--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Radical expansions of power are often…" description: "\"“Radical expansions of power are often introduced in this way, by persuading people that they affect just a specific, discrete group. Governments have ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/glenn-greenwald-1215_blind-eye_radical-expansions-of-power-are-often-in_2521457.jpg" --- # Radical expansions of power are often introduced in this… ![“Radical expansions of power are often introduced in this way, by persuading people that they affect just a specific, discrete group. Governments have long convinced populations to turn a blind eye to oppressive conduct by leading citizens to believe, rightly or wrongly, that only certain…” quote by Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/glenn-greenwald-1215_blind-eye_radical-expansions-of-power-are-often-in_2521457.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/glenn-greenwald-1215_blind-eye_radical-expansions-of-power-are-often-in_2521457.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/glenn-greenwald-1215_blind-eye_radical-expansions-of-power-are-often-in_2521457.jpg) > ““Radical expansions of power are often introduced in this way, by persuading people that they affect just a specific, discrete group. Governments have long convinced populations to turn a blind eye to oppressive conduct by leading citizens to believe, rightly or wrongly, that only certain marginalized people are targeted, and everyone else can acquiesce to or even support that oppression without fear that it will be applied to them.”” [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Power expands when people think oppression only harms a specific group, allowing broader acceptance of injustice. **In simple terms:** People ignore oppression if they think it doesn’t affect them. Key Takeaway Recognize universal impact of oppression. Themes politics justice human rights media power dynamics Mood concerned urgent reflective Type analytical critical political When to use this quote - activism - policy making - education - community organizing Key Concepts authoritarianism social engineering collective responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How might you be complicit in ignoring broader oppression? - What signs indicate hidden power expansion? A Different Perspective Oppression can be subtle and systemic, not always obvious. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Blind eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blind-eye/) [Oppression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppression/) [Oppressive Conduct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppressive-conduct-1254719/) [People Targeted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-targeted-1254718/) [Persuading People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persuading-people-711363/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Support Oppression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support-oppression-1254717/) ## Related quotes > [“Radical expansions of power are often introduced in this way, by persuading people that they affect just a specific, discrete group.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/radical-expansions-of-power-are-often-introduced-in-this-way-by/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [There's probably never been a more important time for mayors in America than there is right now in this country, because the people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-walsh/there-s-probably-never-been-a-more-important-time-for-mayors-in/) [Marty Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-walsh/) > [Slowly but surely, little by little, many different groups of vulnerable bodies and people have been targeted from since the beginning of time, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indya-moore/slowly-but-surely-little-by-little-many-different-groups-of/) [Indya Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indya-moore/) > [Throngs on social media violate fundamental notions of fairness and due process: People may be targeted because of a misunderstanding or an out-of-context video.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/throngs-on-social-media-violate-fundamental-notions-of-fairness-and/) [Zeynep Tufekci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeynep-tufekci/) > [LGBTQ people are still targeted by hate that lives in both laws and in hearts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mcbride/lgbtq-people-are-still-targeted-by-hate-that-lives-in-both-laws-and/) [Sarah McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-mcbride/) > [This visa-waiver thing is absurd. Has anybody in the West been targeted by any Iranian national, anybody of Iranian origin, or anyone travelling to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammad-javad-zarif/this-visa-waiver-thing-is-absurd-has-anybody-in-the-west-been/) [Mohammad Javad Zarif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammad-javad-zarif/) > [Never forget that turning a blind eye to oppression and watching from the sidelines is itself opression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-forget-that-turning-a-blind-eye-to-oppression-and-watching-from/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am good at persuading people. In convincing the other, I try to start from their point of view so it's easier for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tzipi-livni/i-am-good-at-persuading-people-in-convincing-the-other-i-try-to-start/) [Tzipi Livni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tzipi-livni/) > [I have no idea what goes on in another person's mind. As a legislator, I need to be good at persuading people, counting votes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-baldwin/i-have-no-idea-what-goes-on-in-another-person-s-mind-as-a-legislator/) [Tammy Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-baldwin/) > [Propaganda is persuading people to make up their minds while withholding some of the facts from them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-evans/propaganda-is-persuading-people-to-make-up-their-minds-while/) [Harold Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-evans/) > [Advertising design, in persuading people to buy things they don't need, with money they don't have, in order to impress others who don't care,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-papanek/advertising-design-in-persuading-people-to-buy-things-they-don-t-need/) [Victor Papanek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-papanek/) > [I wanted to write about looking at the world, so it's more about helping people, or persuading people, to see what is around us;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berger/i-wanted-to-write-about-looking-at-the-world-so-it-s-more-about/) [John Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berger/) > [Today's political leaders demonstrate their low opinion of the public with every social law they pass. They believe that, if given the right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-skousen/today-s-political-leaders-demonstrate-their-low-opinion-of-the-public/) [Mark Skousen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-skousen/) > [When you have to prove the value of your ideas by persuading other people to pay for them, it clears out an awful lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-reilly/when-you-have-to-prove-the-value-of-your-ideas-by-persuading-other/) [Tim O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-reilly/) > [I'm not good at standing on platforms and persuading people to my political point of view. Nor would I seek to. My gift is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hare/i-m-not-good-at-standing-on-platforms-and-persuading-people-to-my/) [David Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hare/) ## More by Glenn Greenwald > [In essence, I see the value of journalism as resting in a twofold mission: informing the public of accurate and vital information, and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/in-essence-i-see-the-value-of-journalism-as-resting-in-a-twofold/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“The evidence shows that assurances that surveillance is only targeted at those who “have done something wrong” should provide little comfort, since a state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-evidence-shows-that-assurances-that-surveillance-is-only-targeted/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“It's almost hard to imagine anything more undemocratic than the view that political officials should not debate American wars in public, but only express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-almost-hard-to-imagine-anything-more-undemocratic-than-the-view/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [It's hardly news that the Obama administration is intensely and, in many respects, unprecedentedly hostile toward the news-gathering process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-hardly-news-that-the-obama-administration-is-intensely-and-in/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [Only In America can a renowned and devoted terrorism supporter like Peter King be the arbiter of national security and treason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/only-in-america-can-a-renowned-and-devoted-terrorism-supporter-like/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Above even our physical well-being, a central value is keeping the state out of the private realm—our “persons, houses, papers, and effects,” as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/above-even-our-physical-well-being-a-central-value-is-keeping-the/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“That capability at any time could be turned around on the American people and no American would have any privacy left, such is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/that-capability-at-any-time-could-be-turned-around-on-the-american/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Converting the Internet into a system of surveillance thus guts it of its core potential. Worse, it turns the Internet into a tool of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/converting-the-internet-into-a-system-of-surveillance-thus-guts-it-of/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“the desire for privacy is shared by us all as an essential, not ancillary, part of what it means to be human. We all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-desire-for-privacy-is-shared-by-us-all-as-an-essential-not/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [I don't have a 'side'—I'm responsible for what I say and nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/i-don-t-have-a-side-i-m-responsible-for-what-i-say-and-nothing-else/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Encryption matters, and it is not just for spies and philanderers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/encryption-matters-and-it-is-not-just-for-spies-and-philanderers/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Among other devices, the agency intercepts and tampers with routers and servers manufactured by Cisco to direct large amounts of Internet traffic back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/among-other-devices-the-agency-intercepts-and-tampers-with-routers/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“NSA has increasingly made use of a secret technology that enables it to enter and alter data in computers even if they are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/nsa-has-increasingly-made-use-of-a-secret-technology-that-enables-it/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [A key purpose of journalism is to provide an adversarial check on those who wield the greatest power by shining a light on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/a-key-purpose-of-journalism-is-to-provide-an-adversarial-check-on/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“We all instinctively understand that the private realm is where we can act, think, speak, write, experiment, and choose how to be, away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/we-all-instinctively-understand-that-the-private-realm-is-where-we/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) [Explore all 270 Glenn Greenwald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) ## More Blind eye quotes > [I've always thought that you don't love a country by turning a blind eye to its crimes and to a problem. The way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junot-diaz/i-ve-always-thought-that-you-don-t-love-a-country-by-turning-a-blind/) [Junot Diaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junot-diaz/) > [“Will we ever learn and truly see, when we continue turning a blind eye to those in despair, that are in badly need...we help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-pina/will-we-ever-learn-and-truly-see-when-we-continue-turning-a-blind-eye/) [Timothy Pina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-pina/) > [“Do I want to be loved in spite of?Do you? Does anyone? But aren't we all to some degree? Aren't there important parts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/do-i-want-to-be-loved-in-spite-of-do-you-does-anyone-but-aren-t-we/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [My left eye went when I was young. I was working the speed bag, and some steel went in the eye and scratched it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-frazier/my-left-eye-went-when-i-was-young-i-was-working-the-speed-bag-and/) [Joe Frazier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-frazier/) > [We think of justice sometimes as getting what you deserve, you know - what crime was committed and what is the punishment for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/we-think-of-justice-sometimes-as-getting-what-you-deserve-you-know/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [Blind in the eye, so I see you with my heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brother-ali/blind-in-the-eye-so-i-see-you-with-my-heart/) [Brother Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brother-ali/) > [The consequences of turning a blind eye to government corruption go far beyond simply letting some corrupt politicians and bureaucrats walk free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-fitton/the-consequences-of-turning-a-blind-eye-to-government-corruption-go/) [Tom Fitton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-fitton/) > [The newspapers turn a blind eye to how they get their material as long as they have great photographs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sienna-miller/the-newspapers-turn-a-blind-eye-to-how-they-get-their-material-as/) [Sienna Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sienna-miller/) > [That's one part of this industry that you really have to get used to, the idea of turning a blind eye to pretty much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evangeline-lilly/that-s-one-part-of-this-industry-that-you-really-have-to-get-used-to/) [Evangeline Lilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evangeline-lilly/) > [“DON’T BE RULED BY HIDDEN FAULTS AND WILLFUL SIN But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tsika/don-t-be-ruled-by-hidden-faults-and-willful-sin-but-who-can-discern/) [Paul Tsika](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tsika/) > [When I could not see the light with my blind eyes, I blamed not my eyes, but the sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-jerome/when-i-could-not-see-the-light-with-my-blind-eyes-i-blamed-not-my/) [St. Jerome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-jerome/) > [“my love is blind eyes druged by beauty legs maimed from dancing for joy hearing impared from great song I still dont care because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/savage/my-love-is-blind-eyes-druged-by-beauty-legs-maimed-from-dancing-for/) [Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/savage/) > [Never forget that turning a blind eye to oppression and watching from the sidelines is itself opression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-forget-that-turning-a-blind-eye-to-oppression-and-watching-from/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I try to live my life every day in the present, and try not to turn a blind eye to injustice and need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sarandon/i-try-to-live-my-life-every-day-in-the-present-and-try-not-to-turn-a/) [Susan Sarandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sarandon/) > [“We simply cannot engage with either the ills or promises of society if we continue to turn a blind eye to the egregious and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-kyodo-williams/we-simply-cannot-engage-with-either-the-ills-or-promises-of-society/) [Angel Kyodo Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angel-kyodo-williams/) [Browse all 153 Blind eye quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blind-eye/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Radical expansions of power are often introduced in this way, by persuading people that they affect just a specific, discrete group. Governments have long convinced populations to turn a blind eye to oppressive conduct by leading citizens to believe, rightly or wrongly, that only certain marginalized people are targeted, and everyone else can acquiesce to or even support that oppression without fear that it will be applied to them.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Glenn Greenwald" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/radical-expansions-of-power-are-often-introduced-in-this-way-by-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Blind eye" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/radical-expansions-of-power-are-often-introduced-in-this-way-by-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/glenn-greenwald-1215_blind-eye_radical-expansions-of-power-are-often-in_2521457.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/glenn-greenwald-1215_blind-eye_radical-expansions-of-power-are-often-in_2521457.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/936/glenn-greenwald-1215_blind-eye_radical-expansions-of-power-are-often-in_2521457.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Radical expansions of power are often introduced in this way, by persuading people that they affect just a…” — Glenn Greenwald", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Glenn Greenwald", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Radical expansions of power are often...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/radical-expansions-of-power-are-often-introduced-in-this-way-by-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/radical-expansions-of-power-are-often-introduced-in-this-way-by-2/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```