--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It seems to me that we make a terrible…" description: "\"It seems to me that we make a terrible mistake in talking about Trump as some kind of essence of evil. Trump is symptomatic of something much deeper in..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/henry-giroux-945_authoritarianism_it-seems-to-me-that-we-make-a-terrible-m_340650.png" --- # It seems to me that we make a terrible mistake in talking… ![“It seems to me that we make a terrible mistake in talking about Trump as some kind of essence of evil. Trump is symptomatic of something much deeper in the culture, whether we're talking about the militarization of everyday life, whether we're talking about the criminalization of social problems…” quote by Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/henry-giroux-945_authoritarianism_it-seems-to-me-that-we-make-a-terrible-m_340650.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/henry-giroux-945_authoritarianism_it-seems-to-me-that-we-make-a-terrible-m_340650.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/henry-giroux-945_authoritarianism_it-seems-to-me-that-we-make-a-terrible-m_340650.png) > “It seems to me that we make a terrible mistake in talking about Trump as some kind of essence of evil. Trump is symptomatic of something much deeper in the culture, whether we're talking about the militarization of everyday life, whether we're talking about the criminalization of social problems, or whether we're talking about the way in which money has absolutely corrupted politics. This is a country that is sliding into authoritarianism.” [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Trump exemplifies deeper cultural issues like militarization, criminalization, and money’s corruption of politics, indicating a slide toward authoritarianism. **In simple terms:** Trump shows broader cultural problems beyond personal evil. Key Takeaway Address systemic cultural forces. Themes politics authoritarianism culture media power Mood concerned critical Type analytical political When to use this quote - public discourse - policy analysis - educational curricula - activist organizing Key Concepts militarization criminalization corruption authoritarian drift Questions to Reflect On - How do cultural forces shape political leaders? - What can reverse authoritarian trends? A Different Perspective Individual focus on Trump can distract from structural change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authoritarianism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarianism/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Day life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day-life/) [Everyday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everyday/) [Everyday life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everyday-life/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Evil Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil-trump-3167029/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Social problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-problems/) [Talking Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking-trump-232686/) [Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [Trump Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump-kind-1430265/) [Trump Symptomatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump-symptomatic-3167030/) ## Related quotes > [Even when we're not talking about Trump, we're talking about Trump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-soltis-anderson/even-when-we-re-not-talking-about-trump-we-re-talking-about-trump/) [Kristen Soltis Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-soltis-anderson/) > [Violence now becomes the only tool by which we can actually mediate social problems that should be dealt with in very different ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/violence-now-becomes-the-only-tool-by-which-we-can-actually-mediate/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [Under the notion that unregulated market-driven values and relations should shape every domain of human life, the business model of governance has eviscerated any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/under-the-notion-that-unregulated-market-driven-values-and-relations/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [The idea will be to find of focus on crime and issues where there's not a lot of - where Donald Trump can kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-goldberg/the-idea-will-be-to-find-of-focus-on-crime-and-issues-where-there-s/) [Michelle Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-goldberg/) > [Marginalized youth, workers, artists and others are raising serious questions about the violence of inequality and the social order that legitimates it. They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/marginalized-youth-workers-artists-and-others-are-raising-serious/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [Poor minorities live in a new age of Jim Crow, one in which the ravages of segregation, racism, poverty and dashed hopes are amplified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/poor-minorities-live-in-a-new-age-of-jim-crow-one-in-which-the/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [The pedagogy of authoritarianism is alive and well in the United States, and its repression of public memory takes place not only through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/the-pedagogy-of-authoritarianism-is-alive-and-well-in-the-united/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [I do think, actually, one thing I noticed with Silicon Valley post-Trump is it kind of made them more politically aware, more aware that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-buttigieg/i-do-think-actually-one-thing-i-noticed-with-silicon-valley-post/) [Pete Buttigieg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-buttigieg/) > [I find Donald Trump to be very kind and generous. I find him to have a great sense of humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/i-find-donald-trump-to-be-very-kind-and-generous-i-find-him-to-have-a/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [ \[People\] just don't seem to want to give \[Donald Trump\] any kind of berth at all, let alone a wide berth, to govern. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/people-just-don-t-seem-to-want-to-give-donald-trump-any-kind-of-berth/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [We have long known that former president Donald Trump is the kind of racial arsonist who brings a gas can to an inferno.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/we-have-long-known-that-former-president-donald-trump-is-the-kind-of/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [With Trump, because of the kind of seemingly violent way that he talks about things and because he's on Twitter almost every single morning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/with-trump-because-of-the-kind-of-seemingly-violent-way-that-he-talks/) [Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/) > [Donald Trump is the kind of guy that wants you to like him. He wants to be the centre of attention. A TV reporter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-tur/donald-trump-is-the-kind-of-guy-that-wants-you-to-like-him-he-wants/) [Katy Tur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-tur/) > [I think Donald Trump is now kind of in love with the idea of becoming president of the United States. I think he truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/i-think-donald-trump-is-now-kind-of-in-love-with-the-idea-of-becoming/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [We look at individuals who would vote for Donald Trump as if... we kind of undervalue them. And we underestimated them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-kasparian/we-look-at-individuals-who-would-vote-for-donald-trump-as-if-we-kind/) [Ana Kasparian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-kasparian/) ## More by Henry Giroux > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [As politics is disconnected from its ethical and material moorings, it becomes easier to punish and imprison young people than to educate them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/as-politics-is-disconnected-from-its-ethical-and-material-moorings-it/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [What must be addressed in the most immediate sense is the threat that the emerging police state in the United States poses not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/what-must-be-addressed-in-the-most-immediate-sense-is-the-threat-that/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [Today's neoliberalism has a number of byproducts. We have massive forms of inequality developing because there are no longer any concessions. There's a war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/today-s-neoliberalism-has-a-number-of-byproducts-we-have-massive/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [At the start of the second decade of the 21st century, young people all over the world are demonstrating against a variety of issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/at-the-start-of-the-second-decade-of-the-21st-century-young-people/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [America is at war with itself because it's basically declared war not only on any sense of democratic idealism, but it's declared war on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/america-is-at-war-with-itself-because-it-s-basically-declared-war-not/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [All too often the worst thing that can happen to the young is to depoliticize them. When that happens, not only are young people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/all-too-often-the-worst-thing-that-can-happen-to-the-young-is-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [The generation of youth in the early 21st century has no way of grasping if they will ever be free from the gnawing sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/the-generation-of-youth-in-the-early-21st-century-has-no-way-of/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [History remains an open horizon that cannot be dismissed through appeals to the end of history or end of ideology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/history-remains-an-open-horizon-that-cannot-be-dismissed-through/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [I mean, we're not talking about simply racism, we're taking about white supremacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/i-mean-we-re-not-talking-about-simply-racism-we-re-taking-about-white/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [Historical memory is a potent weapon in fighting against the desert of organized forgetting and implies a rethinking of the role that artists, intellectuals,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/historical-memory-is-a-potent-weapon-in-fighting-against-the-desert/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [The fight for education and justice is inseparable from the struggle for economic equality, human dignity and security, and the challenge of developing American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/the-fight-for-education-and-justice-is-inseparable-from-the-struggle/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [If the ongoing struggles waged by young people are to matter, demonstrations and protests must give way to more sustainable organizations that develop alternative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/if-the-ongoing-struggles-waged-by-young-people-are-to-matter/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [Many conservatives see higher education as a threat to their reactionary and corporate oriented interests and would like to defund higher education, privatize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/many-conservatives-see-higher-education-as-a-threat-to-their/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [Everyone is now a customer or client, and every relationship is ultimately judged in bottom-line, cost-effective terms. Freedom is no longer about equality, social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/everyone-is-now-a-customer-or-client-and-every-relationship-is/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) [Explore all 323 Henry Giroux quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) ## More Authoritarianism quotes > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“The mission is, not to replace old world mindlessness with new world mindlessness, but to put an end to all forms of brainless authoritarianism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-mission-is-not-to-replace-old-world-mindlessness-with-new-world/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [Motherland is our property and we have right to handle our properties as pleased. The jokes about death for the sake of the motherland…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/motherland-is-our-property-and-we-have-right-to-handle-our-properties/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [Your best friends are your principles, if you havent them, dont look for another friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/your-best-friends-are-your-principles-if-you-havent-them-dont-look/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [A strong saying is not afraid of criticism, because it includes all the answers to criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/a-strong-saying-is-not-afraid-of-criticism-because-it-includes-all/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“Therapy requires a collaborative working relationship in which both partners act on the basis of their implicit confidence in the value and efficacy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-lewis-herman/therapy-requires-a-collaborative-working-relationship-in-which-both/) [Judith Lewis Herman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-lewis-herman/) > [The libertarian can have no truck with 'left' or 'right' because he regrets any form of authoritarianism - the use of police force to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-read/the-libertarian-can-have-no-truck-with-left-or-right-because-he/) [Leonard Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-read/) > [A noble person stands up as though a theater curtain rises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/a-noble-person-stands-up-as-though-a-theater-curtain-rises/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [“Democracy can exist only in the countries where people are brave! Coward nations always live under the authoritarian regimes!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/democracy-can-exist-only-in-the-countries-where-people-are-brave/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“I have been called arrogant myself in my time, and hope to earn the title again, but to claim that I am privy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/i-have-been-called-arrogant-myself-in-my-time-and-hope-to-earn-the/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [We have power... Our power isn’t in a political system, or a religious system, or in an economic system, or in a military system;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-trudell/we-have-power-our-power-isn-t-in-a-political-system-or-a-religious/) [John Trudell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-trudell/) > [The practical reason for freedom is that freedom seems to be the only condition under which any kind of substantial moral fiber can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-j-nock/the-practical-reason-for-freedom-is-that-freedom-seems-to-be-the-only/) [Albert J. Nock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-j-nock/) > [It has been well over half a century and I'm glad to say we have taken the right path from authoritarianism to democracy and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chen-shui-bian/it-has-been-well-over-half-a-century-and-i-m-glad-to-say-we-have/) [Chen Shui-bian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chen-shui-bian/) > [Subconsciously it is possible to act, consciously it is possible to decide and overconsciously to create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/subconsciously-it-is-possible-to-act-consciously-it-is-possible-to/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [We must nevertheless present all possible interpretations for each observation, so that competing theories can be formulated and defended. In science, as elsewhere, intellectual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-reeves/we-must-nevertheless-present-all-possible-interpretations-for-each/) [Hubert Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-reeves/) [Browse all 233 Authoritarianism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarianism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It seems to me that we make a terrible mistake in talking about Trump as some kind of essence of evil. Trump is symptomatic of something much deeper in the culture, whether we're talking about the militarization of everyday life, whether we're talking about the criminalization of social problems, or whether we're talking about the way in which money has absolutely corrupted politics. This is a country that is sliding into authoritarianism.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Giroux" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/it-seems-to-me-that-we-make-a-terrible-mistake-in-talking-about-trump/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Authoritarianism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/it-seems-to-me-that-we-make-a-terrible-mistake-in-talking-about-trump/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/henry-giroux-945_authoritarianism_it-seems-to-me-that-we-make-a-terrible-m_340650.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/henry-giroux-945_authoritarianism_it-seems-to-me-that-we-make-a-terrible-m_340650.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6b/henry-giroux-945_authoritarianism_it-seems-to-me-that-we-make-a-terrible-m_340650.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It seems to me that we make a terrible mistake in talking about Trump as some kind of essence of evil. Trump…” — Henry Giroux", "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": "Henry Giroux", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It seems to me that we...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/it-seems-to-me-that-we-make-a-terrible-mistake-in-talking-about-trump/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/it-seems-to-me-that-we-make-a-terrible-mistake-in-talking-about-trump/#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 } } ] } ```