--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The government is a functionary of the…" description: "\"The government is a functionary of the corporations - and there's nothing new about that. You can find people in the 1930s talking about the army basic..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/henry-rollins-170_1930s_the-government-is-a-functionary-of-the-c_2134505.png" --- # The government is a functionary of the corporations - and… ![“The government is a functionary of the corporations - and there's nothing new about that. You can find people in the 1930s talking about the army basically working for Wall Street in all of these countries [it invades].” quote by Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/henry-rollins-170_1930s_the-government-is-a-functionary-of-the-c_2134505.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/henry-rollins-170_1930s_the-government-is-a-functionary-of-the-c_2134505.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/henry-rollins-170_1930s_the-government-is-a-functionary-of-the-c_2134505.png) > “The government is a functionary of the corporations - and there's nothing new about that. You can find people in the 1930s talking about the army basically working for Wall Street in all of these countries \[it invades\].” [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The state serves corporate interests, repeating historical patterns of military and economic control **In simple terms:** Governments act as corporate tools, a recurring historical theme Key Takeaway Recognize corporate influence in policy decisions Themes politics economics history Mood critical analytical Type political commentary When to use this quote - voting - activism - journalism - academic research Key Concepts Power dynamics corporate control military-industrial complex Questions to Reflect On - How do you see corporate influence in your community? - What mechanisms can limit state-corporate collusion? A Different Perspective Corporate power can also be checked by strong civil societies ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [1930s](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zz-1930s-382/) [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Corporations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporations/) [Corporations New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporations-new-4415156/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Functionary Corporations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/functionary-corporations-4415155/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Functionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-functionary-4415157/) [Nothing new](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing-new/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall/) [Wall St](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall-st/) [Wall street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wall-street/) ## Related quotes > [Corporations are the new dictators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-byrne/corporations-are-the-new-dictators/) [Gabriel Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-byrne/) > [Now, the good of business is put above anything else, as corporations have become the new ruling body. Most decisions seem to be made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-casablancas/now-the-good-of-business-is-put-above-anything-else-as-corporations/) [Julian Casablancas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-casablancas/) > [There's nothing new about the government protecting corporations and calling it the freeing of the world or bringing democracy to bereft nations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/there-s-nothing-new-about-the-government-protecting-corporations-and-2/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [Those, who are strongly wedded to what I shall call 'the classical theory', will fluctuate, I expect, between a belief that I am quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-maynard-keynes/those-who-are-strongly-wedded-to-what-i-shall-call-the-classical/) [John Maynard Keynes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-maynard-keynes/) > [As for democracy, the men of sense among us knew what it was, and I perhaps as well as any, as I have more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/as-for-democracy-the-men-of-sense-among-us-knew-what-it-was-and-i/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [Silat is nothing new to my family, it's been there for generations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iko-uwais/silat-is-nothing-new-to-my-family-it-s-been-there-for-generations/) [Iko Uwais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iko-uwais/) > [There is nothing new about poverty. What is new, however, is that we have the resources to get rid of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/there-is-nothing-new-about-poverty-what-is-new-however-is-that-we/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Oh honey, there's nothing new on this earth when it comes to what men and women do in the dark. First love is when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-garc-a-lorca/oh-honey-there-s-nothing-new-on-this-earth-when-it-comes-to-what-men/) [Federico Garcia Lorca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-garc-a-lorca/) > [When you get as old as I am, you kind of believe there's nothing new under the sun, but there's always a fresh way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/when-you-get-as-old-as-i-am-you-kind-of-believe-there-s-nothing-new/) [Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/) > [In my opinion, there's nothing new in the theatre, ever. Theatre-makers are thieves, in the honourable tradition of charlatans. They fake it very, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mcburney/in-my-opinion-there-s-nothing-new-in-the-theatre-ever-theatre-makers/) [Simon McBurney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mcburney/) > [Hoaxes are nothing new. News media isn't hard to fool. It's fun to fool and people like to mess with people. It all goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-green/hoaxes-are-nothing-new-news-media-isn-t-hard-to-fool-it-s-fun-to-fool/) [Hank Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-green/) > [There is nothing new, from Greek mythology to Shakespeare to every romcom ever made, we're just reimagining the same 12 story plots over and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-renner/there-is-nothing-new-from-greek-mythology-to-shakespeare-to-every/) [Jeremy Renner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-renner/) > [I played there a couple of times in Leverkusen, playing as the striker was nothing new for me I knew what to do -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-schurrle/i-played-there-a-couple-of-times-in-leverkusen-playing-as-the-striker/) [Andre Schurrle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-schurrle/) > [Theatre artists are essentially sort of charlatans and thieves, I mean that's the tradition that we come from, so I have absolutely no, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mcburney/theatre-artists-are-essentially-sort-of-charlatans-and-thieves-i-mean/) [Simon McBurney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mcburney/) > [Although there may be nothing new under the sun, what is old is new to us and so rich and astonishing that we never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/although-there-may-be-nothing-new-under-the-sun-what-is-old-is-new-to/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) ## More by Henry Rollins > [I believe that one defines oneself by reinvention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-believe-that-one-defines-oneself-by-reinvention/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I think that one of the hardest things in the world to be is a black male. I mean everyone hates your guts. White…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-think-that-one-of-the-hardest-things-in-the-world-to-be-is-a-black/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [In the summer of '84, you just couldn't escape the Born in the USA record.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/in-the-summer-of-84-you-just-couldn-t-escape-the-born-in-the-usa/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [We spend millions of dollars to remove pain from our lives. It's why so many people get hooked on painkillers. The body becomes addicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/we-spend-millions-of-dollars-to-remove-pain-from-our-lives-it-s-why/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [Sleep is for squares.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/sleep-is-for-squares/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [There's a lot of mountain climbers trapped inside of bodies of people behind the counter at Kinko's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/there-s-a-lot-of-mountain-climbers-trapped-inside-of-bodies-of-people/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [If I lose the light of the sun, I will write by candlelight, moonlight, no light. If I lose paper and ink, I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/if-i-lose-the-light-of-the-sun-i-will-write-by-candlelight-moonlight/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I was raised in Washington, DC, very violent place. I grew up with violence. My introduction to music was violent. The years I've spent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-was-raised-in-washington-dc-very-violent-place-i-grew-up-with/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I feel pain everyday of my life. When you see me perform, it's that pain you're seeing coming out. I put all my emotions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-feel-pain-everyday-of-my-life-when-you-see-me-perform-it-s-that/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I feel close to people like Jimi Hendrix because I connect with his music. Not the man but what he did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-feel-close-to-people-like-jimi-hendrix-because-i-connect-with-his/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I don't believe in fate or destiny. I believe in various degrees of hatred, paranoia, and abandonment. However much of that gets heaped upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-don-t-believe-in-fate-or-destiny-i-believe-in-various-degrees-of/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [Young, gay and stuck in Arkansas? Sounds like a horror flick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/young-gay-and-stuck-in-arkansas-sounds-like-a-horror-flick/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I was never told to "Get up, get out there, get a job." It was never a thing either parent ever said I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-was-never-told-to-get-up-get-out-there-get-a-job-it-was-never-a/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [There's no retirement, there's just a few years of non-work by the fire with someone bringing you some tea and relative peace and playing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/there-s-no-retirement-there-s-just-a-few-years-of-non-work-by-the/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I love being a storyteller. I love telling stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-love-being-a-storyteller-i-love-telling-stories/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) [Explore all 1,006 Henry Rollins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) ## More 1930s quotes > [Physicist Isador Isaac Rabi, who won a Nobel Prize for inventing a technique that permitted scientists to probe the structure of atoms and molecules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-saul-wurman/physicist-isador-isaac-rabi-who-won-a-nobel-prize-for-inventing-a/) [Richard Saul Wurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-saul-wurman/) > [My grandmother was a minister as well, which was not that common in the 1930s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-firth/my-grandmother-was-a-minister-as-well-which-was-not-that-common-in/) [Colin Firth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-firth/) > [It reminds me in some ways of the debate taking place in this country and around the world in the late 1930s. There were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/it-reminds-me-in-some-ways-of-the-debate-taking-place-in-this-country/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [As a result of the efforts of Hayek .. and the many others who share his general outlook, the idea of a centrally planned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kristol/as-a-result-of-the-efforts-of-hayek-and-the-many-others-who-share-his/) [Irving Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kristol/) > [When I was in Philadelphia during the Depression in 1930 or '31, I got a very sad job as a night watchman in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-glazer/when-i-was-in-philadelphia-during-the-depression-in-1930-or-31-i-got/) [Tom Glazer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-glazer/) > [Working in 3D I didn't experience much of a difference, except that the cameras are very big so they can't be moved around with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/working-in-3d-i-didn-t-experience-much-of-a-difference-except-that/) [James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/) > [Whatever the reasons may be, I was very much affected by events of the 1930s - the Spanish Civil War, for example, though I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/whatever-the-reasons-may-be-i-was-very-much-affected-by-events-of-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [We're a little bit low in the 1970s, right, post-Vietnam, Watergate era, malaise, all that, but this is more like the 1930s where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/we-re-a-little-bit-low-in-the-1970s-right-post-vietnam-watergate-era/) [Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/) > [In the immediate postwar era, financial crises in advanced countries were rare events, and before 1970 did not happen at all. Since then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-m-taylor/in-the-immediate-postwar-era-financial-crises-in-advanced-countries/) [Alan M. Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-m-taylor/) > [I would not say that Harvard possesses any sort of absolute dominance. And I personally do not take the rankings of schools all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rosovsky/i-would-not-say-that-harvard-possesses-any-sort-of-absolute-dominance/) [Henry Rosovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rosovsky/) > [In the 1930s one was aware of two great evils - mass unemployment and the threat of war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-meade/in-the-1930s-one-was-aware-of-two-great-evils-mass-unemployment-and/) [James Meade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-meade/) > [When comics came along in the 1930s there was a talent pool waiting. And one reason is so many areas were closed to Jews.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-robinson/when-comics-came-along-in-the-1930s-there-was-a-talent-pool-waiting/) [Jerry Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-robinson/) > [In his 1930 book, Dirac took for granted that measurements could be made, but was very vague about what was actually involved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willis-lamb/in-his-1930-book-dirac-took-for-granted-that-measurements-could-be/) [Willis Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willis-lamb/) > [Under the gold standard America had no major financial panics other than in 1873, 1884, 1890, 1893, 1907, 1930, 1931, 1932, and 1933.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/under-the-gold-standard-america-had-no-major-financial-panics-other/) [Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/) > [The crucial role communists played in organizing industrial unions in the 1930s and struggling for social reforms, peace, and civil rights strengthened rather then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-parenti/the-crucial-role-communists-played-in-organizing-industrial-unions-in/) [Michael Parenti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-parenti/) [Browse all 255 1930s quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zz-1930s-382/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The government is a functionary of the corporations - and there's nothing new about that. You can find people in the 1930s talking about the army basically working for Wall Street in all of these countries [it invades].", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Rollins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/the-government-is-a-functionary-of-the-corporations-and-there-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "1930s" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/the-government-is-a-functionary-of-the-corporations-and-there-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/henry-rollins-170_1930s_the-government-is-a-functionary-of-the-c_2134505.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/henry-rollins-170_1930s_the-government-is-a-functionary-of-the-c_2134505.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/500/henry-rollins-170_1930s_the-government-is-a-functionary-of-the-c_2134505.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The government is a functionary of the corporations - and there's nothing new about that. You can find…” — Henry Rollins", "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 Rollins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The government is a functionary of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/the-government-is-a-functionary-of-the-corporations-and-there-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/the-government-is-a-functionary-of-the-corporations-and-there-s/#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 } } ] } ```