---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Any big organization can be subverted by…"
description: "\"Any big organization can be subverted by governments or multinational special interests. They have the resources to cast doubt and fear over any group ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adc/arlo-guthrie-11642_bigs_any-big-organization-can-be-subverted-by_2026076.png"
---

#  Any big organization can be subverted by governments or…

![“Any big organization can be subverted by governments or multinational special interests. They have the resources to cast doubt and fear over any group they feel threatened by.” quote by Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adc/arlo-guthrie-11642_bigs_any-big-organization-can-be-subverted-by_2026076.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adc/arlo-guthrie-11642_bigs_any-big-organization-can-be-subverted-by_2026076.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adc/arlo-guthrie-11642_bigs_any-big-organization-can-be-subverted-by_2026076.png)

> “Any big organization can be subverted by governments or multinational special interests. They have the resources to cast doubt and fear over any group they feel threatened by.”

[Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He warns that powerful entities can manipulate public perception to suppress dissent.

**In simple terms:** Governments and interests can sow fear to control groups.

Key Takeaway

Stay critical of information sources and power structures.

Themes

media politics power trust

Mood

skeptical urgent

Type

analytical activist

When to use this quote

- activism
- journalism
- community organizing
- education programs

Key Concepts

propaganda social engineering

Questions to Reflect On

- How can citizens verify truth?
- What safeguards protect free discourse?

A Different Perspective

Counter‑measures can be limited by censorship.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Big Organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-organization-1485639/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Casts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/casts/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Doubt and fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt-and-fear/) [Feel Threatened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-threatened/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Governments Multinational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governments-multinational-3696488/) [Groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groups/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Multinationals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/multinationals/) [Organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organization/) [Organization Subverted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organization-subverted-3696486/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Resources](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resources/) [Special](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special/) [Special interests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special-interests/) [Subverted Governments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subverted-governments-3696487/) [Threatened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threatened/)

## Related quotes

> [Never inject a man into the top, if it can be avoided. In a big organization, to have to do that, I think, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-p-sloan/never-inject-a-man-into-the-top-if-it-can-be-avoided-in-a-big/)

[Alfred P. Sloan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-p-sloan/)

> [When you come in as a new leader, it's really important that people do get to know you and that you are constantly communicating.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-sweet/when-you-come-in-as-a-new-leader-it-s-really-important-that-people-do-2/)

[Julie Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-sweet/)

> [NASA is a big organization with a lot of needs that have to be met. So there are a lot of opportunities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-pittman/nasa-is-a-big-organization-with-a-lot-of-needs-that-have-to-be-met-so/)

[Bruce Pittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-pittman/)

> [I've said many times that people are policy. And to be truly successful in any big organization you need to put people into jobs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-baker/i-ve-said-many-times-that-people-are-policy-and-to-be-truly/)

[Charlie Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-baker/)

> [You don't have to be a leader of a big organization. You can be a leader of your brother, of a young kid, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masai-ujiri/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-leader-of-a-big-organization-you-can-be-a/)

[Masai Ujiri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masai-ujiri/)

> [Back then, I didn't have a big organization around me. I was just a kid with a guitar, traveling around. My responsibility basically was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-mitchell/back-then-i-didn-t-have-a-big-organization-around-me-i-was-just-a-kid/)

[Joni Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-mitchell/)

> [Whatever the country, whatever the culture, whatever the time, when you become a big enough organization, you start to collapse and slow down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masayoshi-son/whatever-the-country-whatever-the-culture-whatever-the-time-when-you/)

[Masayoshi Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masayoshi-son/)

> [And I think it's true of any big organization... Bureaucracies and organizations make it hard to do the right thing sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-terrio/and-i-think-it-s-true-of-any-big-organization-bureaucracies-and/)

[Chris Terrio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-terrio/)

> [When you go into a new city, or any city that you play for, the community is a big part of every organization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-k-subban/when-you-go-into-a-new-city-or-any-city-that-you-play-for-the/)

[P.K. Subban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-k-subban/)

> [Team members who feel threatened but who are not aware of it become rigid - and that stops teamwork.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-schutz/team-members-who-feel-threatened-but-who-are-not-aware-of-it-become/)

[William Schutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-schutz/)

> [I think that in the immediate aftermath of a superhuman machine intelligence revealing itself, most people would feel very threatened but take solace in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-casti/i-think-that-in-the-immediate-aftermath-of-a-superhuman-machine/)

[John L. Casti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-casti/)

> [Cats never feel threatened. They are genetically incapable of accepting that anyone could possibly dislike anything as perfect as a cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-young/cats-never-feel-threatened-they-are-genetically-incapable-of/)

[Kathy Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-young/)

> [When we dislike someone, or feel threatened by someone, the natural tendency is to focus on something we dislike about the person, something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-redfield/when-we-dislike-someone-or-feel-threatened-by-someone-the-natural/)

[James Redfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-redfield/)

> [There's a diversion between economic reality - integration, global village, everybody depending on everybody else - and cultural reality, which is people feeling invaded,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-green/there-s-a-diversion-between-economic-reality-integration-global/)

[Duncan Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-green/)

> [Whenever you feel threatened or afraid, you should place your hands over your third chakra, right in the middle of your stomach, and breathe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-choquette/whenever-you-feel-threatened-or-afraid-you-should-place-your-hands/)

[Sonia Choquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-choquette/)

## More by Arlo Guthrie

> [If readers understand that they do not understand what they are reading then they must possess an understanding which is superior to the meaning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/if-readers-understand-that-they-do-not-understand-what-they-are/)

[Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/)

> [If you do anything for 40 years, you can do it comfortably. And it will always be good. But unless you're willing to risk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/if-you-do-anything-for-40-years-you-can-do-it-comfortably-and-it-will/)

[Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/)

> [Ostrich is a very lean meat. Bison is a very lean meat. Chicken is a very lean meat. Notice something about my favorite meats?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/ostrich-is-a-very-lean-meat-bison-is-a-very-lean-meat-chicken-is-a/)

[Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/)

> [Folk music is music that everyday people can play, and it inspired a lot of people to make their own music. That trailed into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/folk-music-is-music-that-everyday-people-can-play-and-it-inspired-a/)

[Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/)

> [I left the entertainment industry part of my life behind in 1983, when we decided not to work with major record companies anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/i-left-the-entertainment-industry-part-of-my-life-behind-in-1983-when/)

[Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/)

> [Everyone has a responsibility to not only tolerate another person's point of view, but also to accept it eagerly as a challenge to your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/everyone-has-a-responsibility-to-not-only-tolerate-another-person-s/)

[Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/)

> [I thought I would be governor of Massachusetts. I stood on a pile of my old albums and said, 'I'm the only one with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/i-thought-i-would-be-governor-of-massachusetts-i-stood-on-a-pile-of/)

[Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/)

> [Probably my two biggest musical influences were the Everly Brothers and the Beatles, in chronological order. Both of them have had a very simple-sounding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/probably-my-two-biggest-musical-influences-were-the-everly-brothers/)

[Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/)

> [People were talking about songs of the common man in order to make the common man. With Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly, they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/people-were-talking-about-songs-of-the-common-man-in-order-to-make/)

[Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/)

> [My mother had introduced me to a lot of my father's friends because she believed that I would get to know the guy my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/my-mother-had-introduced-me-to-a-lot-of-my-father-s-friends-because/)

[Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/)

> [Everywhere I go, I see all kinds of people at my shows - conservatives, liberals, new-agers, teen-agers, old pensioners. And for those people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/everywhere-i-go-i-see-all-kinds-of-people-at-my-shows-conservatives/)

[Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/)

> [I froze in time! And I thought, "My God... I'm free!"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/i-froze-in-time-and-i-thought-my-god-i-m-free/)

[Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/)

> [Along with a sense of humor, my songs have to be sincere, and they have to be sung from a position of inner conviction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/along-with-a-sense-of-humor-my-songs-have-to-be-sincere-and-they-have/)

[Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/)

> [Be serious. Folk songs are serious. That's what Pete Seeger told me. Arlo, I only wanna tell you one thing. Folk songs are serious.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/be-serious-folk-songs-are-serious-that-s-what-pete-seeger-told-me/)

[Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/)

> [Greed and globalization aren't just America's fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/greed-and-globalization-aren-t-just-america-s-fault/)

[Arlo Guthrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/)

[Explore all 59 Arlo Guthrie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/)

## More Bigs quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [It is said that history turns on small hinges. A human career, too, results from an accumulating series of decisions about large and small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/it-is-said-that-history-turns-on-small-hinges-a-human-career-too/)

[Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/)

> [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/)

[Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/)

> [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/)

[Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/)

> [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/)

[Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/)

> [The only regret I have in my career, is my managers wanted a big payday, and I wanted four or five more fights before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-cooney/the-only-regret-i-have-in-my-career-is-my-managers-wanted-a-big/)

[Gerry Cooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-cooney/)

> [It goes to show you how we in the press so often miss the big stories that are right under our noses. There is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ebert/it-goes-to-show-you-how-we-in-the-press-so-often-miss-the-big-stories/)

[Roger Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ebert/)

> [Okay, so I'll admit I'm curious. Big deal. We both know what that leads to. Dead cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elizabeth-phillips/okay-so-i-ll-admit-i-m-curious-big-deal-we-both-know-what-that-leads/)

[Susan Elizabeth Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elizabeth-phillips/)

> [I don't want this to be a distraction. This has been distracting enough. I'm not going to rehash this going forward. I'm sure other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayson-werth/i-don-t-want-this-to-be-a-distraction-this-has-been-distracting/)

[Jayson Werth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jayson-werth/)

> [I didn't get how big it was until I went home, turned on the television and saw it on all the news, and later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/i-didn-t-get-how-big-it-was-until-i-went-home-turned-on-the/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/)

[Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/)

> [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/)

[Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/)

> [People forget that there is a big difference between coercion and persuasion. The idea that evangelism is coercive is nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/people-forget-that-there-is-a-big-difference-between-coercion-and/)

[Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/)

> [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/)

[Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/)

> [I got in trouble my whole life for having a big mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/i-got-in-trouble-my-whole-life-for-having-a-big-mouth/)

[Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/)

[Browse all 15,539 Bigs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Any big organization can be subverted by governments or multinational special interests. They have the resources to cast doubt and fear over any group they feel threatened by.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Arlo Guthrie"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/any-big-organization-can-be-subverted-by-governments-or-multinational/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bigs"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/any-big-organization-can-be-subverted-by-governments-or-multinational/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adc/arlo-guthrie-11642_bigs_any-big-organization-can-be-subverted-by_2026076.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adc/arlo-guthrie-11642_bigs_any-big-organization-can-be-subverted-by_2026076.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/adc/arlo-guthrie-11642_bigs_any-big-organization-can-be-subverted-by_2026076.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Any big organization can be subverted by governments or multinational special interests. They have the…” — Arlo Guthrie",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Arlo Guthrie",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-guthrie/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Any big organization can be subverted...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/any-big-organization-can-be-subverted-by-governments-or-multinational/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-guthrie/any-big-organization-can-be-subverted-by-governments-or-multinational/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
