--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: American capitalism is derided for its…" description: "\"“American capitalism is derided for its superficial banality, yet it has unleashed profound, convulsive social change. Condemned as mindless materialis..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/brink-lindsey-106197_american-capitalism_american-capitalism-is-derided-for-its-s_2843536.jpg" --- # American capitalism is derided for its superficial… ![“American capitalism is derided for its superficial banality, yet it has unleashed profound, convulsive social change. Condemned as mindless materialism, it has burst loose a flood tide of spiritual yearning. The civil rights movement and the sexual revolution, environmentalism and feminism, the…” quote by Brink Lindsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/brink-lindsey-106197_american-capitalism_american-capitalism-is-derided-for-its-s_2843536.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/brink-lindsey-106197_american-capitalism_american-capitalism-is-derided-for-its-s_2843536.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c6/brink-lindsey-106197_american-capitalism_american-capitalism-is-derided-for-its-s_2843536.jpg) > ““American capitalism is derided for its superficial banality, yet it has unleashed profound, convulsive social change. Condemned as mindless materialism, it has burst loose a flood tide of spiritual yearning. The civil rights movement and the sexual revolution, environmentalism and feminism, the fitness and health-care boom and the opening of the gay closet, the withering of censorship and the rise of a “creative class” of “knowledge workers” – all are the progeny of widespread prosperity.”” Brink Lindsey ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that American capitalism, despite criticisms, fuels profound social changes and a yearning for spirituality, leading to diverse cultural movements. **In simple terms:** Capitalism's prosperity sparks social and spiritual revolutions. Key Takeaway Leverage prosperity for positive change. Themes economics culture social change spirituality prosperity Mood analytical critical optimistic Type American capitalism:1 Capitalism:0 Change:0 Civil rights:0 Civil rights movement:0 Economics:0 Materialism:0 Sexual revolution:0 Social change:0 Fitness And Health:0 Civil Right:0 Capitalism Derided:0 Materialism Burst:0 When to use this quote - policy analysis - activism - cultural studies Key Concepts capitalist critique social movements Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms link wealth to cultural shifts? - How can capitalism be steered toward equitable outcomes? A Different Perspective Capitalism may exacerbate inequality despite benefits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-capitalism/) [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Civil Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-right/) [Civil rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) [Civil rights movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights-movement/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Materialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/materialism/) [Sexual revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexual-revolution/) [Social change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-change/) ## Related quotes > [The tragedy of the civil rights movement is that just as it achieved the beginning of the end of racial segregation, white educated elites…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-gallagher/the-tragedy-of-the-civil-rights-movement-is-that-just-as-it-achieved/) [Maggie Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-gallagher/) > [“Margot went through the metal detector first. She cleared it and went to the end of the conveyor belt to grab her stuff. Quinn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andria-large/margot-went-through-the-metal-detector-first-she-cleared-it-and-went/) [Andria Large](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andria-large/) > [We are involved in youth testing internationally. We want to try to prove without a shadow of a doubt the relationship between physical fitness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-h-cooper/we-are-involved-in-youth-testing-internationally-we-want-to-try-to/) [Kenneth H. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-h-cooper/) > [I've spent half my life in gyms, if not more, and I love physical fitness and health; couple that with the fact that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/i-ve-spent-half-my-life-in-gyms-if-not-more-and-i-love-physical/) [Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/) > [“We hear all the time about how important it is to be physically fit. Our society has become ultra-focused on fitness and health. Our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darcy-luoma/we-hear-all-the-time-about-how-important-it-is-to-be-physically-fit/) Darcy Luoma > [I feel if I'm healthy and happy, I look good. With a good mixture of fitness and healthy food I always feel great!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candice-swanepoel/i-feel-if-i-m-healthy-and-happy-i-look-good-with-a-good-mixture-of/) [Candice Swanepoel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candice-swanepoel/) > [The much-vaunted sex appeal of American women is drawn from films, reviews and pin-ups, and is in large print fictitious. A recent medical survey…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julius-evola/the-much-vaunted-sex-appeal-of-american-women-is-drawn-from-films/) [Julius Evola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julius-evola/) > [American capitalism has been both overpraised and overindicted. It is neither the Plumed Knight nor the monstrous Robber Baron.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lerner/american-capitalism-has-been-both-overpraised-and-overindicted-it-is/) [Max Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lerner/) > [Buffett's uncommon urge to chronicle made him a unique character in American life, not only a great capitalist but the Great Explainer of American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-lowenstein/buffett-s-uncommon-urge-to-chronicle-made-him-a-unique-character-in/) [Roger Lowenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-lowenstein/) > [ Speaking as a New Yorker, I found it a shocking and terrifying event \[9/11\], particularly the scale of it. At bottom, it was an… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/speaking-as-a-new-yorker-i-found-it-a-shocking-and-terrifying-event-9/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [“The overall U.S. homeownership rate increased from 64 percent in 1994 to a peak in 2004 with an all-time high of 69.2 percent. Real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilad-atzmon/the-overall-u-s-homeownership-rate-increased-from-64-percent-in-1994/) [Gilad Atzmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilad-atzmon/) > [If you're going to dedicate your career to ranting about the excesses of American capitalism, you probably shouldn't weigh 450 pounds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-giraldo/if-you-re-going-to-dedicate-your-career-to-ranting-about-the-excesses/) [Greg Giraldo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-giraldo/) > [The West, in the form of American capitalism, is seen as having won, but people are beginning to offer alternatives again, sometimes in retrograde…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-mahajan/the-west-in-the-form-of-american-capitalism-is-seen-as-having-won-but/) [Karan Mahajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-mahajan/) > [The moral spectacle of capitalism still offends, as does American capitalism's implacable insistence that the market determine value even in the political, intellectual, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-pfaff/the-moral-spectacle-of-capitalism-still-offends-as-does-american/) [William Pfaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-pfaff/) > [The American capitalists are richer and stronger than their counterparts in other lands. They are also younger and more ignorant, and therefore more inclined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-cannon/the-american-capitalists-are-richer-and-stronger-than-their/) [James P. Cannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-cannon/) ## More by Brink Lindsey > [“The rival ideologies of the left and right are both pining for the 50s. The only difference is that liberals want to work there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brink-lindsey/the-rival-ideologies-of-the-left-and-right-are-both-pining-for-the/) Brink Lindsey Explore all 2 Brink Lindsey quotes ## More American capitalism quotes > [The American capitalists are richer and stronger than their counterparts in other lands. They are also younger and more ignorant, and therefore more inclined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-cannon/the-american-capitalists-are-richer-and-stronger-than-their/) [James P. 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It is neither the Plumed Knight nor the monstrous Robber Baron.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lerner/american-capitalism-has-been-both-overpraised-and-overindicted-it-is/) [Max Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lerner/) > [I think the most important factor in getting out of the recession actually is just the regenerative capacity of - of American capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/i-think-the-most-important-factor-in-getting-out-of-the-recession/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [The lifeblood of the economy is that the banking community is a circulatory system for American capitalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-scaramucci/the-lifeblood-of-the-economy-is-that-the-banking-community-is-a/) [Anthony Scaramucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-scaramucci/) > [Sharia has become an increasingly significant force in American capitalism, thanks to the embrace by Wall Street and the U.S. government of so-called Sharia-Compliant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gaffney/sharia-has-become-an-increasingly-significant-force-in-american/) [Frank Gaffney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gaffney/) > [We work harder and we earn less. Income inequality is at the highest point in over a century. 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But it knows that this is transitory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/che-guevara/american-capitalism-replaced-some-of-the-old-colonial-capitalisms-in/) [Che Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/che-guevara/) [Browse all 30 American capitalism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-capitalism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“American capitalism is derided for its superficial banality, yet it has unleashed profound, convulsive social change. Condemned as mindless materialism, it has burst loose a flood tide of spiritual yearning. 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