Broken promises Quote by Joseph Michelli
““great institution and are helping to maintain it to share our prosperity.” On January 5, 2012, 98 years later, embittered individuals who identified with the Occupy Wall Street movement were in the 111th day of a protest that began in Zuccotti Park in New York City’s Wall Street financial district. These protestors were expressing what they perceived as economic unfairness and inequality resulting from corporate greed. The group’s mantra, “We are the 99 percent,” reflected cynicism and distrust for business, financial, and governmental systems that they viewed as sacrificing the interest of the country’s 99 percent in favor of the wealthiest 1 percent. Where had we come in a century? Dov Seidman, founder, chairman, and CEO of LRN, a company that helps businesses develop and maintain effective corporate governance, suggests, “This crisis of trust in our basic institutions is so troubling precisely because the lack of trust is in so many cases well deserved. Broken promises, obfuscation, spin, concealment, all have created a suspicion—often unfortunately true—””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Occupy Wall Street Protest, New York City, 2012
The loss of trust in institutions stems from repeated betrayals, making skepticism toward authority understandable.
In simple terms: Broken promises erode trust.
Demand transparency and accountability.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- political activism
- corporate ethics
- public policy
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can institutions rebuild trust?
- What role do individuals play in accountability?
Overgeneralizing can ignore positive reforms.