“If we were to hang the last capitalist, another would appear to sell us the rope.”

—  Karl Marx

A variant of the above misquote, sometimes also attributed to Lenin. This gained popularity during the glasnost era when black market activity was at its most visible in the USSR; meant to show the profit motive was human nature and cannot be eradicated.
Misattributed

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update Oct. 1, 2023. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "If we were to hang the last capitalist, another would appear to sell us the rope." by Karl Marx?
Karl Marx photo
Karl Marx 290
German philosopher, economist, sociologist, journalist and … 1818–1883

Related quotes

Vladimir Lenin photo

“We will hang the capitalists with the rope that they sell us.”

Vladimir Lenin (1870–1924) Russian politician, led the October Revolution

According to the book, "They Never Said It", p. 64, there is no evidence Lenin ever said this. Lenin was supposed to have made his observation to one of his close associates, Grigori Zinoviev, not long after a meeting of the Politburo in the early 1920s, but there is no evidence that he ever did. Experts on the Soviet Union reject the rope quote as spurious.
Misattributed

Joseph Stalin photo

“We will hang the capitalists with the rope that they sell us.”

Joseph Stalin (1879–1953) General secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

Often attributed to Stalin and Marx, according to the book, They Never Said It (1989), p. 64, the phrase derives from a rumour that Lenin said this to one of his close associates, Grigori Zinoviev, not long after a meeting of the Politburo in the early 1920s, but there is no evidence that he ever did. It has also been believed that Lenin may have expressed that the profit motive cannot be undone in that "If we were to hang the last capitalist, another would suddenly appear to sell us the rope". Experts on the Soviet Union reject the rope quote as spurious. However, it is established that Lenin did remark on the same underlying theme (even if not in reference to rope), namely, that capitalists in their addiction to high profits could not help themselves from selling things to a socialist state, even if it was against their own long-term interests by strengthening an enemy; Edvard Radzinsky covers it in his discussion of Lenin's comments on the "deaf-mutes" in Radzinsky's biography of Stalin.
Misattributed

Karl Marx photo

“We will hang the capitalists with the rope that they sell us.”

Karl Marx (1818–1883) German philosopher, economist, sociologist, journalist and revolutionary socialist

Often attributed to Lenin or Stalin, less often to Marx. According to the book, "They Never Said It", p. 64, the phrase derives from a rumour that Lenin said this to one of his close associates, Grigori Zinoviev, not long after a meeting of the Politburo in the early 1920s, but there is no evidence that he ever did. Experts on the Soviet Union reject the rope quote as spurious.
Misattributed

Karl Marx photo

“The last capitalist we hang shall be the one who sold us the rope.”

Karl Marx (1818–1883) German philosopher, economist, sociologist, journalist and revolutionary socialist
Robert Burton photo

“Were it not that they are loath to lay out money on a rope, they would be hanged forthwith, and sometimes die to save charges.”

Section 2, member 3, subsection 12, Covetousness, a Cause.
The Anatomy of Melancholy (1621), Part I

Tupac Shakur photo

“Niggers was the ones with the rope, hanging off trees; Niggas are the ones with gold ropes, hanging out at clubs.”

Tupac Shakur (1971–1996) rapper and actor

Posthumous attributions, Tupac: Resurrection (2003)
Source: Resurrection, 1971-1996

Francois Rabelais photo

“Following his example, I encourage all these diabolical calumniators to go hang themselves before the last moon's quarter is done. I will supply the rope.”

A son [Timon le Misanthrope] exemple ie denonce à ces calumniateurs diaboliques, que tous ayent à se pendre dedans le dernier chanteau de ceste lune. Ie les fourniray de licolz.
Prologue of the 1548 "old" edition.
Gargantua and Pantagruel (1532–1564), Fourth Book (1548, 1552)

Thomas Fuller (writer) photo

“1657. Give him but Rope enough, and he'll hang himself.”

Thomas Fuller (writer) (1654–1734) British physician, preacher, and intellectual

Introductio ad prudentiam: Part II (1727), Gnomologia (1732)

Patrick Rothfuss photo
Suzanne Collins photo

Related topics