What is interesting is that, although it is framed as a war between the elites and Main Street, the Tea Party is actually really good for the elites.
Chrystia FreelandRead
The irony of the political rise of the plutocrats is that, like Venice's oligarchs, they threaten the system that created them.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The wealthy elite may undermine the very system that allowed them to gain power.
In this quote, Chrystia Freeland highlights the paradox that the political elevation of the wealthy can lead to a destabilization of the societal structures that facilitated their success. Similar to the oligarchs of Venice, those who rise to power through capital accumulation may inadvertently jeopardize the frameworks that support their influence, raising questions about sustainability and the future of democracy.
Themes
PlutocratsPoliticsOligarchySystemPowerCorruption
In practice
Example use cases
In a political debate about campaign financing, this quote could illustrate how wealthy donors may harm democracy.
More from Chrystia Freeland
All quotes βAll of us can agree that we want government to work as well as possible, and we should all applaud efforts to improve it. But there is no escaping the divisive and essential questions: What is the purpose of the state, and whom does it serve?
Chrystia FreelandRead
In a globalized economy, jobs no longer need a passport, but workers do.
Chrystia FreelandRead
This is the 21st-century paradox: Even as political democracy has become the intellectual default mode for much of the world, the private sector usually trumps the public one when it comes to accommodating consumer choice.
Chrystia FreelandRead
Living as we do in the age of Facebook, we shouldn't be surprised that some countries are starting to imagine themselves more as social networks than as a physical place.
Chrystia FreelandRead
One of the most important political and economic facts of this young century is that capital has been slipping the traces of the nation-state. Business is global; government is national.
Chrystia FreelandRead
Similar quotes
In the 1990s, we were certain that Saddam Hussein had a nuclear arsenal. In fact, his factories could barely make soap.
Fareed ZakariaRead
A ballot is like a bullet. You don't throw your ballots until you see a target, and if that target is not within your reach, keep your ballot in your pocket.
Malcolm XRead
Who gets the risks? The risks are given to the consumer, the unsuspecting consumer and the poor work force. And who gets the benefits? The benefits are only for the corporations, for the money makers.
Cesar ChavezRead
Political nature abhors a vacuum, which is what often exists for a year or two in a party after it loses a presidential election.
George WillRead
All of the American's foreign wars have been fought with foes either too weak to resist them or too heavily engaged elsewhere to make more than a half-hearted attempt. The combats with Mexico and Spain were not wars; they were simply lynchings.
H. L. MenckenRead
There is too much government today. We've got to remember the government should be by the people, of the people, and for the people.
Ray BradburyRead