Democracy Quote by Anonymous
““Dear Editor: Rousseau thought that democracy was a good idea, but unworkable. Plato recommended an intellectual aristocracy, with ‘philosopher kings’ using psychological manipulation to make the populace think they were living in a democracy. This is similar to the situation we’re living in today – only instead of his intellectual aristocracy, we have a plutocracy, with the plutocrats using psychological manipulation to make us think we’re living in a democracy. You can’t fool all the people all the time, but if you can manipulate most of the people most of the time, you’ve got it made. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking plutocracy. As John Jay said, the people who own the country should be running it. I certainly don’t want the man on the street running my country. What we have to do is convince the plutocrats that it would be in their best interests to narrow the income gap and distribute the necessities of life on a more equitable basis. Ray Sherman, Duarte, CA””
About This Quote
The author argues that modern societies masquerade as democracies while being controlled by wealthy elites who manipulate public perception, suggesting a need to persuade elites to adopt more equitable policies.
In simple terms: Powerful elites can fake democracy; convincing them to share wealth is key.
Seek to align elite interests with broader equity.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- policy advocacy
- public awareness campaigns
- wealth redistribution discussions
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What strategies can effectively persuade elites to support equity?
- How can citizens detect and counteract political manipulation?
Changing elite behavior is difficult; systemic change may require more than persuasion.