--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The sad reality is that all the…" description: "\"The sad reality is that all the well-meaning groups and individuals who challenge our permanent war economy and the doctrine of preemptive war, who car..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/400/chris-hedges-2131_bills_the-sad-reality-is-that-all-the-well-mea_3024156.png" --- # The sad reality is that all the well-meaning groups and… ![“The sad reality is that all the well-meaning groups and individuals who challenge our permanent war economy and the doctrine of preemptive war, who care about sustainable energy, fight for civil liberties and want corporate malfeasance to end, were once again suckered by the Democratic Party. They…” quote by Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/400/chris-hedges-2131_bills_the-sad-reality-is-that-all-the-well-mea_3024156.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/400/chris-hedges-2131_bills_the-sad-reality-is-that-all-the-well-mea_3024156.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/400/chris-hedges-2131_bills_the-sad-reality-is-that-all-the-well-mea_3024156.png) > “The sad reality is that all the well-meaning groups and individuals who challenge our permanent war economy and the doctrine of preemptive war, who care about sustainable energy, fight for civil liberties and want corporate malfeasance to end, were once again suckered by the Democratic Party. They were had. It is not a new story. The Democrats have been doing this to us since Bill Clinton. It is the same old merry-go-round, only with Obama branding.” [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. Political movements are repeatedly co‑opted by mainstream parties, repeating historical patterns. **In simple terms:** Activists are repeatedly tricked by major parties. Key Takeaway Stay vigilant against political co‑optation. Themes politics activism history Mood critical determined Type political analytical When to use this quote - election campaigns - grassroots organizing - policy advocacy - media analysis Key Concepts co‑optation systemic cycles Questions to Reflect On - How can activists maintain effectiveness? - What strategies prevent manipulation? A Different Perspective Focusing on patterns may lead to cynicism and inaction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bills/) [Branding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/branding/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Civil liberties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-liberties/) [Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clinton/) [Corporate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporate/) [Democrat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrat/) [Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic/) [Democratic party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic-party/) [Democrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrats/) [Democrats Doing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrats-doing-712949/) [Doctrine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine/) [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Groups](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groups/) [Groups and individuals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/groups-and-individuals-77003/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Malfeasance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/malfeasance/) [Merry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merry/) [Merry go round](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merry-go-round/) [Party](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/party/) [Permanent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permanent/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Rounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rounds/) [Sad reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sad-reality/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story Democrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story-democrats-4909938/) [Suckered Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suckered-democratic-4909937/) [Sustainable energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sustainable-energy/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Who cares](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who-cares/) ## Related quotes > [Turn off your televisions. Ignore the Newt-Mitt-Rick- Barack reality show. It is as relevant to your life as the gossip on “Jersey Shore.” The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/turn-off-your-televisions-ignore-the-newt-mitt-rick-barack-reality/) [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/) > [War is the health of the State. It automatically sets in motion throughout society these irresistible forces for uniformity, for passionate cooperation with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randolph-bourne/war-is-the-health-of-the-state-it-automatically-sets-in-motion/) [Randolph Bourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randolph-bourne/) > [Africa is a paradox which illustrates and highlights neo-colonialism . Her earth is rich, yet the products that come from above and below the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/africa-is-a-paradox-which-illustrates-and-highlights-neo-colonialism/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [The proliferation of new music groups and individual performers focusing on new music today is heartening. On the one hand the culture is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hersch/the-proliferation-of-new-music-groups-and-individual-performers/) [Michael Hersch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hersch/) > [Some groups and individuals still are immersed totally in the egoic consciousness. Others already are free or in the process of stepping out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/some-groups-and-individuals-still-are-immersed-totally-in-the-egoic/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [free market is a market in which groups and individuals are differently represented. Parity in prosperity and performance between differently able individuals and groups…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilana-mercer/free-market-is-a-market-in-which-groups-and-individuals-are/) [Ilana Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilana-mercer/) > [These are international criminals, and the spineless Democrats are doing nothing about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-ferlinghetti/these-are-international-criminals-and-the-spineless-democrats-are/) [Lawrence Ferlinghetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-ferlinghetti/) > [We don't have the Democrats doing a Fox News debate. They have decided they want to boycott Fox News, at least this election cycle.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-hannity/we-don-t-have-the-democrats-doing-a-fox-news-debate-they-have-decided/) [Sean Hannity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-hannity/) > [You've heard me question whether the partisanship in Washington has made us, as a nation, ungovernable - and, indeed, Democrats are doing their very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trish-regan/you-ve-heard-me-question-whether-the-partisanship-in-washington-has/) [Trish Regan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trish-regan/) > [I am deeply skeptical of trade deals in general.But the only way they can get a number of Democrats is by doing a strong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/i-am-deeply-skeptical-of-trade-deals-in-general-but-the-only-way-they/) [Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/) > [It's pretty standard fare in political discourse. You misconstrue what somebody said. You isolate a statement, you lend your interpretation to it and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/it-s-pretty-standard-fare-in-political-discourse-you-misconstrue-what/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [What I want to know is what in the world so many Democrats are doing supporting the President's unilateral intervention in Iraq?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-dean/what-i-want-to-know-is-what-in-the-world-so-many-democrats-are-doing/) [Howard Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-dean/) > [... Any pension fund manager who doesn't have the vast majority-and I mean 70% or 80% of his or her portfolio-in passive investments is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merton-miller/any-pension-fund-manager-who-doesn-t-have-the-vast-majority-and-i/) [Merton Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merton-miller/) > [A fundamental premise of American democratic theory is that government exists to serve the people. ... Public records are one portal through which the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/a-fundamental-premise-of-american-democratic-theory-is-that/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) ## 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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Our refusal to face the truth about empire, our refusal to defy the multitudinous crimes and atrocities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/human-beings-can-be-redeemed-empires-cannot-our-refusal-to-face-the/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [I have seen children shot in El Salvador, Algeria, Guatemala, Sarajevo, but I have never before watched soldiers entice children like mice into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/i-have-seen-children-shot-in-el-salvador-algeria-guatemala-sarajevo/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [A democracy survives when its citizens have access to trustworthy and impartial sources of information, when it can discern lies from truth. 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 Bills quotes > [If you’re a person struggling to eat and stay healthy you might have heard about Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali, but you’ll never have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/if-you-re-a-person-struggling-to-eat-and-stay-healthy-you-might-have/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Some of the folks on both sides might be sincere, but it does seem as if it is only the opposition that cares about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/some-of-the-folks-on-both-sides-might-be-sincere-but-it-does-seem-as/) [James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/) > [ \[Sport officials\] blocked their support of us. But those individuals \[ Muhammad Ali, the Jim Browns, the Bill Russells, Kareem Abdul Jabbar \] were… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/sport-officials-blocked-their-support-of-us-but-those-individuals/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [Simple fairness dictates that government must not raise taxes on families struggling to pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/simple-fairness-dictates-that-government-must-not-raise-taxes-on/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [ \[A\]s you partake of the world's bill of fare, that's darned good advice to follow. 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He will correct your vision. Others will drive on the road he built.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/bill-hicks-blowtorch-excavator-truthsayer-and-brain-specialist-he/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) [Browse all 2,663 Bills quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bills/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The sad reality is that all the well-meaning groups and individuals who challenge our permanent war economy and the doctrine of preemptive war, who care about sustainable energy, fight for civil liberties and want corporate malfeasance to end, were once again suckered by the Democratic Party. They were had. It is not a new story. The Democrats have been doing this to us since Bill Clinton. 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