--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In authoritarian societies, cultural…" description: "\"In authoritarian societies, cultural institutions tend to become ideological proxies - think of the National Ballet in Cuba or the East German gymnasti..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/599/jacob-weisberg-5003_authoritarian_in-authoritarian-societies-cultural-inst_364808.jpg" --- # In authoritarian societies, cultural institutions tend to… ![“In authoritarian societies, cultural institutions tend to become ideological proxies - think of the National Ballet in Cuba or the East German gymnastics team.” quote by Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/599/jacob-weisberg-5003_authoritarian_in-authoritarian-societies-cultural-inst_364808.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/599/jacob-weisberg-5003_authoritarian_in-authoritarian-societies-cultural-inst_364808.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/599/jacob-weisberg-5003_authoritarian_in-authoritarian-societies-cultural-inst_364808.jpg) > “In authoritarian societies, cultural institutions tend to become ideological proxies - think of the National Ballet in Cuba or the East German gymnastics team.” [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Authoritarian regimes co‑opt cultural groups, turning them into tools for propaganda and control. **In simple terms:** Culture can be weaponized. Key Takeaway Question the independence of cultural institutions. Themes politics culture propaganda control ideology Mood critical cautious Type political analytical When to use this quote - media analysis - policy making - artistic advocacy - public discourse Key Concepts state influence soft power institutional autonomy Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards protect cultural freedom? - How does art resist authoritarianism? A Different Perspective Not all cultural groups are easily manipulated. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authoritarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarian/) [Ballet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballet/) [Cuba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cuba/) [Team](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/team/) ## Related quotes > [In authoritarian societies, control over the production, distribution, and circulation is generally in the hands of the government, or what might be termed traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/in-authoritarian-societies-control-over-the-production-distribution/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [Unfortunately, the boards of art institutions tend to be populated with well-meaning supporters of the arts who often lack any business background or appetite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eli-broad/unfortunately-the-boards-of-art-institutions-tend-to-be-populated/) [Eli Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eli-broad/) > [“institutionalised learning in schools and institutions can tend to undermine the desire to learn, at least in certain contexts and under certain forms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knud-illeris/institutionalised-learning-in-schools-and-institutions-can-tend-to/) Knud Illeris > [Journalists were never intended to be the cheerleaders of a society, the conductors of applause, the sycophants. Tragically, that is their assigned role in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chet-huntley/journalists-were-never-intended-to-be-the-cheerleaders-of-a-society/) [Chet Huntley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chet-huntley/) > [I am the first authoritarian government elected to become a dictator and then resigning as a dictator. So this is the first dictator in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/i-am-the-first-authoritarian-government-elected-to-become-a-dictator/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [North Korea aside, most authoritarian governments have already accepted the growth of the Internet culture as inevitable; they have little choice but to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeny-morozov/north-korea-aside-most-authoritarian-governments-have-already/) [Evgeny Morozov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeny-morozov/) > [“Just as in the Trump-Giuliani Ukraine conspiracy, we saw a ruthless, single-minded obsession with staying in power; a manifest lack of moral values, shame,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-yovanovitch/just-as-in-the-trump-giuliani-ukraine-conspiracy-we-saw-a-ruthless/) Marie Yovanovitch > [Why do economists fall in love with authoritarian governments?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasheng-huang/why-do-economists-fall-in-love-with-authoritarian-governments/) Yasheng Huang > [We are not and will never be an authoritarian regime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/we-are-not-and-will-never-be-an-authoritarian-regime/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [Even more than comparing society to a family, comparing it to a body makes an authoritarian ordering of society seem inevitable, immutable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/even-more-than-comparing-society-to-a-family-comparing-it-to-a-body/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [“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/) > [“If you care about other people, that's now a very dangerous idea. If you care about other people, you might try to organize to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-care-about-other-people-that-s-now-a-very-dangerous-idea-if/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Cumulatively, American society is sliding toward a new form of 'authoritarian democracy'. Elections continue, free speech is generally protected, institutions operate in accordance with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-a-falk/cumulatively-american-society-is-sliding-toward-a-new-form-of/) [Richard A. Falk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-a-falk/) > [We very clearly do not want an authoritarian regime... setting standards in the world marketplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratcliffe/we-very-clearly-do-not-want-an-authoritarian-regime-setting-standards/) [John Ratcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratcliffe/) > [Sometimes it's easier for people who are in authority to be authoritarian, because people know where you stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/sometimes-it-s-easier-for-people-who-are-in-authority-to-be/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) ## More by Jacob Weisberg > [As far apart as they are theologically, Mormons and evangelical Christians may have more in common with each other anthropologically than they do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/as-far-apart-as-they-are-theologically-mormons-and-evangelical/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [Political analysts tend to overinterpret the results of isolated elections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/political-analysts-tend-to-overinterpret-the-results-of-isolated/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [Seeing the rich and famous screw up makes us feel superior, or at least not quite so inferior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/seeing-the-rich-and-famous-screw-up-makes-us-feel-superior-or-at/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [Trade, tourism, cultural exchange, and participation in international institutions all serve to erode the legitimacy of repressive regimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/trade-tourism-cultural-exchange-and-participation-in-international/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [The cradle-to-grave welfare state diminishes individual initiative and can breed a pervasive sclerosis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/the-cradle-to-grave-welfare-state-diminishes-individual-initiative/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [America's sanctions policy is largely consistent and, in a certain sense, admirable. By applying economic restraints, we label the most oppressive and dangerous governments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/america-s-sanctions-policy-is-largely-consistent-and-in-a-certain/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [You may or may not agree with Obama's policy prescriptions, but they are, by and large, serious attempts to deal with the biggest issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/you-may-or-may-not-agree-with-obama-s-policy-prescriptions-but-they/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [The invasion of Iraq was, in ways that have since become hard to dispute, a terrible mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/the-invasion-of-iraq-was-in-ways-that-have-since-become-hard-to/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [In practice, conservatives are no less inclined than liberals to adopt superior stances or to tell people how to live their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/in-practice-conservatives-are-no-less-inclined-than-liberals-to-adopt/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [The leader who loves books that tell him he is great and right may be worse than the leader who does not love books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/the-leader-who-loves-books-that-tell-him-he-is-great-and-right-may-be/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [Without medical records that he hasn't released, we can't know whether Gingrich may have inherited his mother's manic depression. Nevertheless, one observes in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/without-medical-records-that-he-hasn-t-released-we-can-t-know-whether/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [Members of the middle class do not have to worry about falling off $250,000 sailboats because they don't have $250,000 sailboats to fall off of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/members-of-the-middle-class-do-not-have-to-worry-about-falling-off/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [Northeastern conservatism is moderate, accepts the modern welfare state, and dislikes mixing religion with politics. Western conservatism is hawkish, hates government, and embraces individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/northeastern-conservatism-is-moderate-accepts-the-modern-welfare/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [The most important newspapers in this country need to exist. Our democracy needs them. Life as we know it would be unthinkable without them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/the-most-important-newspapers-in-this-country-need-to-exist-our/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [To count as transformative, a president needs to synthesize the moment and mood of the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/to-count-as-transformative-a-president-needs-to-synthesize-the-moment/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) [Explore all 104 Jacob Weisberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) ## More Authoritarian quotes > [Sometimes it's easier for people who are in authority to be authoritarian, because people know where you stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/sometimes-it-s-easier-for-people-who-are-in-authority-to-be/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [We very clearly do not want an authoritarian regime... setting standards in the world marketplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ratcliffe/we-very-clearly-do-not-want-an-authoritarian-regime-setting-standards/) [John Ratcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ratcliffe/) > [Cumulatively, American society is sliding toward a new form of 'authoritarian democracy'. Elections continue, free speech is generally protected, institutions operate in accordance with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-a-falk/cumulatively-american-society-is-sliding-toward-a-new-form-of/) [Richard A. Falk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-a-falk/) > [“If you care about other people, that's now a very dangerous idea. If you care about other people, you might try to organize to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/if-you-care-about-other-people-that-s-now-a-very-dangerous-idea-if/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“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/) > [Even more than comparing society to a family, comparing it to a body makes an authoritarian ordering of society seem inevitable, immutable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/even-more-than-comparing-society-to-a-family-comparing-it-to-a-body/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [We are not and will never be an authoritarian regime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/we-are-not-and-will-never-be-an-authoritarian-regime/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [Why do economists fall in love with authoritarian governments?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasheng-huang/why-do-economists-fall-in-love-with-authoritarian-governments/) Yasheng Huang > [“Just as in the Trump-Giuliani Ukraine conspiracy, we saw a ruthless, single-minded obsession with staying in power; a manifest lack of moral values, shame,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-yovanovitch/just-as-in-the-trump-giuliani-ukraine-conspiracy-we-saw-a-ruthless/) Marie Yovanovitch > [North Korea aside, most authoritarian governments have already accepted the growth of the Internet culture as inevitable; they have little choice but to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeny-morozov/north-korea-aside-most-authoritarian-governments-have-already/) [Evgeny Morozov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeny-morozov/) > [I am the first authoritarian government elected to become a dictator and then resigning as a dictator. So this is the first dictator in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/i-am-the-first-authoritarian-government-elected-to-become-a-dictator/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [There is an authoritarian strain in all of Leftism-- because the bigger the government, the more it controls other peoples' lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/there-is-an-authoritarian-strain-in-all-of-leftism-because-the-bigger/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [My position and the state will never allow me to become a dictator, but an authoritarian style of rule is characteristic of me, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-lukashenko/my-position-and-the-state-will-never-allow-me-to-become-a-dictator/) [Alexander Lukashenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-lukashenko/) > [You really don't create an authoritarian society unless you control the personal choices including the sexual choices of the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-hefner/you-really-don-t-create-an-authoritarian-society-unless-you-control/) [Hugh Hefner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-hefner/) > [The question is: Particularly in the post-9/11 era, are societies becoming more liberal or more authoritarian?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/the-question-is-particularly-in-the-post-9-11-era-are-societies/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) [Browse all 185 Authoritarian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authoritarian/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In authoritarian societies, cultural institutions tend to become ideological proxies - think of the National Ballet in Cuba or the East German gymnastics team.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jacob Weisberg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/in-authoritarian-societies-cultural-institutions-tend-to-become/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Authoritarian" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/in-authoritarian-societies-cultural-institutions-tend-to-become/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/599/jacob-weisberg-5003_authoritarian_in-authoritarian-societies-cultural-inst_364808.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/599/jacob-weisberg-5003_authoritarian_in-authoritarian-societies-cultural-inst_364808.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/599/jacob-weisberg-5003_authoritarian_in-authoritarian-societies-cultural-inst_364808.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In authoritarian societies, cultural institutions tend to become ideological proxies - think of the National…” — Jacob Weisberg", "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": "Jacob Weisberg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In authoritarian societies, cultural institutions tend...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/in-authoritarian-societies-cultural-institutions-tend-to-become/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/in-authoritarian-societies-cultural-institutions-tend-to-become/#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 } } ] } ```