--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In response to my question about how we…" description: "\"“In response to my question about how we might rein in the empire, he said, \"That's why I'm meeting with you. Only you in the United States can change ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ec/john-perkins-17246_americans_in-response-to-my-question-about-how-we_2241116.jpg" --- # In response to my question about how we might rein in the… ![“In response to my question about how we might rein in the empire, he said, "That's why I'm meeting with you. Only you in the United States can change it. Your government created this problem and your people must solve it. You've got to insist that Washington honor its commitment to democracy, even…” quote by John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ec/john-perkins-17246_americans_in-response-to-my-question-about-how-we_2241116.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ec/john-perkins-17246_americans_in-response-to-my-question-about-how-we_2241116.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ec/john-perkins-17246_americans_in-response-to-my-question-about-how-we_2241116.jpg) > ““In response to my question about how we might rein in the empire, he said, "That's why I'm meeting with you. Only you in the United States can change it. Your government created this problem and your people must solve it. You've got to insist that Washington honor its commitment to democracy, even when deomcratically elected leaders nationalize your corrupting corporations. You must take control of your corporations and your government. The people of the United States have a great deal of power. You need to come to grips with this. There's no alternative. We in Brazil have our hands tied. So do the Venezeulans. And the Nigerians. It's up to you.”” [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker urges the U.S. to enforce democratic commitments and control corporate power to prevent corruption and foreign exploitation. **In simple terms:** U.S. must act to protect democracy and curb corporate abuse. Key Takeaway Demand accountability from government and corporations. Themes politics economics corruption democracy sovereignty Mood urgent determined critical Type advice political When to use this quote - policy reform - activism - corporate oversight - international relations - public advocacy Key Concepts power dynamics corporate governance national sovereignty Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens influence foreign policy? - What mechanisms ensure corporate accountability? A Different Perspective Implementation may be blocked by entrenched interests and political inertia. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) [Change Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-government-381839/) [Corporations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporations/) [Empire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empire/) [Empire Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empire-said-2111270/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Hands tied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands-tied/) [Insist Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insist-washington-5080958/) [Nationalize Corrupting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nationalize-corrupting-5080959/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Response](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/response/) ## Related quotes > [Down with the U.S. empire! It must be said, in the entire world: Down with the empire!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-chavez/down-with-the-u-s-empire-it-must-be-said-in-the-entire-world-down/) [Hugo Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-chavez/) > [“Akhaia must be a wonderful empire," I said. "I guess that's why little bits of it keep cutting themselves off to become independent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-tolcser/akhaia-must-be-a-wonderful-empire-i-said-i-guess-that-s-why-little/) [Sarah Tolcser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-tolcser/) > [“That’s what an empire is,” he said, “an orchestrator of gravity, a sun around which all weaker things spin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-el-akkad/that-s-what-an-empire-is-he-said-an-orchestrator-of-gravity-a-sun/) [Omar El Akkad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-el-akkad/) > [In order to save the 40,000,000 inhabitants of the United Kingdom from a bloody civil war, we colonial statesmen must acquire new lands to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-rhodes/in-order-to-save-the-40-000-000-inhabitants-of-the-united-kingdom/) [Cecil Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecil-rhodes/) > [In order to save the forty million inhabitants of the United Kingdom from a bloody civil war, our colonial statesmen must acquire new lands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecil-rhodes/in-order-to-save-the-forty-million-inhabitants-of-the-united-kingdom/) [Cecil Rhodes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecil-rhodes/) > [This empire, unlike any other in the history of the world, has been built primarily through economic manipulation, through cheating, through fraud, through seducing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/this-empire-unlike-any-other-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-been/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [So we make this big loan, most of it comes back to the United States, the country is left with the debt plus lots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/so-we-make-this-big-loan-most-of-it-comes-back-to-the-united-states/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [Basically, what Economic Hit Men are trained to do is to build up the American empire. To create situations where as many resources as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/basically-what-economic-hit-men-are-trained-to-do-is-to-build-up-the/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [We've built the largest empire in the history of the world. It's been done over the last 50 years since World War II with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/we-ve-built-the-largest-empire-in-the-history-of-the-world-it-s-been/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [The first thing we have to do is get spending under control in Washington. It's completely out of control. 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That is in the hands of the political leaders. However, as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tadashi-yanai/as-a-businessperson-i-dont-have-the-power-to-change-the-government/) [Tadashi Yanai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tadashi-yanai/) ## More by John Perkins > [I was initially recruited while I was in business school back in the late sixties by the National Security Agency, the nation's largest and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/i-was-initially-recruited-while-i-was-in-business-school-back-in-the/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [I've never met anyone who wanted to be a terrorist. They are desperate people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/i-ve-never-met-anyone-who-wanted-to-be-a-terrorist-they-are-desperate/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [But when 9/11 struck, I had a change of heart. I knew the story had to be told because what happened at 9/11 is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/but-when-9-11-struck-i-had-a-change-of-heart-i-knew-the-story-had-to/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [Basically, what Economic Hit Men are trained to do is to build up the American empire. To create situations where as many resources as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/basically-what-economic-hit-men-are-trained-to-do-is-to-build-up-the/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [The Treasury Department would use the interest from these securities to hire U.S. companies to build Saudi Arabia - new cities, new infrastructure -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/the-treasury-department-would-use-the-interest-from-these-securities/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [When the National Security Agency recruited me, they put me through a day of lie detector tests. They found out all my weaknesses and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/when-the-national-security-agency-recruited-me-they-put-me-through-a/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [“How, I asked myself, do you convince men and women who live comfortably to change a system that provides their comforts--even when they know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/how-i-asked-myself-do-you-convince-men-and-women-who-live-comfortably/) [john perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [“The first question we must address deals with optimism, the possibility of achieving our goal. Are we in a position where we can actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/the-first-question-we-must-address-deals-with-optimism-the/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [And in Iraq we tried to implement the same policy that was so successful in Saudi Arabia, but Saddam Hussein didn't buy. When the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/and-in-iraq-we-tried-to-implement-the-same-policy-that-was-so/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [I felt guilty throughout the whole time, but I was seduced. The power of these drugs, sex, power, and money, was extremely strong for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/i-felt-guilty-throughout-the-whole-time-but-i-was-seduced-the-power/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [None of the quick fixes to the world's problems are going to work, unless we change the dream of greed and scarcity that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/none-of-the-quick-fixes-to-the-world-s-problems-are-going-to-work/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [“Stop being so greedy," she said, "and so selfish. Realize that there is more to the world than your big houses and fancy stores.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/stop-being-so-greedy-she-said-and-so-selfish-realize-that-there-is/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [Had Roosevelt been caught, we would have been in a lot of trouble. It would have been very embarrassing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/had-roosevelt-been-caught-we-would-have-been-in-a-lot-of-trouble-it/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [“The income ratio of the one-fifth of the world's population in the wealthiest countries to the one-fifth in the poorest went from 30 to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/the-income-ratio-of-the-one-fifth-of-the-world-s-population-in-the/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) > [These were big ones. Those companies would then go in and build an electrical system or ports or highways, and these would basically serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perkins/these-were-big-ones-those-companies-would-then-go-in-and-build-an/) [John Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) [Explore all 30 John Perkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perkins/) ## More Americans quotes > [“People – Americans, mostly – realise how attached they are to material comforts when they arrive in India.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-william-roberts/people-americans-mostly-realise-how-attached-they-are-to-material/) [Paul William Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-william-roberts/) > [Music has an intrinsic value that touches Americans - they love their music, and want more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-rosen/music-has-an-intrinsic-value-that-touches-americans-they-love-their/) [Hilary Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-rosen/) > [Americans are very friendly and very suspicious, that is what Americans are and that is what always upsets the foreigner, who deals with them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/americans-are-very-friendly-and-very-suspicious-that-is-what/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. 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It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [Just because the Americans are so good at rattling out accessible and cheap junk food, nobody looks twice when it comes to their food.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-oliver/just-because-the-americans-are-so-good-at-rattling-out-accessible-and/) [Jamie Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-oliver/) > [My parents don't care what Americans think of us; we just care what the other Indian people in our community think of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/himanshu-suri/my-parents-don-t-care-what-americans-think-of-us-we-just-care-what/) [Himanshu Suri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/himanshu-suri/) > [When Americans, who have no idea who I am, laugh at my jokes, it's exactly the same if someone loves you even if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gad-elmaleh/when-americans-who-have-no-idea-who-i-am-laugh-at-my-jokes-it-s/) [Gad Elmaleh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gad-elmaleh/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. 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You love this country. Together we are entrusted with the principles that represent mankind's greatest political and social achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tsongas/you-are-americans-you-love-this-country-together-we-are-entrusted/) [Paul Tsongas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tsongas/) [Browse all 1,536 Americans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In response to my question about how we might rein in the empire, he said, \"That's why I'm meeting with you. Only you in the United States can change it. Your government created this problem and your people must solve it. You've got to insist that Washington honor its commitment to democracy, even when deomcratically elected leaders nationalize your corrupting corporations. You must take control of your corporations and your government. The people of the United States have a great deal of power. You need to come to grips with this. There's no alternative. We in Brazil have our hands tied. So do the Venezeulans. And the Nigerians. 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