--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have taken on virtually every element…" description: "\"I have taken on virtually every element of the big money establishment, whether it's the Koch brothers, and the big energy companies, whether it's the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/751/bernie-sanders-233_bigs_i-have-taken-on-virtually-every-element_1788391.jpg" --- # I have taken on virtually every element of the big money… ![“I have taken on virtually every element of the big money establishment, whether it's the Koch brothers, and the big energy companies, whether it's the industrial complex, whether it's Wall Street. I have taken on the drug companies. I have taken on the insurance companies.” quote by Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/751/bernie-sanders-233_bigs_i-have-taken-on-virtually-every-element_1788391.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/751/bernie-sanders-233_bigs_i-have-taken-on-virtually-every-element_1788391.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/751/bernie-sanders-233_bigs_i-have-taken-on-virtually-every-element_1788391.jpg) > “I have taken on virtually every element of the big money establishment, whether it's the Koch brothers, and the big energy companies, whether it's the industrial complex, whether it's Wall Street. I have taken on the drug companies. I have taken on the insurance companies.” [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He challenges powerful institutions across sectors, highlighting systemic oppression. **In simple terms:** He opposes many powerful groups. Key Takeaway Question systemic power. Themes politics activism systemic injustice Mood critical urgent Type political activist When to use this quote - voting - community organizing - policy advocacy Key Concepts economics public policy Questions to Reflect On - Which institutions need reform? - How can citizens influence change? A Different Perspective Opposition alone may not change structures; collective action needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Complexes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexes/) [Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Drug companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug-companies/) [Elements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elements/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Establishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/establishment/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) [Wall St](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall-st/) [Wall street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall-street/) ## Related quotes > [The corporations have taken over. Even in the recording studio. Actually, the corporate companies have taken over American life most everywhere. Go coast to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/the-corporations-have-taken-over-even-in-the-recording-studio/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [Let's fix what's broken about Obamacare, but let's not throw it away and give it all back to the insurance companies and the drug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/let-s-fix-what-s-broken-about-obamacare-but-let-s-not-throw-it-away/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [When I took on the drug companies and the insurance companies for universal health care coverage, they went after me with a vengeance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/when-i-took-on-the-drug-companies-and-the-insurance-companies-for/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Insurance companies, drug companies are going to have to be ponying up, partly because right now they're receiving huge subsidies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/insurance-companies-drug-companies-are-going-to-have-to-be-ponying-up/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [There are three major political organizations in this country: the Republican Party, the Democratic Party and the Koch Brothers Party. With billions to spend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/there-are-three-major-political-organizations-in-this-country-the/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [ Secretary \[Hillary \] Clinton is absolutely right, there are people, Koch brothers among others, who have a group called Concerned Veterans of America, funded… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/secretary-hillary-clinton-is-absolutely-right-there-are-people-koch/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [“issue a statement attacking the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision. I announced that I would only nominate justices to the Supreme Court who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/issue-a-statement-attacking-the-disastrous-citizens-united-supreme/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [Most Republicans are not prepared to stand up to the fossil fuel industry because they get a lot of their campaign funds from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/most-republicans-are-not-prepared-to-stand-up-to-the-fossil-fuel/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [The Koch brothers, through the expenditure of billions of dollars and the creation and support of dozens of extreme right organizations, have taken fringe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-koch-brothers-through-the-expenditure-of-billions-of-dollars-and/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [I'm not going to tell you I know George W. Bush intimately. I'm not going to tell you we're best friends. I'll tell you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/i-m-not-going-to-tell-you-i-know-george-w-bush-intimately-i-m-not/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [In the last presidential election Obama and Romney raised about $1 billion each. The Koch brothers, the second wealthiest family in America, now say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/in-the-last-presidential-election-obama-and-romney-raised-about-1/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [As a result of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, American democracy is being undermined by the ability of the Koch brothers and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/as-a-result-of-the-citizens-united-supreme-court-decision-american/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [I think we are making progress, but we have long way to go. People also have got to understand the agenda that we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/i-think-we-are-making-progress-but-we-have-long-way-to-go-people-also/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [It is incomprehensible that drug companies still get away with charging Americans twice as much, or more, than citizens of Canada or Europe for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/it-is-incomprehensible-that-drug-companies-still-get-away-with/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [President Bush's mercury rule is a gift to the big energy companies that helped put him in office.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-allen/president-bush-s-mercury-rule-is-a-gift-to-the-big-energy-companies/) [Tom Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-allen/) ## More by Bernie Sanders > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [As the longest serving Independent in the history of the United States Congress, as somebody who came into office by defeating an incumbent Democratic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/as-the-longest-serving-independent-in-the-history-of-the-united/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [What Wall Street and credit card companies are doing is really not much different from what gangsters and loan sharks do who make predatory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/what-wall-street-and-credit-card-companies-are-doing-is-really-not/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [What we have got to do immediately is to say that racism and xenophobia is totally unacceptable and we will stand with the 1…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/what-we-have-got-to-do-immediately-is-to-say-that-racism-and/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [In 1999, Hoffmann-LaRoche paid a $500 million criminal fine for leading a worldwide conspiracy to fix prices for certain vitamins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/in-1999-hoffmann-laroche-paid-a-500-million-criminal-fine-for-leading/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [We need a strategy. And the goal is to bring millions of people together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/we-need-a-strategy-and-the-goal-is-to-bring-millions-of-people/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [We are living at a time where a handful of people have wealth beyond comprehension - huge yachts, jet planes, tens of billions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/we-are-living-at-a-time-where-a-handful-of-people-have-wealth-beyond/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [The deficit crisis is real and must be addressed. But it cannot be solved on the backs of the weak and vulnerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-deficit-crisis-is-real-and-must-be-addressed-but-it-cannot-be/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [I want to break up the Wall Street banks. Hillary Clinton doesn't. I want to raise the minimum wage to 15 bucks an hour.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/i-want-to-break-up-the-wall-street-banks-hillary-clinton-doesn-t-i/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [The Palestinian people's needs must be respected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-palestinian-people-s-needs-must-be-respected/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [Hillary Clinton wants to see that all Americans have the right to choose a public option in their health care exchange.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/hillary-clinton-wants-to-see-that-all-americans-have-the-right-to/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [If you want to know if your food contains gluten, aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, trans-fats or MSG, you simply read the ingredients listed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/if-you-want-to-know-if-your-food-contains-gluten-aspartame-high/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [It reminds me in some ways of the debate taking place in this country and around the world in the late 1930s. There were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/it-reminds-me-in-some-ways-of-the-debate-taking-place-in-this-country/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [I am sure that there are some single payer advocates who think the only thing worth fighting for is single payer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/i-am-sure-that-there-are-some-single-payer-advocates-who-think-the/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [The case to be made is that we have got to get people involved - continue to get people involved in the political process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-case-to-be-made-is-that-we-have-got-to-get-people-involved/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) [Explore all 853 Bernie Sanders quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) ## 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 ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have taken on virtually every element of the big money establishment, whether it's the Koch brothers, and the big energy companies, whether it's the industrial complex, whether it's Wall Street. 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