--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Republican or Democrat, this nation's…" description: "\"“Republican or Democrat, this nation's affluent urban and suburban classes understand their bread is buttered on the corporate side. The primary differ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/joe-bageant-25954_beach-house_republican-or-democrat-this-nation-s-aff_1062349.jpg" --- # Republican or Democrat, this nation's affluent urban and… ![“Republican or Democrat, this nation's affluent urban and suburban classes understand their bread is buttered on the corporate side. The primary difference between the two parties is that the Republicans pretty much admit that they grasp and even endorse some of the nastiest facts of life in…” quote by Joe Bageant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/joe-bageant-25954_beach-house_republican-or-democrat-this-nation-s-aff_1062349.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/joe-bageant-25954_beach-house_republican-or-democrat-this-nation-s-aff_1062349.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abe/joe-bageant-25954_beach-house_republican-or-democrat-this-nation-s-aff_1062349.jpg) > ““Republican or Democrat, this nation's affluent urban and suburban classes understand their bread is buttered on the corporate side. The primary difference between the two parties is that the Republicans pretty much admit that they grasp and even endorse some of the nastiest facts of life in America. Republicans honestly tell the world: "Listen in on my phone calls, piss-test me until I'm blind, kill and eat all of my neighbors right in front of my eyes, but show me the money! Let me escape with every cent I can kick out of the suckers, the taxpayers, and anybody else I can get a headlock on, legally or otherwise." Democrats, in contrast, seem content to catalog the GOP's outrages against the Republic, showing proper indignation while laughing at episodes of The Daily Show. But they stand behind the American brand: imperialism. They "support our troops," though you will be hard put to find any of them who have served alongside them or who would send one of their own kids off to lose an eye or an arm in Iraq. They play the imperial game, maintain their credit ratings, and plan to keep the beach house and the retirement investments if it means sacrificing every damned Lynndie England in West Virginia.”” [Joe Bageant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bageant/) ## 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 satirically contrasts perceived hypocrisy in both parties, highlighting self‑interest and moral contradictions. **In simple terms:** Both parties show contradictions and self‑interest. Key Takeaway Critically examine political rhetoric. Themes politics hypocrisy media satire Mood skeptical critical Type political satirical When to use this quote - voter education - media literacy - policy debates Key Concepts power dynamics public perception Questions to Reflect On - What evidence supports these claims? - How can citizens discern truth from satire? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beach house](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beach-house/) [Cynical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cynical/) [Democrat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrat/) [Facts of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts-of-life/) [Hypocrisy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hypocrisy/) [Phone calls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phone-calls/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Republican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican/) [Republicans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republicans/) [Support our troops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support-our-troops/) [West virginia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/west-virginia/) ## Related quotes > [Democrats in the contrast with Republicans, almost no matter which Republican is nominated. Because they are taking such similar positions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ann-reid/democrats-in-the-contrast-with-republicans-almost-no-matter-which/) [Joy-Ann Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ann-reid/) > [Could there possibly have been an incumbent more easy to knock-off than George W. Bush? A real-life opposition party would have been insulted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-cooper/could-there-possibly-have-been-an-incumbent-more-easy-to-knock-off/) [Marc Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-cooper/) > [If I wanted to develop a scenario to destroy America, I would do what the Republicans are doing. Take the brightest and best young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/if-i-wanted-to-develop-a-scenario-to-destroy-america-i-would-do-what/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [And basically, the sense of the 'Pledge to America' is this: Republicans understand when we were in charge, we got fired in '06. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cantor/and-basically-the-sense-of-the-pledge-to-america-is-this-republicans/) [Eric Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cantor/) > [We want to bring back the America where Republicans and principles and true ideas of freedom rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-robinson/we-want-to-bring-back-the-america-where-republicans-and-principles/) [Mark Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-robinson/) > [It's like, duh. Just when you thought there wasn't a dime's worth of difference between the two parties, the Republicans go and prove you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/it-s-like-duh-just-when-you-thought-there-wasn-t-a-dime-s-worth-of/) [Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/) > [Both political parties, Republicans and Democrats, are dependent on the same private interest groups for campaign funds, so both parties dance to the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/both-political-parties-republicans-and-democrats-are-dependent-on-the/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [It's not just spending, it's not just taxes, it's not just corruption, it is progressivism, and it is in both parties. It is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/it-s-not-just-spending-it-s-not-just-taxes-it-s-not-just-corruption/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [The two real political parties in America are the Winners and the Losers. The people don't acknowledge this. They claim membership in two imaginary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-two-real-political-parties-in-america-are-the-winners-and-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Well, where is the money? Show me the money? Our allies have put up a few billion dollars, but the American taxpayer has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/well-where-is-the-money-show-me-the-money-our-allies-have-put-up-a/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [Rod Tidwell: Anyone else would have left you by now, but I'm sticking with you. And if I have to ride your ass like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-maguire/rod-tidwell-anyone-else-would-have-left-you-by-now-but-i-m-sticking/) Jerry Maguire > [Bobby made references to me a few times on Show Me The Money. He seemed to enjoy using words like 'sangnamja (T/N: true man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-nam-joon/bobby-made-references-to-me-a-few-times-on-show-me-the-money-he/) [Kim Nam-joon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-nam-joon/) > [Show me the money :) queen rapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki/show-me-the-money-queen-rapper/) [Nikki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki/) > [When I won the Oscar, I fell into that mind-set that this is a precious role. People everywhere were shouting, 'Show me the money!'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cuba-gooding-jr/when-i-won-the-oscar-i-fell-into-that-mind-set-that-this-is-a/) [Cuba Gooding, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cuba-gooding-jr/) > [Show me the money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-maguire/show-me-the-money/) Jerry Maguire ## More by Joe Bageant > [“Remember when welfare mothers were robbing us all blind and driving Cadillacs? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bageant/remember-when-welfare-mothers-were-robbing-us-all-blind-and-driving/) [Joe Bageant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bageant/) > [If middle-class Americans do not feel threatened by the slow encroachment of the police state or the Patriot Act, it is because they live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bageant/if-middle-class-americans-do-not-feel-threatened-by-the-slow/) [Joe Bageant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bageant/) > [The four cornerstones of the American political psyche are 1) emotion substituted for thought, 2) fear, 3) ignorance and 4) propaganda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bageant/the-four-cornerstones-of-the-american-political-psyche-are-1-emotion/) [Joe Bageant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bageant/) > [ They \[Christian rednecks\] were so stupid that they couldn't pour piss out of a boot even if the instructions were printed on the bottom. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bageant/they-christian-rednecks-were-so-stupid-that-they-couldn-t-pour-piss/) [Joe Bageant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bageant/) > [“Somewhere in between are the rest of us natives, in whom such change revives long-buried anger at those faraway people who seem to govern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bageant/somewhere-in-between-are-the-rest-of-us-natives-in-whom-such-change/) [Joe Bageant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bageant/) > [“Parties do not lead revolutions. They follow them. And then only when forced to.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bageant/parties-do-not-lead-revolutions-they-follow-them-and-then-only-when/) [Joe Bageant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bageant/) > [“Inconceivable though it may seem to urban Americans, it is easily possible for many working Americans not to know a person of the liberal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bageant/inconceivable-though-it-may-seem-to-urban-americans-it-is-easily/) [Joe Bageant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bageant/) > [The reality is that our economy now consists of driving 250 million vehicles around the suburbs and malls and eating fried chicken. We don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bageant/the-reality-is-that-our-economy-now-consists-of-driving-250-million/) [Joe Bageant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bageant/) > [You never know you are in a prison unless you try the door](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bageant/you-never-know-you-are-in-a-prison-unless-you-try-the-door/) [Joe Bageant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bageant/) > [“This book is written from a changing town in Virginia, but this class of mine, these people--the ones who smell like an ashtray in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bageant/this-book-is-written-from-a-changing-town-in-virginia-but-this-class/) [Joe Bageant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bageant/) > [Cultural stupidity accounts for virtually every aspect of Sarah Palin, both as a person and a political icon. Which, come to think of it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bageant/cultural-stupidity-accounts-for-virtually-every-aspect-of-sarah-palin/) [Joe Bageant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bageant/) > [“Along with the concept of American Dream runs the notion that every man and woman is entitled to an opinion and to one vote,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bageant/along-with-the-concept-of-american-dream-runs-the-notion-that-every/) [Joe Bageant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bageant/) > [“Somebody left the American Dream in the toaster too long. It's now burnt to a crisp.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bageant/somebody-left-the-american-dream-in-the-toaster-too-long-it-s-now/) [Joe Bageant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bageant/) > [“Nearly all of these successful folks have made it in the business world by sticking with the free market ideal of survival of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bageant/nearly-all-of-these-successful-folks-have-made-it-in-the-business/) [Joe Bageant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bageant/) > [“The tide of our national meanness rises incrementally, one brutalizing experience at a time, inside one person at a time in a chain of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bageant/the-tide-of-our-national-meanness-rises-incrementally-one-brutalizing/) [Joe Bageant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bageant/) [Explore all 22 Joe Bageant quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bageant/) ## More Beach house quotes > [“A shift was taking place in my life - the beach house, Kyle, Tristan; the tides were changing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriane-leigh/a-shift-was-taking-place-in-my-life-the-beach-house-kyle-tristan-the/) [Adriane Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriane-leigh/) > [“... beach houses along short sandy streets. He can feel her bare forarm brushing his, and it's strange she's being so quiet. He glances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-dubus-iii/beach-houses-along-short-sandy-streets-he-can-feel-her-bare-forarm/) [Andre Dubus III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-dubus-iii/) > [In fact, I was one of the few trusted people that Lucy allowed to play with their kids. I spent time at their summer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-thibodeaux/in-fact-i-was-one-of-the-few-trusted-people-that-lucy-allowed-to-play/) [Keith Thibodeaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-thibodeaux/) > [“The girl-women scampered around a beach house in various states of preparative undress, wriggled into sundresses, shook out their hair…They possessed a veneer of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-harbach/the-girl-women-scampered-around-a-beach-house-in-various-states-of/) [Chad Harbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-harbach/) > [Somebody pointed out to me that there's no horror film on my resume, which is true, but I also don't really go see those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-todd/somebody-pointed-out-to-me-that-there-s-no-horror-film-on-my-resume/) [Suzanne Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-todd/) > [“…anyway it wasn’t your reading that started this. It was the laugher, the carefree laughter, the three dimensional Coca Cola advertisement that you were,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliot-perlman/anyway-it-wasn-t-your-reading-that-started-this-it-was-the-laugher/) [Elliot Perlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliot-perlman/) > [“People aren't pissed just to be pissed. They're mad because a tiny group of crooks on Wall Street built themselves beach houses in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-taibbi/people-aren-t-pissed-just-to-be-pissed-they-re-mad-because-a-tiny/) [Matt Taibbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-taibbi/) > [“If I learned anything about her it was that she lived with a vehemence most of us never have the courage for." Banks tells…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marisha-pessl/if-i-learned-anything-about-her-it-was-that-she-lived-with-a/) [Marisha Pessl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marisha-pessl/) > [I won $100,000 in Vegas, which buys furniture for my beach house. That takes nerves. You can't think if I'm wrong I'll blow $30,000.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-tilly/i-won-100-000-in-vegas-which-buys-furniture-for-my-beach-house-that/) [Jennifer Tilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-tilly/) > [With its breezy guitars and sweet backing vocals, 'Norway' blows away any semblance of Beach House's previously bleak approach to pop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-fantano/with-its-breezy-guitars-and-sweet-backing-vocals-norway-blows-away/) [Anthony Fantano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-fantano/) > [“A beach house,” he said, “doesn’t even have to be on the beach. Though the best ones are. We all like to congregate,” he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/a-beach-house-he-said-doesn-t-even-have-to-be-on-the-beach-though-the/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [In one universe, they are gorgeous, straight-teethed, long-legged, wrapped in designer fashions, and given sports cars on their sixteenth birthdays. Teacher smile at them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/in-one-universe-they-are-gorgeous-straight-teethed-long-legged/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [It would be nice to maybe have a beach house, maybe have some downtime would be wonderful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-biden/it-would-be-nice-to-maybe-have-a-beach-house-maybe-have-some-downtime/) [Ashley Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-biden/) > [We had a family beach house in Savai'i in western Samoa. When the tide used to come in it would come under the house…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-galetti/we-had-a-family-beach-house-in-savai-i-in-western-samoa-when-the-tide/) [Monica Galetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-galetti/) > [It is not possible to rent a beach house within five hours' drive of one's hometown without being visited by people. This is especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-weisman/it-is-not-possible-to-rent-a-beach-house-within-five-hours-drive-of/) [Mary-Lou Weisman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-weisman/) [Browse all 65 Beach house quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beach-house/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Republican or Democrat, this nation's affluent urban and suburban classes understand their bread is buttered on the corporate side. The primary difference between the two parties is that the Republicans pretty much admit that they grasp and even endorse some of the nastiest facts of life in America. Republicans honestly tell the world: \"Listen in on my phone calls, piss-test me until I'm blind, kill and eat all of my neighbors right in front of my eyes, but show me the money! Let me escape with every cent I can kick out of the suckers, the taxpayers, and anybody else I can get a headlock on, legally or otherwise.\" Democrats, in contrast, seem content to catalog the GOP's outrages against the Republic, showing proper indignation while laughing at episodes of The Daily Show. But they stand behind the American brand: imperialism. They \"support our troops,\" though you will be hard put to find any of them who have served alongside them or who would send one of their own kids off to lose an eye or an arm in Iraq. 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