--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You don’t understand the class structure…" description: "\"“You don’t understand the class structure of American society,\" said Smetana, \"or you would not ask such a question. In the United States, the working ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6f/anonymous-1_american-society_you-don-t-understand-the-class-structure_1678708.jpg" --- # You don’t understand the class structure of American… ![“You don’t understand the class structure of American society," said Smetana, "or you would not ask such a question. In the United States, the working class are Democrats. The middle class are Republicans. The upper class are Communists.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6f/anonymous-1_american-society_you-don-t-understand-the-class-structure_1678708.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6f/anonymous-1_american-society_you-don-t-understand-the-class-structure_1678708.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6f/anonymous-1_american-society_you-don-t-understand-the-class-structure_1678708.jpg) > ““You don’t understand the class structure of American society," said Smetana, "or you would not ask such a question. In the United States, the working class are Democrats. The middle class are Republicans. The upper class are Communists.”” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Classify Americans by political affiliation, suggesting each class aligns with a distinct party or ideology. **In simple terms:** American classes map to parties. Key Takeaway Recognize political stereotypes. Themes politics class stereotypes Mood critical analytical Type observational commentary When to use this quote - political debate - media analysis - educational discussion Key Concepts American politics social stratification Questions to Reflect On - How accurate are these class‑party associations? - What are the risks of such labeling? A Different Perspective Oversimplifies complex socioeconomic realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-society/) [Class Democrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class-democrats-935200/) [Class Republicans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class-republicans-935201/) [Communism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communism/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Middle class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-class/) [Upper class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upper-class/) [Working class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-class/) ## Related quotes > [In the United States, the working class are Democrats. The middle class are Republicans. The upper class are Communists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whittaker-chambers/in-the-united-states-the-working-class-are-democrats-the-middle-class/) [Whittaker Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whittaker-chambers/) > [There is quite a lot of mutual misunderstanding between the upper middle class and the working class. Reviewing what's been said about the white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/there-is-quite-a-lot-of-mutual-misunderstanding-between-the-upper/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [What the Democrats have done is tell the poor and the middle class that the Democrats are looking out for 'em. Democrats are gonna…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/what-the-democrats-have-done-is-tell-the-poor-and-the-middle-class/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Admittedly, no Republican can get elected statewide in California anymore, but nor can what we think of as, nationally, the Democratic Party. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/admittedly-no-republican-can-get-elected-statewide-in-california/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [We're going to need to absorb some pain. The Republicans want to pile all the pain on people who can least afford it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-wasserman-schultz/we-re-going-to-need-to-absorb-some-pain-the-republicans-want-to-pile/) [Debbie Wasserman Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-wasserman-schultz/) > [I am invariably and have been since adolescence inimical to the Republican mind which shows at the most inflated size the bad qualities of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-flanner/i-am-invariably-and-have-been-since-adolescence-inimical-to-the/) [Janet Flanner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-flanner/) > [My basic position is that the more mixed the society and the more mobility there is in it, the better. That's what makes things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarvis-cocker/my-basic-position-is-that-the-more-mixed-the-society-and-the-more/) [Jarvis Cocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarvis-cocker/) > [When I first left drama school, I was too posh for the working-class parts and not posh enough for the upper-class roles. You know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-chaplin/when-i-first-left-drama-school-i-was-too-posh-for-the-working-class/) [Ben Chaplin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-chaplin/) > [“However you want to define these two groups and their approach to giving—rich and poor; educated and uneducated; upper-class and working-class—their members increasingly occupy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance/however-you-want-to-define-these-two-groups-and-their-approach-to/) [J.D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance/) > [People of Wealth and the so called upper class suffer the most from boredom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-of-wealth-and-the-so-called-upper-class-suffer-the-most-from/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The upper class realizes that controlling people's communications is vital to insuring that deviant points of view don't slip in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-upper-class-realizes-that-controlling-people-s-communications-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The flaw in the pluralist heaven is that the heavenly chorus sings with a strong upper-class accent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-flaw-in-the-pluralist-heaven-is-that-the-heavenly-chorus-sings/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“What it mainly revealed was that one of the most insidious of the “hidden injuries of class” in North American society was the denial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-graeber/what-it-mainly-revealed-was-that-one-of-the-most-insidious-of-the/) [David Graeber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-graeber/) > [These weren't college kids on acid. They were preachers, and bankers, and farmers, and the salt of American society subscribing to ideas that now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-jennings/these-weren-t-college-kids-on-acid-they-were-preachers-and-bankers/) [Christine Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-jennings/) > [Football incorporates the two worst elements of American society: violence punctuated by committee meetings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/football-incorporates-the-two-worst-elements-of-american-society/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More American society quotes > [The contempt for law and the contempt for the human consequences of lawbreaking go from the bottom to the top of American society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-contempt-for-law-and-the-contempt-for-the-human-consequences-of/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [American society is now remarkably atomized. Political organizations have collapsed. In fact, it seems like even bowling leagues are collapsing. The left has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/american-society-is-now-remarkably-atomized-political-organizations/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I don't see much future for the Americans ... it's a decayed country. And they have their racial problem, and the problem of social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-don-t-see-much-future-for-the-americans-it-s-a-decayed-country-and/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [I have tried to defend what is most precious to our American society, a society that is now at war against the forces of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demian-bichir/i-have-tried-to-defend-what-is-most-precious-to-our-american-society/) [Demian Bichir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demian-bichir/) > [Cumulatively, American society is sliding toward a new form of 'authoritarian democracy'. Elections continue, free speech is generally protected, institutions operate in accordance with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-a-falk/cumulatively-american-society-is-sliding-toward-a-new-form-of/) [Richard A. Falk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-a-falk/) > [“As a culture, we had no heroes. Certainly not any politician--Barack Obama was then the most admired man in America (and likely still is),…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance/as-a-culture-we-had-no-heroes-certainly-not-any-politician-barack/) [J.D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance/) > [ “The Sexual plight of these children \[those adolescents experimenting sexually\] is officially not mentioned. The revolutionary attack on hypocrisy by Ibsen, Freud, Ellis, Dreiser,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-goodman/the-sexual-plight-of-these-children-those-adolescents-experimenting/) [Paul Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-goodman/) > [Hip-hop is contributing to American society's misogyny and racism, hyper-sexuality anti-Black representations. Hip-Hop isn't setting the standard for misogyny. No one reduces the presidency…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bakari-kitwana/hip-hop-is-contributing-to-american-society-s-misogyny-and-racism/) [Bakari Kitwana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bakari-kitwana/) > [I believe it is essential to have English as the official language of our National Government, for the English language is the tie that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-sensenbrenner/i-believe-it-is-essential-to-have-english-as-the-official-language-of/) [Jim Sensenbrenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-sensenbrenner/) > [Black people cannot and will not become integrated into American society on any terms but those of self-determination and autonomy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerda-lerner/black-people-cannot-and-will-not-become-integrated-into-american/) [Gerda Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerda-lerner/) > [Black people in America have to, for their own protection, develop a defense mechanism, and I just grew terribly tired of it. When you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-robinson/black-people-in-america-have-to-for-their-own-protection-develop-a/) [Randall Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-robinson/) > [Public image is extremely important in American society and I observed personally that the Presidency of John F. Kennedy did much in the public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/public-image-is-extremely-important-in-american-society-and-i/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [Sometimes, you know, the president is a father-like figure in American society, to most Americans, even today, no matter how cynical we've become. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alec-baldwin/sometimes-you-know-the-president-is-a-father-like-figure-in-american/) [Alec Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alec-baldwin/) > [The family has always been the cornerstone of American society. Our families nurture, preserve, and pass on to each succeeding generation the values we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-family-has-always-been-the-cornerstone-of-american-society-our/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [While President Barack Obama has, in one sense, tipped his hand by saying that he wants judges with "empathy" for certain groups, he has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/while-president-barack-obama-has-in-one-sense-tipped-his-hand-by/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) [Browse all 315 American society quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-society/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You don’t understand the class structure of American society,\" said Smetana, \"or you would not ask such a question. In the United States, the working class are Democrats. The middle class are Republicans. 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