--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Honey, it isn’t democracy that runs this…" description: "\"“Honey, it isn’t democracy that runs this country. Capitalism rules. It does no good to reason with the capitalists or their politicians. This is a cla..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/jerry-ash-39374_american-people_honey-it-isn-t-democracy-that-runs-this_1816083.jpg" --- # Honey, it isn’t democracy that runs this country… ![“Honey, it isn’t democracy that runs this country. Capitalism rules. It does no good to reason with the capitalists or their politicians. This is a class war. We have to stir up the American people, the lower class. Some of the better-off lower class do show some sympathy for us when they’re…” quote by Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/jerry-ash-39374_american-people_honey-it-isn-t-democracy-that-runs-this_1816083.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/jerry-ash-39374_american-people_honey-it-isn-t-democracy-that-runs-this_1816083.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f67/jerry-ash-39374_american-people_honey-it-isn-t-democracy-that-runs-this_1816083.jpg) > ““Honey, it isn’t democracy that runs this country. Capitalism rules. It does no good to reason with the capitalists or their politicians. This is a class war. We have to stir up the American people, the lower class. Some of the better-off lower class do show some sympathy for us when they’re smacked with the facts. And when they voice themselves collectively, good things happen.” — Mother Jones”” [Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that capitalism, not democracy, dominates the nation, framing politics as a class struggle requiring collective action from the lower class to effect change. **In simple terms:** Capitalism dominates; class struggle needs collective action. Key Takeaway Mobilize the working class for change. Themes politics economics class conflict activism collective action Mood defiant urgent Type political activist When to use this quote - labor organizing - grassroots campaigns - policy advocacy - community building Key Concepts capitalism democracy class war social movements Questions to Reflect On - How can democratic processes be strengthened against economic inequality? - What role can allies in higher socioeconomic brackets play? A Different Perspective It overlooks democratic institutions that can counterbalance capitalism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Capitalism Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism-rules-2155676/) [Capitalists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalists/) [Capitalists Politicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalists-politicians-2155678/) [Child labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child-labor/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Good thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-thing/) [Good things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-things/) [Great depression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-depression/) [Industrial revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industrial-revolution/) [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Lower class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lower-class/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Mill-workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mill-workers/) [Miners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miners/) [Mining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mining/) [Mother Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother-jones/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Reason Capitalists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason-capitalists-2155677/) [Robber-barons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/robber-barons/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Sweatshops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sweatshops/) [Things happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-happen/) [Unions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unions/) [Yellow-journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yellow-journalism/) ## Related quotes > [“I am a citizen of this country,” I declare, “and Mr. Mayor, tonight I will be a citizen of this city when I put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/i-am-a-citizen-of-this-country-i-declare-and-mr-mayor-tonight-i-will/) [Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/) > [“Turning back to the crowd I say, “I am duty bound to make this plea, but I want to say, with all due respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/turning-back-to-the-crowd-i-say-i-am-duty-bound-to-make-this-plea-but/) [Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/) > [“Democracy is supposed to be ‘of the people, by the people and for the people’. Capitalism is ‘of the capitalist, for the capitalist’. Period.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/democracy-is-supposed-to-be-of-the-people-by-the-people-and-for-the/) [Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/) > [“What do you see out there?” I ask. “Pittsburgh,” he replies. Now I laugh. “No, young man. 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I’m done with you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/what-the-hell-s-the-matter-with-you-men-are-you-cowards-as-well-as/) [Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/) > [“Go home now,” says I. “Keep away from the saloons. Save your money. You are going to need it.” “What are we going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/go-home-now-says-i-keep-away-from-the-saloons-save-your-money-you-are/) [Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/) > [“That’s got to stop,” says I. “The idea of any blood-thirsty pirate (Mexican President Diaz) sitting on a throne and reaching across the border…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/that-s-got-to-stop-says-i-the-idea-of-any-blood-thirsty-pirate/) [Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/) > [“I go back to the union man and say, “Sir, this is a house of God, not a proper place for a union meeting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/i-go-back-to-the-union-man-and-say-sir-this-is-a-house-of-god-not-a/) [Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/) > [There is no reason why capitalists and entrepreneurs should be ashamed of earning profits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/there-is-no-reason-why-capitalists-and-entrepreneurs-should-be/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Capitalism rules worldwide, and a society whose economic fabric depends on constant growth requires that its citizens have ever-expanding needs and wants... In the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/capitalism-rules-worldwide-and-a-society-whose-economic-fabric/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“Yellow journalism turns purple when third page obituaries appear on page one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mantaranjot-mangat/yellow-journalism-turns-purple-when-third-page-obituaries-appear-on/) [Mantaranjot Mangat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mantaranjot-mangat/) > [“MAGA dumbfucks are trailer park yokels with 6 teeth who support robber barons with 6 yachts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/maga-dumbfucks-are-trailer-park-yokels-with-6-teeth-who-support/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [“This is why tigers have ranges of hundreds of square kilometers," Vlad said. 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I’m done with you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/what-the-hell-s-the-matter-with-you-men-are-you-cowards-as-well-as/) [Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/) > [“Well, honey, it’s capitalism that brings out the meanness and greed,” says I. “Our founding fathers did a decent job of framing our democracy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/well-honey-it-s-capitalism-that-brings-out-the-meanness-and-greed/) [Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/) > [“To the RKO motion picture camera at her 100th birthday party: “I pray for the day when working men and women are able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/to-the-rko-motion-picture-camera-at-her-100th-birthday-party-i-pray/) [Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/) > [“What do you see out there?” I ask. “Pittsburgh,” he replies. Now I laugh. “No, young man. 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Period.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/democracy-is-supposed-to-be-of-the-people-by-the-people-and-for-the/) [Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/) > [“Turning back to the crowd I say, “I am duty bound to make this plea, but I want to say, with all due respect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/turning-back-to-the-crowd-i-say-i-am-duty-bound-to-make-this-plea-but/) [Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/) > [“I go back to the union man and say, “Sir, this is a house of God, not a proper place for a union meeting.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-ash/i-go-back-to-the-union-man-and-say-sir-this-is-a-house-of-god-not-a/) [Jerry Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/) [Explore all 11 Jerry Ash quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-ash/) ## More American people quotes > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-as-much-as-government-can-do-and-must-do-it-is-ultimately-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Given a choice between two bald political candidates, the American people will vote for the less bald of the two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-gold/given-a-choice-between-two-bald-political-candidates-the-american/) [Victor Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-gold/) > [When the American people saw the LA riots and crowds of Blacks cheering O.J. Simpson (who was acquitted by the almost all Black jury),…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-duke/when-the-american-people-saw-the-la-riots-and-crowds-of-blacks/) [David Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-duke/) > [In any event, it is one thing to assert, then or now, that the Iraq war was ill-advised. It is quite another to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-silberman/in-any-event-it-is-one-thing-to-assert-then-or-now-that-the-iraq-war/) [Laurence Silberman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-silberman/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [I don't know a politician who enjoys fundraising. 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D. Hayworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-hayworth/) > [Hillary Clinton truly is sincere, but she has to connect more with the American people in terms of what she believes in and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/hillary-clinton-truly-is-sincere-but-she-has-to-connect-more-with-the/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [The American people are incredibly generous and even playful when you open yourself up and feed the media beast until it goes away satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krystal-ball/the-american-people-are-incredibly-generous-and-even-playful-when-you/) [Krystal Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krystal-ball/) [Browse all 2,233 American people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Honey, it isn’t democracy that runs this country. Capitalism rules. 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