--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Country is run by... financial powers &…" description: "\"Country is run by... financial powers & corporate interests [who] send their lawyers to Congress to make laws so that they don't have to pay taxes\" — G..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5c/gore-vidal-466_congress_country-is-run-by-financial-powers-corpo_2289858.jpg" --- # Country is run by... financial powers & corporate… ![“Country is run by... financial powers & corporate interests [who] send their lawyers to Congress to make laws so that they don't have to pay taxes” quote by Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5c/gore-vidal-466_congress_country-is-run-by-financial-powers-corpo_2289858.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5c/gore-vidal-466_congress_country-is-run-by-financial-powers-corpo_2289858.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5c/gore-vidal-466_congress_country-is-run-by-financial-powers-corpo_2289858.jpg) > “Country is run by... financial powers & corporate interests \[who\] send their lawyers to Congress to make laws so that they don't have to pay taxes” [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Financial elites manipulate lawmaking to avoid taxes, highlighting systemic corruption. **In simple terms:** Power bends law. Key Takeaway Demand transparency and accountability. Themes corruption power law taxes Mood critical urgent Type political activist When to use this quote - policy reform - activism - legal advocacy Key Concepts political economy elite influence Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens influence tax policy? - What safeguards protect against corporate legal abuse? A Different Perspective Not all financial actors are corrupt; reforms exist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress/) [Congress Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress-make-1001844/) [Corporate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporate/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Financial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/financial/) [Financial Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/financial-powers-5376253/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Lawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyer/) [Lawyers Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyers-congress-5376252/) [Make Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-laws-297822/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Taxation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxation/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) ## Related quotes > [Congress is, after all, not a body of laymen unfamiliar with the commonplaces of our law. 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He doesn't go to work. He doesn't go down to Congress and make a deal. What the hell's he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/i-m-thinking-that-s-barack-obama-he-doesn-t-go-to-work-he-doesn-t-go/) [Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/) > [The most important thing that Congress can do is make sure that our government is working for the people; by avoiding a shutdown we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-kim/the-most-important-thing-that-congress-can-do-is-make-sure-that-our/) [Andy Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-kim/) > [Congress would make it mandatory, absolutely require, that, every five years, people in Medicare have a required counseling session that will tell them how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-mccaughey/congress-would-make-it-mandatory-absolutely-require-that-every-five/) [Betsy McCaughey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-mccaughey/) > [With scientific advances, Congress must now make changes to reflect new therapeutic options.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-deal/with-scientific-advances-congress-must-now-make-changes-to-reflect/) [Nathan Deal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-deal/) ## More by Gore Vidal > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Many people in the United States happen to believe that United States policy is wrong in Vietnam and the Vietcong are correct in wanting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/many-people-in-the-united-states-happen-to-believe-that-united-states/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [“It is curious how little interested we are in the sexual desires of those who do not attract us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/it-is-curious-how-little-interested-we-are-in-the-sexual-desires-of/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [This separation was absolute in our original Republic. But the sky-godders do not give up easily. In the 1950s they actually got the phrase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/this-separation-was-absolute-in-our-original-republic-but-the-sky/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/style-is-knowing-who-you-are-what-you-want-to-say-and-not-giving-a/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [The oligarchs think that the people are both dangerous and stupid. Their point is moot. But we do know that the oligarchs are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-oligarchs-think-that-the-people-are-both-dangerous-and-stupid/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [It is curious how often one prefers his enemies to his friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/it-is-curious-how-often-one-prefers-his-enemies-to-his-friends/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [As societies grow decadent, the language grows decadent, too. Words are used to disguise, not to illuminate, action: you liberate a city by destroying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/as-societies-grow-decadent-the-language-grows-decadent-too-words-are/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Rome ... at its most decadent, had never thought of hiring an actor to go through the motions of being an emperor while the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/rome-at-its-most-decadent-had-never-thought-of-hiring-an-actor-to-go/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [History is nothing but gossip about the past, with the hope that it might be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/history-is-nothing-but-gossip-about-the-past-with-the-hope-that-it/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [The malady of civilized man is his knowledge of death. The good artist, like the wise man, addresses himself to life and invests with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-malady-of-civilized-man-is-his-knowledge-of-death-the-good-artist/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Sex is a continuum. You go through different phases along life's way... and if you don't, you've been sort of cheated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/sex-is-a-continuum-you-go-through-different-phases-along-life-s-way/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [All I want is that Americans still be able to read the alphabet in a hundred years. I am not very ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/all-i-want-is-that-americans-still-be-able-to-read-the-alphabet-in-a/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [I do not admire 'the people,' as such. No one really does. Their folk wisdom is usually false, their instincts predatory. Even their sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/i-do-not-admire-the-people-as-such-no-one-really-does-their-folk/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [“One of the problems of a society as tightly controlled as ours is that we get so little information about what those of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/one-of-the-problems-of-a-society-as-tightly-controlled-as-ours-is/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) [Explore all 539 Gore Vidal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) ## More Congress quotes > [Well, my wife, Cathy Gillespie, worked for Joe Barton, who was running for Congress in 1984.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-gillespie/well-my-wife-cathy-gillespie-worked-for-joe-barton-who-was-running/) [Ed Gillespie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-gillespie/) > [We will make sure our troops have all that is necessary to complete their missions. 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But it's - I'm very clear.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-that-by-the-president-elect/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [So our focus has to be on the things that we can control, which is to take the necessary measures working with Congress to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-carney/so-our-focus-has-to-be-on-the-things-that-we-can-control-which-is-to/) [Jay Carney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-carney/) > [It's disgraceful that year after year, Congress has bowed to the tobacco lobby and refused to act.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-kennedy/it-s-disgraceful-that-year-after-year-congress-has-bowed-to-the/) [Edward Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-kennedy/) > [The Constitution is very clear on the - on the declaration of war or reacting to international crimes - crimes against nations. 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