--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our society will always remain an…" description: "\"Our society will always remain an unstable and explosive compound as long as political power is vested in the masses and economic power in the classes...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/irving-fisher-29435_class_our-society-will-always-remain-an-unstab_2702754.png" --- # Our society will always remain an unstable and explosive… ![“Our society will always remain an unstable and explosive compound as long as political power is vested in the masses and economic power in the classes. In the end one of these powers will rule. Either the plutocracy will buy up the democracy, or the democracy will vote away the plutocracy.” quote by Irving Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/irving-fisher-29435_class_our-society-will-always-remain-an-unstab_2702754.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/irving-fisher-29435_class_our-society-will-always-remain-an-unstab_2702754.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/irving-fisher-29435_class_our-society-will-always-remain-an-unstab_2702754.png) > “Our society will always remain an unstable and explosive compound as long as political power is vested in the masses and economic power in the classes. In the end one of these powers will rule. Either the plutocracy will buy up the democracy, or the democracy will vote away the plutocracy.” [Irving Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-fisher/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Power structures shift between masses and elite; balance determines societal stability. **In simple terms:** Power swings between people and elites. Key Takeaway Seek balanced power distribution for stability. Themes politics economics power dynamics Mood critical analytical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - social movements - economic reform - education campaigns Key Concepts sociology political theory Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens prevent plutocratic takeover? - What mechanisms ensure democratic resilience? A Different Perspective Power can be concentrated despite reforms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Economic power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic-power/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Our society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-society/) [Plutocracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plutocracy/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-power/) [Vote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vote/) ## Related quotes > [Democracy is just a word. You have to give it meaning. The US is not a democracy. Most Americans do not vote. We haven't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/democracy-is-just-a-word-you-have-to-give-it-meaning-the-us-is-not-a/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [There is a long American tradition of suspicion of concentrated economic power because of its tendency to corrupt government and turn it from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/there-is-a-long-american-tradition-of-suspicion-of-concentrated/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [If you give up on politics, you're giving up on democracy. And if you give up on democracy, you're basically saying to the moneyed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/if-you-give-up-on-politics-you-re-giving-up-on-democracy-and-if-you/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [For me, love carries the seeds of its own destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-gaye/for-me-love-carries-the-seeds-of-its-own-destruction/) [Marvin Gaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-gaye/) > [Every civilization carries the seeds of its own destruction, and the same cycle shows in them all. The Republic is born, flourishes, decays into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/every-civilization-carries-the-seeds-of-its-own-destruction-and-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“Representative government is artifice, a political myth, designed to conceal from the masses the dominance of a self-selected, self-perpetuating, and self-serving traditional ruling class.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giuseppe-prezzolini/representative-government-is-artifice-a-political-myth-designed-to/) Giuseppe Prezzolini > [Whatever the label on the parties, or the war cries issuing from the demagogues who lead them, the practical choice is between the plutocracy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/whatever-the-label-on-the-parties-or-the-war-cries-issuing-from-the/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“Because it is a curious challenge for western man to distinguish between aristocracy and plutocracy, it will be his unhappy fate to struggle under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-fahy/because-it-is-a-curious-challenge-for-western-man-to-distinguish/) [Tom Fahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-fahy/) > [This combat between proletariat and plutocracy is, after all, itself a civil war. Two inferiorities struggle for the privilege of polluting the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/this-combat-between-proletariat-and-plutocracy-is-after-all-itself-a/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Dark influences from the American past congregate among us still. If we are a democracy, what are we to make of the palpable elements…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-bloom/dark-influences-from-the-american-past-congregate-among-us-still-if/) [Harold Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-bloom/) > [We always come back to the same misunderstanding. The Jews because of their spirit of revolt, their exclusiveness and the Messianic tendencies which animate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-v-deponcins/we-always-come-back-to-the-same-misunderstanding-the-jews-because-of/) [Leon V. DePoncins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-v-deponcins/) > [I can't agree that what we're seeing is a matter of the American bourgeoisie confronting workers everywhere. It's more like the international plutocracy eliminating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hendrik-hertzberg/i-can-t-agree-that-what-we-re-seeing-is-a-matter-of-the-american/) [Hendrik Hertzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hendrik-hertzberg/) > [We're not a democracy. It's a terrible misunderstandin g and a slander to the idea of democracy to call us that. In reality, we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramsey-clark/we-re-not-a-democracy-it-s-a-terrible-misunderstandin-g-and-a-slander/) [Ramsey Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramsey-clark/) > [Of all forms of tyranny the least attractive and the most vulgar is the tyranny of mere wealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/of-all-forms-of-tyranny-the-least-attractive-and-the-most-vulgar-is/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [I will always fight for progress and reform, never tolerate injustice or corruption, always fight demagogues of all parties, never belong to any party,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-pulitzer/i-will-always-fight-for-progress-and-reform-never-tolerate-injustice/) [Joseph Pulitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-pulitzer/) ## More by Irving Fisher > [The effort of the economist is to "see," to picture the interplay of economic elements. The more clearly cut these elements appear in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-fisher/the-effort-of-the-economist-is-to-see-to-picture-the-interplay-of/) [Irving Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-fisher/) > [The end of the decline of the Stock Market will probably not be long, only a few more days at most.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-fisher/the-end-of-the-decline-of-the-stock-market-will-probably-not-be-long/) [Irving Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-fisher/) > [The real scientific study of the distribution of wealth has, we must confess, scarcely begun. The conventional academic study of the so-called theory of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-fisher/the-real-scientific-study-of-the-distribution-of-wealth-has-we-must/) [Irving Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-fisher/) > [How much there is I want to do! I always feel that I haven't time to accomplish what I wish. I want to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-fisher/how-much-there-is-i-want-to-do-i-always-feel-that-i-haven-t-time-to/) [Irving Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-fisher/) > [Stock prices have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau. I do not feel there will be soon if ever a 50 or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-fisher/stock-prices-have-reached-what-looks-like-a-permanently-high-plateau/) [Irving Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-fisher/) > [The rate of interest acts as a link between income-value and capital-value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-fisher/the-rate-of-interest-acts-as-a-link-between-income-value-and-capital/) [Irving Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-fisher/) > [Stock prices have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-fisher/stock-prices-have-reached-what-looks-like-a-permanently-high-plateau-2/) [Irving Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-fisher/) > [For the immediate future, at least, the outlook (stocks) is bright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-fisher/for-the-immediate-future-at-least-the-outlook-stocks-is-bright/) [Irving Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-fisher/) > [The U. S. is headed toward a period of business depression... beginning within the next two years, which may exceed that which preceded the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-fisher/the-u-s-is-headed-toward-a-period-of-business-depression-beginning/) [Irving Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-fisher/) > [The public psychology of going into debt for gain passes through several more or less distinct phases: (a) the lure of big prospective dividends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-fisher/the-public-psychology-of-going-into-debt-for-gain-passes-through/) [Irving Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-fisher/) > [FISHER SEES STOCKS PERMANENTLY HIGH](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-fisher/fisher-sees-stocks-permanently-high/) [Irving Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-fisher/) > [Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-fisher/stocks-have-reached-what-looks-like-a-permanently-high-plateau/) [Irving Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-fisher/) > [The nation is marching along a permanently high plateau of prosperity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-fisher/the-nation-is-marching-along-a-permanently-high-plateau-of-prosperity/) [Irving Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-fisher/) > [Thus, our national circulating medium is now at the mercy of loan transactions of banks, which lend, not money, but promises to supply money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-fisher/thus-our-national-circulating-medium-is-now-at-the-mercy-of-loan/) [Irving Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-fisher/) > [“As a matter of fact, what investment can we find which offers real fixity or certainty of income? ... As every reader of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-fisher/as-a-matter-of-fact-what-investment-can-we-find-which-offers-real/) [Irving Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-fisher/) [Explore all 18 Irving Fisher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-fisher/) ## More Class quotes > [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/) > [If I had to guess and put a name on it, I'd say that at some point, the drug war was as much a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/if-i-had-to-guess-and-put-a-name-on-it-i-d-say-that-at-some-point-the/) [David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/) > [I grew up in the middle class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-scaramucci/i-grew-up-in-the-middle-class/) [Anthony Scaramucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-scaramucci/) > [It must be assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/it-must-be-assumed-and-established-as-a-principle-that-the-right-of/) [Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [You’re crazy,” said her best friend, Angela, as the bell rang to signal five minutes before the first class on the first day back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/you-re-crazy-said-her-best-friend-angela-as-the-bell-rang-to-signal/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > [“Poor people do not go on holiday; they go home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/poor-people-do-not-go-on-holiday-they-go-home/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [Because there are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/because-there-are-three-classes-of-intellects-one-which-comprehends/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Right now, for many Americans, class is being foregrounded like never before because of the economic situation. It doesn't mean that race doesn't matter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/right-now-for-many-americans-class-is-being-foregrounded-like-never/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [But I don't think the Democratic Party is at eye level with the middle class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-i-don-t-think-the-democratic-party-is-at-eye-level-with-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not a dancer. Never took a dance class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrishell-stause/i-m-not-a-dancer-never-took-a-dance-class/) [Chrishell Stause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrishell-stause/) > [Most startups are not just built for the person who is using them. When you do that, every now and then you get really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-shear/most-startups-are-not-just-built-for-the-person-who-is-using-them/) [Emmett Shear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-shear/) > [The structure of the Swiss ruling class is rock-hard, and unchanged since the time of Napoleon. They sit on their mountains and lecture the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-ziegler/the-structure-of-the-swiss-ruling-class-is-rock-hard-and-unchanged/) [Jean Ziegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-ziegler/) > [We are not going back to the failed policies of the past. We are fighting for the middle class!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/we-are-not-going-back-to-the-failed-policies-of-the-past-we-are/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) [Browse all 7,637 Class quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Our society will always remain an unstable and explosive compound as long as political power is vested in the masses and economic power in the classes. In the end one of these powers will rule. Either the plutocracy will buy up the democracy, or the democracy will vote away the plutocracy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Irving Fisher" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-fisher/our-society-will-always-remain-an-unstable-and-explosive-compound-as/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Class" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-fisher/our-society-will-always-remain-an-unstable-and-explosive-compound-as/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/irving-fisher-29435_class_our-society-will-always-remain-an-unstab_2702754.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/irving-fisher-29435_class_our-society-will-always-remain-an-unstab_2702754.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e3/irving-fisher-29435_class_our-society-will-always-remain-an-unstab_2702754.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Our society will always remain an unstable and explosive compound as long as political power is vested in…” — Irving Fisher", "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": "Irving Fisher", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-fisher/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Our society will always remain an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-fisher/our-society-will-always-remain-an-unstable-and-explosive-compound-as/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-fisher/our-society-will-always-remain-an-unstable-and-explosive-compound-as/#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 } } ] } ```