--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Bulgakov and Roth understood that there…" description: "\"“Bulgakov and Roth understood that there is no real political ideology among decayed ruling elites. Political debate and ideological constructs for the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/chris-hedges-2131_ideology_bulgakov-and-roth-understood-that-there_2350080.jpg" --- # Bulgakov and Roth understood that there is no real… ![“Bulgakov and Roth understood that there is no real political ideology among decayed ruling elites. Political debate and ideological constructs for these elites are just so much absurdist theater, a cynical species of public spectacle and mass entertainment. These systems, like our own, are…” quote by Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/chris-hedges-2131_ideology_bulgakov-and-roth-understood-that-there_2350080.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/chris-hedges-2131_ideology_bulgakov-and-roth-understood-that-there_2350080.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/chris-hedges-2131_ideology_bulgakov-and-roth-understood-that-there_2350080.jpg) > ““Bulgakov and Roth understood that there is no real political ideology among decayed ruling elites. Political debate and ideological constructs for these elites are just so much absurdist theater, a cynical species of public spectacle and mass entertainment. These systems, like our own, are organized kleptocracies.”” [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) ## 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 claims that ruling elites use political theater and absurdist spectacle, turning systems into kleptocracies. **In simple terms:** Elites treat politics as absurd theater, becoming kleptocracies. Key Takeaway Beware of superficial political narratives. Themes politics elitism kleptocracy theater media Mood critical skeptical Type analytical reflective When to use this quote - media analysis - civic education - policy critique Key Concepts critical theory political sociology Questions to Reflect On - How does political theater influence public perception? - What signs indicate a kleptocracy? A Different Perspective It may generalize across diverse political contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ideology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideology/) [Political ideology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-ideology/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [“Ruling elites seem to have learned through the generations—consciously or not—that war makes them more secure against internal trouble.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/ruling-elites-seem-to-have-learned-through-the-generations/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [Relationships based on deals between leaders or ruling elites tend to collapse amid popular anger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/relationships-based-on-deals-between-leaders-or-ruling-elites-tend-to/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [“For years many in the oil-rich states argued that their enormous wealth would bring modernizations. They pointed to the impressive appetites of Saudis and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fareed-zakaria/for-years-many-in-the-oil-rich-states-argued-that-their-enormous/) [Fareed Zakaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fareed-zakaria/) > [ \[The ruling elites\] know who their enemies are, and their enemies are the people, the people at home and the people abroad. 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I design stories about characters who I love and care about, while trying to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-levinson/i-don-t-design-stories-to-fit-some-political-ideology-i-design/) [Sam Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-levinson/) > [One cannot overstate the childishness of the ideas that feed and stir the masses. Real ideas must as a rule be simplified to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-haffner/one-cannot-overstate-the-childishness-of-the-ideas-that-feed-and-stir/) Sebastian Haffner ## More by Chris Hedges > [“the property that grounded the self in Romanticism was sincerity, and in modernism was authenticity, then in postmod ernism it is visibility.10”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/the-property-that-grounded-the-self-in-romanticism-was-sincerity-and/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [“Revolutionists who took part in uprisings in one part of the globe would often migrate to take part in uprisings in another. Francisco de…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/revolutionists-who-took-part-in-uprisings-in-one-part-of-the-globe/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [“Those captivated by the cult of celebrity do not examine voting records or compare verbal claims with written and published facts and reports. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/those-captivated-by-the-cult-of-celebrity-do-not-examine-voting/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [Positive psychology is to the corporate state what eugenics was to the Nazis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/positive-psychology-is-to-the-corporate-state-what-eugenics-was-to/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [“Hope has a cost. Hope is not comfortable or easy. Hope requires personal risk. It is not about the right attitude. 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Take this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/a-democracy-survives-when-its-citizens-have-access-to-trustworthy-and/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [It is the cult of self that is killing the United States. This cult has within it the classic traits of psychopaths: superficial charm,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/it-is-the-cult-of-self-that-is-killing-the-united-states-this-cult/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [“Our march toward self-annihilation has already obliterated ninety percent of the large fish in the oceans and wiped out half of the mature tropical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/our-march-toward-self-annihilation-has-already-obliterated-ninety/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [No real journalist makes $5 million a year... Those in power fear and dislike real journalists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/no-real-journalist-makes-5-million-a-year-those-in-power-fear-and/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [“Just remember,' a Marine Corps lieutenant colonel told me as he strapped his pistol belt under his arm before we crossed into Kuwait, 'that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/just-remember-a-marine-corps-lieutenant-colonel-told-me-as-he/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [Most of these who are thrust into combat soon find it impossible to maintain the mythic perception of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/most-of-these-who-are-thrust-into-combat-soon-find-it-impossible-to/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [The imperial projects will continue, Wall Street will be unimpeded in its malfeasance and criminal activity, social programs will continue to be cut, maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/the-imperial-projects-will-continue-wall-street-will-be-unimpeded-in/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) [Explore all 183 Chris Hedges quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) ## More Ideology quotes > [I have a way to photograph. You work with space, you have a camera, you have a frame, and then a fraction of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastiao-salgado/i-have-a-way-to-photograph-you-work-with-space-you-have-a-camera-you/) [Sebastiao Salgado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastiao-salgado/) > [Every profession has an ideology and a drive for power that goes far beyond its achievements and it is the task of democracy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feyerabend/every-profession-has-an-ideology-and-a-drive-for-power-that-goes-far/) [Paul Feyerabend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feyerabend/) > [We are in a world where globalization, which is an ideology, has forgotten and put aside the people, the people's interests, aspirations, and dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marine-le-pen/we-are-in-a-world-where-globalization-which-is-an-ideology-has/) [Marine Le Pen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marine-le-pen/) > [Orthodox churches, autocracy and national traditions are supposed to form a new national ideology in Russia. 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In our newsroom, we have every single nationality, we have every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wadah-khanfar/al-jazeera-is-a-representation-of-you-know-diversity-in-the-arab/) [Wadah Khanfar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wadah-khanfar/) > [Not everyone likes the stable, gradual rise of our country. There are some who are using the democratic ideology to interfere in our internal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/not-everyone-likes-the-stable-gradual-rise-of-our-country-there-are/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [I prefer to work for my country in a free and independent way. I was born free, and I want to die free. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-bocelli/i-prefer-to-work-for-my-country-in-a-free-and-independent-way-i-was/) [Andrea Bocelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-bocelli/) > [The Congress may have made mistakes, but their ideology is not wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahesh-bhatt/the-congress-may-have-made-mistakes-but-their-ideology-is-not-wrong/) [Mahesh Bhatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahesh-bhatt/) > [I have what I call an iron prescription that helps me keep sane when I naturally drift toward preferring one ideology over another and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/i-have-what-i-call-an-iron-prescription-that-helps-me-keep-sane-when/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [“Once you let them establish their ideology in you, they will drive you crazy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/once-you-let-them-establish-their-ideology-in-you-they-will-drive-you/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [The U.S. always needs an enemy. 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