--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The powers in charge keep us in a…" description: "\"The powers in charge keep us in a perpetual state of fear keep us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor with the cry of grave national emergency..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/950/douglas-macarthur-2344_behinds_the-powers-in-charge-keep-us-in-a-perpet_2014202.png" --- # The powers in charge keep us in a perpetual state of fear… ![“The powers in charge keep us in a perpetual state of fear keep us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor with the cry of grave national emergency. Always there has been some terrible evil to gobble us up if we did not blindly rally behind it by furnishing the exorbitant sums demanded. Yet…” quote by Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/950/douglas-macarthur-2344_behinds_the-powers-in-charge-keep-us-in-a-perpet_2014202.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/950/douglas-macarthur-2344_behinds_the-powers-in-charge-keep-us-in-a-perpet_2014202.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/950/douglas-macarthur-2344_behinds_the-powers-in-charge-keep-us-in-a-perpet_2014202.png) > “The powers in charge keep us in a perpetual state of fear keep us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor with the cry of grave national emergency. Always there has been some terrible evil to gobble us up if we did not blindly rally behind it by furnishing the exorbitant sums demanded. Yet, in retrospect, these disasters seem never to have happened, seem never to have been quite real.” [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaders create fear and rally people with false emergencies, but many crises are exaggerated. **In simple terms:** Leaders may manipulate fear. Key Takeaway Question the narrative presented. Themes politics fear propaganda Mood skeptical analytical Type critical political When to use this quote - elections - media consumption - public policy Key Concepts manipulation mass psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you discern genuine danger? - What role does patriotism play? A Different Perspective Not all fear is fabricated; some threats are real. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Cry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cry/) [Disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/) [Disasters Happened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disasters-happened-3247358/) [Emergencies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emergencies/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graves/) [National Emergency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-emergency-1241135/) [Patriotic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotic/) [Patriotic Fervor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotic-fervor-2643741/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Retrospect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/retrospect/) [Retrospect Disasters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/retrospect-disasters-3247357/) [Stampede](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stampede/) [State Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state-fear-663953/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible/) ## Related quotes > [Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear - kept us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor - with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/our-government-has-kept-us-in-a-perpetual-state-of-fear-kept-us-in-a-3/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [“Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear -- kept us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor -- with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/general-douglas-macarthur-1957/our-government-has-kept-us-in-a-perpetual-state-of-fear-kept-us-in-a-2/) [General Douglas MacArthur 1957](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/general-douglas-macarthur-1957/) > [Our government has kept us in a perpetual state of fear - kept us in a continuous stampede of patriotic fervor - with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/our-government-has-kept-us-in-a-perpetual-state-of-fear-kept-us-in-a/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [Into the soul of every student I would have instilled the patriotic fervor of Patrick Henry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-mckay/into-the-soul-of-every-student-i-would-have-instilled-the-patriotic/) [David O. McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-mckay/) > [If patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel, it is not merely because evil deeds may be performed in the name of patriotism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-patriotism-is-the-last-refuge-of-a-scoundrel-it-is-not-merely/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/beware-the-leader-who-bangs-the-drums-of-war-in-order-to-whip-the/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“But as part of that greatest generation, I have to acknowledge how much more we had going for us that contributed to our Pearl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-lear/but-as-part-of-that-greatest-generation-i-have-to-acknowledge-how/) [Norman Lear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-lear/) > [“Congress, responding with patriotic fervor, approved the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, as it was called, with only desultory debate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-patterson/congress-responding-with-patriotic-fervor-approved-the-gulf-of-tonkin/) [James T. Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-patterson/) > [“The patriotic fervor of a population is not always in direct proportion to its well-being and the fair dealing of its government. Nationalist pride,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-patriotic-fervor-of-a-population-is-not-always-in-direct/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Our patriotic fervor was the result of the old and widespread belief in the idea of American exceptionalism, the idea that America was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-noonan/our-patriotic-fervor-was-the-result-of-the-old-and-widespread-belief/) [Peggy Noonan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-noonan/) > [Americans seem to be living in a state of fear about the world, one that just keeps intensifying. I mean, look at our cars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-almond/americans-seem-to-be-living-in-a-state-of-fear-about-the-world-one/) [Steve Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-almond/) > [The reason that the Croats want a state of their own is that they fear being cut into little pieces by the Serbs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/the-reason-that-the-croats-want-a-state-of-their-own-is-that-they/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [“Apprehension regarding how or where to start is a state of fear that we impose upon ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-zahariades/apprehension-regarding-how-or-where-to-start-is-a-state-of-fear-that/) [Damon Zahariades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-zahariades/) > [ALL men keep ALL women in a state of fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-brownmiller/all-men-keep-all-women-in-a-state-of-fear/) [Susan Brownmiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-brownmiller/) > [The country is not a democratic state. Therefore we fear that they might carry a recorder in their pocket or there may be bugs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-blix/the-country-is-not-a-democratic-state-therefore-we-fear-that-they/) [Hans Blix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-blix/) ## More by Douglas MacArthur > [Men since the beginning of time have sought peace...military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn have failed, leaving the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/men-since-the-beginning-of-time-have-sought-peace-military-alliances/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [People of the Philippines: I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God our forces stand again on Philippine soil—soil consecrated in the blood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/people-of-the-philippines-i-have-returned-by-the-grace-of-almighty/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [I stand on this rostrum with a sense of deep humility and great pride - humility in the weight of those great American architects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/i-stand-on-this-rostrum-with-a-sense-of-deep-humility-and-great-pride/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [Our country is now geared to an arms economy bred in an artificially induced psychosis of war hysteria and an incessant propaganda of fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/our-country-is-now-geared-to-an-arms-economy-bred-in-an-artificially/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [If I had one more division like this First Marine Division I could win this war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/if-i-had-one-more-division-like-this-first-marine-division-i-could/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [However horrible the incidents of war may be, the soldier who is called upon to offer and to give his life for his country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/however-horrible-the-incidents-of-war-may-be-the-soldier-who-is/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [While Asia is commonly referred to as the Gateway to Europe, it is no less true that Europe is the Gateway to Asia, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/while-asia-is-commonly-referred-to-as-the-gateway-to-europe-it-is-no/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [I believe that the entire effort of modern society should be concentrated on the endeavor to outlaw war as a method of the solution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/i-believe-that-the-entire-effort-of-modern-society-should-be/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [In war, as it is waged now, with the enormous losses on both sides, both sides will lose. It is a form of mutual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/in-war-as-it-is-waged-now-with-the-enormous-losses-on-both-sides-both/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [I am concerned for the security of our great Nation; not so much because of any threat from without, but because of the insidious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/i-am-concerned-for-the-security-of-our-great-nation-not-so-much/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [I've looked that old scoundrel death in the eye many times but this time I think he has me on the ropes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/i-ve-looked-that-old-scoundrel-death-in-the-eye-many-times-but-this/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [Age wrinkles the body. 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