--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think it's important for us not just to…" description: "\"I think it's important for us not just to edit the culture that capitalism creates but to create the material basis for a culture that we want.\" — Boot..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eaf/boots-riley-3549_capitalism_i-think-it-s-important-for-us-not-just-t_70617.jpg" --- # I think it's important for us not just to edit the culture… ![“I think it's important for us not just to edit the culture that capitalism creates but to create the material basis for a culture that we want.” quote by Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eaf/boots-riley-3549_capitalism_i-think-it-s-important-for-us-not-just-t_70617.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eaf/boots-riley-3549_capitalism_i-think-it-s-important-for-us-not-just-t_70617.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eaf/boots-riley-3549_capitalism_i-think-it-s-important-for-us-not-just-t_70617.jpg) > “I think it's important for us not just to edit the culture that capitalism creates but to create the material basis for a culture that we want.” [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates reshaping economic structures to support desired cultural values rather than merely adapting to existing capitalist influences. **In simple terms:** Change material foundations to shape culture. Key Takeaway Culture stems from material conditions. Themes economic justice cultural engineering social change political activism systemic reform Mood determined hopeful critical Type political philosophical visionary When to use this quote - community organizing - policy design - grassroots movements - educational reform Key Concepts materialism culture capitalism social structures Practical Applications - designing equitable economic policies - building alternative community economies Questions to Reflect On - What material changes would best support your ideal culture? - How can we balance cultural aspirations with economic realities? A Different Perspective Some argue cultural shifts can occur within existing economic frameworks without overhauling material bases. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) ## Related quotes > [Provided that societies stay mindful of the challenges that capitalism creates and never forget the paramount importance of inclusion and equal opportunity, we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/provided-that-societies-stay-mindful-of-the-challenges-that/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Glamour cannot exist without personal social envy being a common and widespread emotion. 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But any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-parker/capitalism-the-ogre-of-those-protesting-wall-street-has-suffered-a/) [Kathleen Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-parker/) > [People feel they are not participating in the decision-making process. Decisions are exclusive to those at the very top. You have grown up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-mulyani-indrawati/people-feel-they-are-not-participating-in-the-decision-making-process/) [Sri Mulyani Indrawati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-mulyani-indrawati/) > [A person without an Apple watch is perfectly content with his present watch but when he sees his friends buying the watch, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kotler/a-person-without-an-apple-watch-is-perfectly-content-with-his-present/) [Philip Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kotler/) > [Capitalism creates a huge community of producers who are unceasingly striving to deprive each other of the fruits of their collective labor, and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/capitalism-creates-a-huge-community-of-producers-who-are-unceasingly/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The revolution eats its own. Capitalism re-creates itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mordecai-richler/the-revolution-eats-its-own-capitalism-re-creates-itself/) [Mordecai Richler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mordecai-richler/) > [I need to talk about Chinese culture. We have deep, strong philosophy and culture. I want to share some information, tell the worldwide audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jet-li/i-need-to-talk-about-chinese-culture-we-have-deep-strong-philosophy/) [Jet Li](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jet-li/) > [What does culture want? To make infinity comprehensible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/what-does-culture-want-to-make-infinity-comprehensible/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [I want to affect culture. I want to have my mark on everything. I give examples of people like Bill Cosby, Quincy Jones -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-cannon/i-want-to-affect-culture-i-want-to-have-my-mark-on-everything-i-give/) [Nick Cannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-cannon/) > [The tendency in today's culture is to want to be a 'star', but I want to be a servant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-foreman/the-tendency-in-today-s-culture-is-to-want-to-be-a-star-but-i-want-to/) [Jon Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-foreman/) > [We do have to ask ourselves as a culture, what do we want to be? You know, what are our founding values? And if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-jarrett/we-do-have-to-ask-ourselves-as-a-culture-what-do-we-want-to-be-you/) [Valerie Jarrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-jarrett/) > [I have a good connection with people from America that come to my shows. It's more the American culture. I like the culture, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/afrojack/i-have-a-good-connection-with-people-from-america-that-come-to-my/) [Afrojack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/afrojack/) > [Whenever I talk about my culture, I want to shine a light on it. Even though I'm having fun, I want to make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-koy/whenever-i-talk-about-my-culture-i-want-to-shine-a-light-on-it-even/) [Jo Koy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-koy/) ## More by Boots Riley > [Making movies seemed so impossible as far as getting my ideas funded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/making-movies-seemed-so-impossible-as-far-as-getting-my-ideas-funded/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [The tech world is not a new phenomenon; it's a new era.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/the-tech-world-is-not-a-new-phenomenon-it-s-a-new-era/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [What I'm trying to do is make music that people relate to, that talks about ideas that are personal but also make that connection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/what-i-m-trying-to-do-is-make-music-that-people-relate-to-that-talks/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [I thought my parents were always having card parties - and they were - but they were actually also having meetings to organize people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/i-thought-my-parents-were-always-having-card-parties-and-they-were/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [Going to school in San Francisco, you're not going to meet as many people that are making films as you would if you went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/going-to-school-in-san-francisco-you-re-not-going-to-meet-as-many/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [What I like about music is that you make a song, you've got your ideas in it, and people make that song part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/what-i-like-about-music-is-that-you-make-a-song-you-ve-got-your-ideas/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [What first got me involved in politics was being 14, and a youth organizer comes to my house with a van full of 14…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/what-first-got-me-involved-in-politics-was-being-14-and-a-youth/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [I think most people would love for us to be a socialist society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/i-think-most-people-would-love-for-us-to-be-a-socialist-society/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [A lot of organizers tell me that while they are making signs or doing whatever they do, they are listening to the Coup.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/a-lot-of-organizers-tell-me-that-while-they-are-making-signs-or-doing/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [When we were doing shows in the mid-'90s, the audiences were 95% black. What's happened now is the gentrification of hip-hop. A lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/when-we-were-doing-shows-in-the-mid-90s-the-audiences-were-95-black/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [You make art, you make it from what you know, and that's the best way to make art. You get lost in the details…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/you-make-art-you-make-it-from-what-you-know-and-that-s-the-best-way/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [If the only time you bang the drum is when it's time to get someone elected, and you don't get involved in a mass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/if-the-only-time-you-bang-the-drum-is-when-it-s-time-to-get-someone/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [The Coup does not support the American flag.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/the-coup-does-not-support-the-american-flag/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [I'm not a classically trained composer, and I can't sing very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/i-m-not-a-classically-trained-composer-and-i-can-t-sing-very-well/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [I wanted to write a song about sexism, but I didn't want to do it in a mechanical way and be like, "Don't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/i-wanted-to-write-a-song-about-sexism-but-i-didn-t-want-to-do-it-in-a/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) [Explore all 128 Boots Riley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) ## More Capitalism quotes > [Don't let's lose sight of what creates wealth. It is open markets, it is capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/don-t-let-s-lose-sight-of-what-creates-wealth-it-is-open-markets-it/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [ Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a \[Soviet socialistic\] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-national-socialism-have-anything/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [Corporations have nothing to do with values, and they know it, and sometimes say it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kierans/corporations-have-nothing-to-do-with-values-and-they-know-it-and/) [Eric Kierans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kierans/) > [Both fact and logic seem to me to support the view that savings invested in privately owned economic tools of production amount to an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-a-harper/both-fact-and-logic-seem-to-me-to-support-the-view-that-savings/) F. A. Harper > [The free market is ugly and stupid, like going to the mall; the unfree market is just as ugly and just as stupid, except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-free-market-is-ugly-and-stupid-like-going-to-the-mall-the-unfree/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Capitalism, communism ... it's all garbage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mstislav-rostropovich/capitalism-communism-it-s-all-garbage/) [Mstislav Rostropovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mstislav-rostropovich/) > [There are no two countries with the same style of economic mechanism, with the same capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatoly-chubais/there-are-no-two-countries-with-the-same-style-of-economic-mechanism/) [Anatoly Chubais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatoly-chubais/) > [It is more than a little ironic that "capital accumulation" once a rather tendentious Marxian view of a supposed capitalist obsession, should have become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kuttner/it-is-more-than-a-little-ironic-that-capital-accumulation-once-a/) [Robert Kuttner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kuttner/) > [Historically, usury was defined as any interest whatever on an unproductive loan.Our whole banking system I have ever abhorred, I continue to abhor, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/historically-usury-was-defined-as-any-interest-whatever-on-an/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [Socialism is humanity's second nature. All politicians do is turn human vice into votes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilana-mercer/socialism-is-humanity-s-second-nature-all-politicians-do-is-turn/) [Ilana Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilana-mercer/) > [“Scholars have long debated whether capital markets lead to appropriate levels of saving and investment for future generations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-l-weimer/scholars-have-long-debated-whether-capital-markets-lead-to/) David L. 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