Destroying Democracy...

Any idea where it did come from?  It's such a good one!  :)

The closest link I can find, to something similar, is Nikita Krushchev:

“We will take America without firing a shot ... we will bury you!

“We can’t expect the American people to jump from capitalism to communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of socialism, until they awaken one day to find that they have communism.

“We do not have to invade the United States, we will destroy you from within.”  (emphasis mine)

Allegedly, this is a simplification of an actual quote from a speech by Lincoln titled "The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions", known as the Lyceum Address based on the location of its giving.  But if you read the speech, it's not even close to a quote.

The actual quote reads: "Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant to step the ocean and crush us at a blow? Never! All the armies of Europe, Asia, and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest, with a Bonaparte for a commander, could not by force take a drink from the Ohio or make a track on the Blue Ridge in a trial of a thousand years. At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer. If it ever reach us it must spring up amongst us; it cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide."

So, no.  Lincoln never said it.
But you could view it as a summary of his speech. This post was edited by Walt O'Reagun at May 4, 2019 5:20 AM MDT

With help from the Russians?