The private control of credit is the modern form of slavery.
Upton SinclairRead
One of the necessary accompaniments of capitalism in a democracy is political corruption.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Capitalism in a democratic society often leads to corruption in politics.
Upton Sinclair's quote suggests that in a capitalist democracy, the drive for profit can lead to unethical influences in politics, where business interests may override the common good. This commentary reflects the inherent tension between economic systems and governance, highlighting how financial power can affect political integrity and decision-making.
Themes
CapitalismDemocracyCorruptionPoliticsPower
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a political debate to illustrate the risks of corporate influence.
More from Upton Sinclair
All quotes βHuman beings suffer agonies, and their sad fates become legends; poets write verses about them and playwrights compose dramas, and the remembrance of past grief becomes a source of present pleasure - such is the strange alchemy of the spirit.
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I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach.
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And as for other men, who worked in tank-rooms full of steam, and in some of which there were open vats near the level of the floor, their peculiar trouble was that they fell into the vats; and when they were fished out, there was never enough of them left to be worth exhibiting,-sometimes they would be overlooked for days, till all but the bones of them had gone out into the world as Durham's Pure Leaf Lard! This contributed to the passing of the Pure Food Act of 1906.
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Fascism is capitalism plus murder.
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The old wanderlust had gotten into his blood, the joy of the unbound life, the joy of seeking, of hoping without limit.
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