--- title: "3 Sheldon S. Wolin Quotes" description: "Sheldon S. Wolin has 3 quotes on SMS4Smile. Browse their most insightful sayings." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90a/sheldon-s-wolin-76151_george-w_by-the-fact-of-his-own-election-that-aud_370836.jpg" --- # Sheldon S. Wolin **3** quotes in **10** categories Rate this collection: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Quotes by Sheldon S. Wolin > [“by the fact of his own election, that audacity does not appear to challenge the system of power which has brought the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-s-wolin/by-the-fact-of-his-own-election-that-audacity-does-not-appear-to/) [Sheldon S. Wolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-s-wolin/) [George w](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/george-w/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90a/sheldon-s-wolin-76151_george-w_by-the-fact-of-his-own-election-that-aud_370836.jpg) > [“democracy is about the conditions that make it possible for ordinary people to better their lives by becoming political beings and by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-s-wolin/democracy-is-about-the-conditions-that-make-it-possible-for-ordinary/) [Sheldon S. Wolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-s-wolin/) [Common life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common-life/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4da/sheldon-s-wolin-76151_common-life_democracy-is-about-the-conditions-that-m_488464.jpg) > [“Antidemocracy, executive predominance, and elite rule are basic elements of inverted totalitarianism. Antidemocracy does not take the form of overt attacks upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-s-wolin/antidemocracy-executive-predominance-and-elite-rule-are-basic/) [Sheldon S. Wolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-s-wolin/) [Attention span](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention-span/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c94/sheldon-s-wolin-76151_attention-span_antidemocracy-executive-predominance-and_3046876.jpg) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-s-wolin/#itemlist", "name": "Sheldon S. Wolin Quotes", "numberOfItems": 3, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“by the fact of his own election, that audacity does not appear to challenge the system of power which has brought the nation an endless war, bankruptcy, recession, and high unemployment. Change aplenty and all feeding the drift toward the system described in the pages that follow. July 2009 Preface As a preliminary I want to emphasize certain aspects of the approach taken in this volume in order to avoid possible misunderstandings. Although the concept of totalitarianism is central to what follows, my thesis is not that the current American political system is an inspired replica of Nazi Germany’s or George W. Bush of Hitler.1 References to Hitler’s Germany are introduced to remind the reader of the benchmarks in a system of power that was invasive abroad, justified preemptive war as a matter of official doctrine, and repressed all opposition at home—a system that was cruel and racist in principle and practice, deeply ideological, and openly bent on world domination. Those benchmarks are introduced to illuminate tendencies”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sheldon S. 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Wolin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“democracy is about the conditions that make it possible for ordinary people to better their lives by becoming political beings and by making power responsive to their hopes and needs. What is at stake in democratic politics is whether ordinary men and women can recognize that their concerns are best protected and cultivated under a regime whose actions are governed by principles of commonality, equality, and fairness, a regime in which taking part in politics becomes a way of staking out and sharing in a common life and its forms of self-fulfillment. Democracy is not about bowling together but about managing together those powers that immediately and significantly affect the lives and circumstances of others and one’s self.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sheldon S. Wolin" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-s-wolin/democracy-is-about-the-conditions-that-make-it-possible-for-ordinary/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4da/sheldon-s-wolin-76151_common-life_democracy-is-about-the-conditions-that-m_488464.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4da/sheldon-s-wolin-76151_common-life_democracy-is-about-the-conditions-that-m_488464.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4da/sheldon-s-wolin-76151_common-life_democracy-is-about-the-conditions-that-m_488464.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“democracy is about the conditions that make it possible for ordinary people to better their lives by…” — Sheldon S. Wolin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Antidemocracy, executive predominance, and elite rule are basic elements of inverted totalitarianism. Antidemocracy does not take the form of overt attacks upon the idea of government by the people. Instead, politically it means encouraging what I have earlier dubbed “civic demobilization,” conditioning an electorate to being aroused for a brief spell, controlling its attention span, and then encouraging distraction or apathy. The intense pace of work and the extended working day, combined with job insecurity, is a formula for political demobilization, for privatizing the citizenry. It works indirectly. Citizens are encouraged to distrust their government and politicians; to concentrate upon their own interests; to begrudge their taxes; and to exchange active involvement for symbolic gratifications of patriotism, collective self-righteousness, and military prowess. Above all, depoliticization is promoted through society’s being enveloped in an atmosphere of collective fear and of individual powerlessness: fear of terrorists, loss of jobs, the uncertainties of pension plans, soaring health costs, and rising educational expenses.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sheldon S. 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