicalists, or libertarians who believe in free enterprise, I regard theirs as the real legacy of the left, and I feel much closer, ideologically, to such individuals than I do to the totalitarian liberals and Marxist-Leninists of…” quote by Murray Bookchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e0f/murray-bookchin-2587_america_whether-they-left-in-america-are-anarcho_1465135.jpg)
![“10 years ago the black man knew what his condition was. And today, because of the world revolution that's taking place all over this earth, the black man would be fighting for what he knows is his by right, but the movement on the part of [Martin Luther] King and the others had done nothing but…” quote by Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0bc/malcolm-x-213_black_10-years-ago-the-black-man-knew-what-his_478611.jpg)
