--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It should be no surprise that when rich…" description: "\"It should be no surprise that when rich men take control of the government, they pass laws that are favorable to themselves. The surprise is that those..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/688/andrew-greeley-14152_bitter_it-should-be-no-surprise-that-when-rich_3120676.png" --- # It should be no surprise that when rich men take control… ![“It should be no surprise that when rich men take control of the government, they pass laws that are favorable to themselves. The surprise is that those who are not rich vote for such people, even though they should know from bitter experience that the rich will continue to rip off the rest of us.” quote by Andrew Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/688/andrew-greeley-14152_bitter_it-should-be-no-surprise-that-when-rich_3120676.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/688/andrew-greeley-14152_bitter_it-should-be-no-surprise-that-when-rich_3120676.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/688/andrew-greeley-14152_bitter_it-should-be-no-surprise-that-when-rich_3120676.png) > “It should be no surprise that when rich men take control of the government, they pass laws that are favorable to themselves. The surprise is that those who are not rich vote for such people, even though they should know from bitter experience that the rich will continue to rip off the rest of us.” [Andrew Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-greeley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When wealthy elites dominate politics, they create self‑serving laws, yet ordinary voters still support them despite personal hardship. **In simple terms:** Rich control government, ordinary still vote for them. Key Takeaway Question policies, demand accountability. Themes politics inequality voter behavior Mood frustrated critical Type political social commentary When to use this quote - elections - policy debates - grassroots activism - civic education Key Concepts elite capture democratic erosion class conflict Questions to Reflect On - Why do people support systems that harm them? - How can citizens break cycles of elite dominance? A Different Perspective Even with evidence, many voters lack alternatives or feel powerless. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitter/) [Bitter experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bitter-experience/) [Control Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control-government/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Laws Favorable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-favorable-5477951/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich/) [Rich man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich-man/) [Rich men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich-men/) [Rich Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich-vote-5477950/) [Rip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rip/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Surprise Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise-rich-5477952/) [Take control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/take-control/) [Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vote/) ## Related quotes > [The class which has the power to rob upon a large scale has also the power to control the government and legalize their robbery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-v-debs/the-class-which-has-the-power-to-rob-upon-a-large-scale-has-also-the/) [Eugene V. Debs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-v-debs/) > [The budget doesn't have much control over the government. Then again, the government doesn't have much control over the budget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/the-budget-doesn-t-have-much-control-over-the-government-then-again/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [The mischievous idea that all public needs should be satisfied by compulsory organization and that all the means that individuals are willing to devote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/the-mischievous-idea-that-all-public-needs-should-be-satisfied-by/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [We...are not really free if we can't control our own government and its policies. 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Ruwart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-ruwart/) > [ \[D\]ecade after decade, through taxes and regulations, governments at all levels took ever-increasing control over people's lives, wealth, and property. The control grew exponentially,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-g-hornberger/d-ecade-after-decade-through-taxes-and-regulations-governments-at-all/) [Jacob G. Hornberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-g-hornberger/) > [ This \[2016\] is not simply another four-year election. This is a crossroads in the history of our civilization that will determine whether or not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/this-2016-is-not-simply-another-four-year-election-this-is-a/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [People everywhere face the threat of control by government and technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/people-everywhere-face-the-threat-of-control-by-government-and/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [it is the people who control the Government, not the Government the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-the-people-who-control-the-government-not-the-government-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As long as we cling to the superstition that we must look to government for money supply, instead of requiring it to look to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-c-riegel/as-long-as-we-cling-to-the-superstition-that-we-must-look-to/) [E.C. Riegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-c-riegel/) > [“If men were angels, no government would be necessary…In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-men-were-angels-no-government-would-be-necessary-in-framing-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let's say there are 500 sons and daughters like you in each state. Then we could control the government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-myung-moon/let-s-say-there-are-500-sons-and-daughters-like-you-in-each-state/) [Sun Myung Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-myung-moon/) > [“It’s almost as if Congress has no idea that a giant occult power struggle for control of the US government is in progress … or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/it-s-almost-as-if-congress-has-no-idea-that-a-giant-occult-power/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [Here in the United States, the Zionists and their co-religionists have complete control of our government. For many reasons, too many and too complex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-h-freedman/here-in-the-united-states-the-zionists-and-their-co-religionists-have/) [Benjamin H. Freedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-h-freedman/) ## More by Andrew Greeley > [Would it not be much better to have a president who deliberately lied to the people because he thought a war was essential than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-greeley/would-it-not-be-much-better-to-have-a-president-who-deliberately-lied/) [Andrew Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-greeley/) > [Priest organizations around the country, both local and national, should realize that their membership has a serious image problem and undertake programs to improve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-greeley/priest-organizations-around-the-country-both-local-and-national/) [Andrew Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-greeley/) > [The leadership lost its nerve. Instead of taking the lead in the reform movement... they pulled the plug on it. 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I now say it's a learning disability... but a nun who was a very troubled woman hit me over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-greeley/i-have-terrible-handwriting-i-now-say-it-s-a-learning-disability-but/) [Andrew Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-greeley/) > [Yet, if the most frequent sex and apparently the best sex is that between married partners who are faithful to one another, is there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-greeley/yet-if-the-most-frequent-sex-and-apparently-the-best-sex-is-that/) [Andrew Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-greeley/) > [Everyone takes surveys. Whoever makes a statement about human behavior has engaged in a survey of some sort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-greeley/everyone-takes-surveys-whoever-makes-a-statement-about-human-behavior/) [Andrew Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-greeley/) > [When I can go just where I want to go, There is a copse of birch trees that I know; And, as in Eden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-greeley/when-i-can-go-just-where-i-want-to-go-there-is-a-copse-of-birch-trees/) [Andrew Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-greeley/) > [Nobody puts constraints on God. She doesn't like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-greeley/nobody-puts-constraints-on-god-she-doesn-t-like-it/) [Andrew Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-greeley/) > [Well, religion has been passed down through the years by stories people tell around the campfire. Stories about God, stories about love. 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But I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-pleshette/troy-was-a-sweet-good-man-we-just-were-never-destined-to-be-married/) [Suzanne Pleshette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-pleshette/) > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. 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