Quote by Richard J. Barnet, Intervention

Revolution is a wasteful, destructive, and inhuman engine of political change. It must be allowed to happen if there is nothing better, but the great challenge to human ingenuity is to find alternative paths to economic and political reconstruction, which can bring basic changes without the massive use of violence. The societies of the- Third World can ill afford the economic and human costs of prolonged civil war. But virtually all of the thinking to date about revolutionizing underdeveloped societies through technology rather than through violence has been designed to serve the political interests of the donor country. The avoidance of revolution has been an end in itself, and very little commitment has been made to the achievement of radical political change through nonviolent means in societies needing revolution. A great nation has an inherent problem, and possibly an insoluble one, in devising a strategy for helping another society to remake its political life without injecting its own interests and values and without coming to dominate the weak.

Summary

This quote highlights the negative consequences of revolution and emphasizes the need for alternative methods of political and economic change. It argues that while revolution may be necessary in the absence of better options, it is a wasteful and inhumane process that causes destruction and violence. The quote also criticizes the prevailing approach of using technology to revolutionize underdeveloped societies, suggesting that these efforts mainly serve the interests of donor countries rather than genuinely benefiting the societies in need of change. The quote ends by recognizing the challenge for a helping nation to avoid imposing its interests and values on another society and to avoid dominating the weaker party.