Skip to content

Attention Quote by Matt Taibbi

“There really are two Americas, one for the grifter class and one for everybody else. In everybody-else land, the world of small businesses and wage-earning employees, the government is something to be avoided, an overwhelming, all-powerful entity whose attentions usually presage some kind of…” quote by Matt Taibbi
Download Open image
“There really are two Americas, one for the grifter class and one for everybody else. In everybody-else land, the world of small businesses and wage-earning employees, the government is something to be avoided, an overwhelming, all-powerful entity whose attentions usually presage some kind of financial setback, if not complete ruin. In the grifter world, however, government is a slavish lapdog that the financial companies that will be the major players in this book use as a tool for making money.”

Matt Taibbi

About This Quote

Source Book: Griftopia, 2010

Society is split: the elite exploit government for profit, while ordinary people see it as a threatening force.

In simple terms: Two Americas: one sees government as a tool, the other as a threat.

Key Takeaway

Recognize differing views on power structures.

Themes

politics economics class government power

Mood

critical analytical skeptical

Type

political social commentary.

When to use this quote

  • policy analysis
  • activism
  • business strategy
  • public discourse

Key Concepts

capitalism institutional critique social stratification

Questions to Reflect On

  • How do your experiences shape your view of government?
  • What evidence supports each perspective?
A Different Perspective

Complex reality may blur these binary categories.

2.1 out of 5 (8 ratings)

More by Matt Taibbi

Explore all 175 Matt Taibbi quotes

More Attention quotes

Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes