Please do not think that I am accusing socialists of insincerity or that I wish to hold them up to scorn either as bad democrats or as unprincipled schemers and opportunists. I fully believe, in spite of the childish Machiavellism in which some of their prophets indulge, that fundamentally most of them always have been as sincere in their professions as any other men. Besides, I do not believe in insincerity in social strife, for people always come to think what they want to think and what they incessantly profess. As regards democracy, socialist parties are presumably no more opportunists than are any others; they simply espouse democracy if, as, and when it serves their ideals and interests and not otherwise. Lest readers should be shocked and think so immoral a view worthy only of the most callous of political practitioners, .. Joseph Alois Schumpeter
About This Quote

What do you think of the political parties? There are so many of them, so many ideas, so many beliefs, so many beliefs that are out of date or just plain wrong. You want to choose one to support even though they support the things that you don't want. It's just too confusing. What would you do?

Source: Capitalism, Socialism And Democracy

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