--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our politics are being hijacked by a…" description: "\"Our politics are being hijacked by a comparatively small number of people who seek to dominate the debate by screaming the loudest. They see the world..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d6/john-avlon-23372_believer_our-politics-are-being-hijacked-by-a-com_2414865.jpg" --- # Our politics are being hijacked by a comparatively small… ![“Our politics are being hijacked by a comparatively small number of people who seek to dominate the debate by screaming the loudest. They see the world as an urgent struggle between true believers and nonbelievers. They attempt to impose strict litmus tests and insist on conformity. They demonize…” quote by John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d6/john-avlon-23372_believer_our-politics-are-being-hijacked-by-a-com_2414865.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d6/john-avlon-23372_believer_our-politics-are-being-hijacked-by-a-com_2414865.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d6/john-avlon-23372_believer_our-politics-are-being-hijacked-by-a-com_2414865.jpg) > “Our politics are being hijacked by a comparatively small number of people who seek to dominate the debate by screaming the loudest. They see the world as an urgent struggle between true believers and nonbelievers. They attempt to impose strict litmus tests and insist on conformity. They demonize dissent and consider all political opponents their enemies. Fear is their favourite tactic as they try to divide and conquer” [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A small vocal minority dominates political discourse by using fear and conformity, labeling dissent as enemies. **In simple terms:** Loud minorities hijack politics with fear and division. Key Takeaway Challenge dominant narratives with open dialogue. Themes politics media manipulation polarization Mood critical analytical Type political social commentary When to use this quote - public debates - social media moderation - community meetings - education workshops Key Concepts sociology propaganda group dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can you foster constructive disagreement? - What strategies reduce fear‑based persuasion? A Different Perspective Fear tactics can backfire, leading to resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believer/) [Conformity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conformity/) [Debate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debate/) [Dissent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissent/) [Divide and conquer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divide-and-conquer/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political opponents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-opponents/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Small numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-numbers/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Tactics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tactics/) [Tests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tests/) [True believer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-believer/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“He was praying the Psalms, as he'd done in times past, with the enemies of King David translated into his own enemies of fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-karon/he-was-praying-the-psalms-as-he-d-done-in-times-past-with-the-enemies/) [Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/) > [“Communists and Muslims are not the enemies to fear in this land, Fly. It is the food consumption that will eventually blow up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rawi-hage/communists-and-muslims-are-not-the-enemies-to-fear-in-this-land-fly/) [Rawi Hage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rawi-hage/) > [“Enemies I do not fear, Villem. But friends I fear greatly.’” Smiley”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/enemies-i-do-not-fear-villem-but-friends-i-fear-greatly-smiley/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [Never fear your enemies, fear your actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-meade/never-fear-your-enemies-fear-your-actions/) [George Meade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-meade/) > [Our enemies do not fear us, they fear what we can become, they fear what we take for granted, our potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/our-enemies-do-not-fear-us-they-fear-what-we-can-become-they-fear/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Fear God, and your enemies will fear you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/fear-god-and-your-enemies-will-fear-you/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [I believe my political opponents are not my enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shatrughan-sinha/i-believe-my-political-opponents-are-not-my-enemies/) [Shatrughan Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shatrughan-sinha/) > [Ever since his inauguration, President Trump's political opponents have been pushing to impeach him. They just hadn't found the right excuse. In other words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharyl-attkisson/ever-since-his-inauguration-president-trump-s-political-opponents/) [Sharyl Attkisson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharyl-attkisson/) > [If every negotiation is conducted in public, then the minute one person says, well, what if we try this, next thing you know, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-rauch/if-every-negotiation-is-conducted-in-public-then-the-minute-one/) [Jonathan Rauch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-rauch/) > [The BJP has never considered its political opponents as enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yogi-adityanath/the-bjp-has-never-considered-its-political-opponents-as-enemies/) [Yogi Adityanath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yogi-adityanath/) > [Vladimir Putin is a human rights abuser, responsible for deaths in Ukraine, Georgia and Syria, not to mention curious murders of his political opponents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-tapper/vladimir-putin-is-a-human-rights-abuser-responsible-for-deaths-in/) [Jake Tapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-tapper/) > [“His administration has sicced the Internal Revenue Service and other government agencies on his political opponents—frustrating the capacity of conservative groups to have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mccarthy/his-administration-has-sicced-the-internal-revenue-service-and-other/) [Andrew McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mccarthy/) > [Don't let anyone tell you otherwise - not our political opponents, and certainly not a disingenuous filmmaker, who would have us believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/don-t-let-anyone-tell-you-otherwise-not-our-political-opponents-and/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Primarily affecting low-information voters and members of the mainstream media, Obama Worship Syndrome attributes impossible capabilities to Obama's political opponents, finds excuses for every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/primarily-affecting-low-information-voters-and-members-of-the/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [Donald Trump is a different ball of wax. I've been trying to say for I don't know how many months now that the traditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/donald-trump-is-a-different-ball-of-wax-i-ve-been-trying-to-say-for-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) ## More by John Avlon > [What's different now is that while political leaders used to give talking points to talk radio, now talk-radio hosts are giving talking points to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/what-s-different-now-is-that-while-political-leaders-used-to-give/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [First, I think more Americans need to declare their independence from partisan politics on both sides. The more that Americans declare their independence, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/first-i-think-more-americans-need-to-declare-their-independence-from/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [The far-right and far-left can be equally insane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/the-far-right-and-far-left-can-be-equally-insane/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [We cannot hope to change human nature. There will always be cranks and conspiracy theorists among us. But we can try to improve things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/we-cannot-hope-to-change-human-nature-there-will-always-be-cranks-and/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [If you only take offense when the president of your party is compared to Hitler, then you're part of the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/if-you-only-take-offense-when-the-president-of-your-party-is-compared/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [Politics follows the lines of physics: every action creates an equal and opposite reaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/politics-follows-the-lines-of-physics-every-action-creates-an-equal/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [“Madison’s response is famously expressed in Federalist 10, “The Utility of the Union as a Safeguard against Domestic Faction and Insurrection”—arguing that tyranny of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/madison-s-response-is-famously-expressed-in-federalist-10-the-utility/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [Right now, politics follows the rules of talk radio - using conflict, tension, fear, and resentment to find new recruits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/right-now-politics-follows-the-rules-of-talk-radio-using-conflict/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [Demagogues always do well in economic downturns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/demagogues-always-do-well-in-economic-downturns/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [But in his Farewell Address, George Washington made it clear that he perceived no greater threat to the American experiment than a partisan demagogue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/but-in-his-farewell-address-george-washington-made-it-clear-that-he/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [Politics is history in the present tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/politics-is-history-in-the-present-tense/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [When people tap into this politics of resentment, it usually ends ugly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/when-people-tap-into-this-politics-of-resentment-it-usually-ends-ugly/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [What might be good for ratings can be bad for the country. The hard-core partisans are self-segregating themselves into separate political realities. But the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/what-might-be-good-for-ratings-can-be-bad-for-the-country-the-hard/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [One tell-tale sign of a Wingnut: they always confuse partisanship with patriotism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/one-tell-tale-sign-of-a-wingnut-they-always-confuse-partisanship-with/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) > [A wingnut is someone on the far-right wing or far-left wing of the political spectrum - the professional partisans, the unhinged activists and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-avlon/a-wingnut-is-someone-on-the-far-right-wing-or-far-left-wing-of-the/) [John Avlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) [Explore all 26 John Avlon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-avlon/) ## More Believer quotes > [I'm a true believer in prayer, a big believer in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/i-m-a-true-believer-in-prayer-a-big-believer-in-prayer/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) > [I've always been a believer in research. 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