I thought it was the dentist scene from Little Shop of Horrors, but I think that one has another actor that looks kind of similar

I think you’re being overly simplistic - sure, ideas and debates have a place in politics. And “political power flows out of the barrel of a gun” doesn’t mean “Whoever has the most guns wins” (though this is the case most of the time) - but it does mean that a group with no guns has no power.

Like the other commenter said, the quote is partially metaphorical - it just means that force is the basis of political power. The people willing and able to apply the most force will almost always win in the end.

Think about in America. If, tomorrow, 75% of Americans were in favor of abolishing the police, would it happen? Maybe, but probably not - because the people with political power, the people with guns and the will to use them (cops, troops, fascists, small business tyrants) support the police.

History is shaped by material conditions; ideas play a part in this, but material interest is the primary driving force.

Mao Zedong; his quote was “Political power flows out of the barrel of a gun.”

The quote is not a moral statement or a call to action, but a scientific analysis of Historical Materialism: the Chinese civil war was not fought with ballots or debates, it was fought with guns, on both sides.

Ultimately, the people with the guns hold all political power in society.

People who get mad at this episode because “That’s not how evolution works!” miss the point of Star Trek.

Chronotons and dilithium crystals also don’t exist. The science of Star Trek only exists to facilitate interesting stories, involving character drama and philosophical quandaries.

(1). Yes and (2). Only the ones that didn’t happen

Good, I’m a Tankie too.