Delusion Quote by Giannina Braschi
““On Make America Great Again: The agenda of a dead body coming back to life. Whenever you have the past (what is dead) presenting itself as an agenda to fix the present moment by taking us back—to the dead—you have contagion, pest, collusion, pollution, delusion—not illusion. Illusion is a hope. Delusion is a past illusion presenting itself as hope. Hope is something that has not happened yet, but when it happens, and the happening has already died and been buried—and other present moments have come forward and made us live other present moments—and a dead body—a dead moment—comes back presenting itself as if it were alive—and it is dead—and it doesn’t tell us that it is dead—that is not an illusion—that is a delusion.””
About This Quote
Source Book: United States of Banana, Giannina Braschi, 2011
A complex critique of political rhetoric that revives past ideologies as solutions, confusing illusion, hope, and delusion.
In simple terms: Beware of using dead ideas as hopeful solutions.
Key Takeaway
Question the past’s relevance to present problems.
Themes
politics
history
ideology
hope
delusion
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
analytical
When to use this quote
- campaign strategies
- public policy
- social movements
Key Concepts
nostalgia
false hope
political cycles
Questions to Reflect On
- What “dead” ideas are influencing today?
- How can we distinguish hope from delusion?
A Different Perspective
Reviving outdated narratives can hinder progress.
![“It's [Los Angeles] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them aren't even young and beautiful now.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a86/christopher-hitchens-117_beautiful_it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense_10462.jpg)
