--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wonder if you are ashamed of calling a…" description: "\"I wonder if you are ashamed of calling a Democratically elected government a fascist government.\" — Medea Benjamin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/medea-benjamin-27522_ashamed_i-wonder-if-you-are-ashamed-of-calling-a_3180079.jpg" --- # I wonder if you are ashamed of calling a Democratically… ![“I wonder if you are ashamed of calling a Democratically elected government a fascist government.” quote by Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/medea-benjamin-27522_ashamed_i-wonder-if-you-are-ashamed-of-calling-a_3180079.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/medea-benjamin-27522_ashamed_i-wonder-if-you-are-ashamed-of-calling-a_3180079.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/medea-benjamin-27522_ashamed_i-wonder-if-you-are-ashamed-of-calling-a_3180079.jpg) > “I wonder if you are ashamed of calling a Democratically elected government a fascist government.” [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Questioning the labeling of elected governments as fascist challenges political discourse and accountability **In simple terms:** Calls into question calling a democratically elected government fascist Key Takeaway Reflect on political labels and their impact Themes politics accountability discourse Mood critical provocative Type political analytical When to use this quote - public debate - media analysis - academic discussion - activist strategy - policy critique Key Concepts democracy authoritarianism labeling Questions to Reflect On - What defines fascism in a democratic context? - How do such labels affect public perception? A Different Perspective Labels can oversimplify complex governance structures ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ashamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashamed/) [Fascism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fascism/) [Fascist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fascist/) [Fascists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fascists/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [“There are many peaceful ways to get rid of a fascist government and economic war against such a government is the best way amongst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/there-are-many-peaceful-ways-to-get-rid-of-a-fascist-government-and/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [A group of Cuban Americans denounced the Castro government as a fascist regime that monitors and scrutinized its citizens' everyday existence. And then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/a-group-of-cuban-americans-denounced-the-castro-government-as-a/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [If I announce the armistice and the Americans don't send sufficient reinforcements and don't land near Rome, the Germans will seize the city and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pietro-badoglio/if-i-announce-the-armistice-and-the-americans-don-t-send-sufficient/) Pietro Badoglio > [ In the case of \[Antonio\] Gramsci, the Fascist government agreed that he was a "model intellectual" in \[Edward\] Said's sense, and for that reason… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/in-the-case-of-antonio-gramsci-the-fascist-government-agreed-that-he/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The first step in a fascist movement is the combination under an energetic leader of a number of men who possess more than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-first-step-in-a-fascist-movement-is-the-combination-under-an/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [If there is ever a fascist takeover in America, it will come not in the form of storm troopers kicking down doors but with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-goldberg/if-there-is-ever-a-fascist-takeover-in-america-it-will-come-not-in/) [Jonah Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-goldberg/) > [Language is neither reactionary nor progressive; it is quite simply fascist; for fascism does not prevent speech, it compels speech.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-barthes/language-is-neither-reactionary-nor-progressive-it-is-quite-simply/) [Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-barthes/) > [It is obvious that the fascist mass pestilence, with its background of thousands of years, cannot be mastered with social measures corresponding to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-reich/it-is-obvious-that-the-fascist-mass-pestilence-with-its-background-of/) [Wilhelm Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-reich/) > [All that is needed to set us definitely on the road to a Fascist society is war. It will of course be a modified…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-t-flynn/all-that-is-needed-to-set-us-definitely-on-the-road-to-a-fascist/) [John T. Flynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-t-flynn/) > [If we define an American fascist as one who in case of conflict puts money and power ahead of human beings, then there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-wallace/if-we-define-an-american-fascist-as-one-who-in-case-of-conflict-puts-2/) [Henry A. Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-wallace/) > [If we define an American fascist as one who in case of conflict puts money and power ahead of human beings, then there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-wallace/if-we-define-an-american-fascist-as-one-who-in-case-of-conflict-puts/) [Henry A. Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-wallace/) > [Fascist is not just an epithet. Fascist is a proper noun that means a specific thing. It's a real thing. It's not always referring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/fascist-is-not-just-an-epithet-fascist-is-a-proper-noun-that-means-a/) [Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/) > [A true fascist is anyone who wants to take away my air conditioning or force me to ride a bike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harsanyi/a-true-fascist-is-anyone-who-wants-to-take-away-my-air-conditioning/) [David Harsanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harsanyi/) > [God save the Queen and a fascist regime … a flabby toothless fascism, to be sure. Never go too far in any direction, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/god-save-the-queen-and-a-fascist-regime-a-flabby-toothless-fascism-to/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [You want to prove that Milton Friedman is a fascist? It's easy. Quote him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-laffer/you-want-to-prove-that-milton-friedman-is-a-fascist-it-s-easy-quote/) [Arthur Laffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-laffer/) ## More by Medea Benjamin > [It is so inspiring to see a new group coming together not to focus on a particular war or weapons system, but on all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/it-is-so-inspiring-to-see-a-new-group-coming-together-not-to-focus-on/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [John Brennan has been the mastermind of the drone program. He's the one who'd convene the terror Tuesday meetings at the White House.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/john-brennan-has-been-the-mastermind-of-the-drone-program-he-s-the/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [It hit me very early on that something was terribly wrong, that I would see silos full of food and supermarkets full of food,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/it-hit-me-very-early-on-that-something-was-terribly-wrong-that-i/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [If it weren't for people like the people in Berkeley, standing up for what they believe, we'd be living under Hitler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/if-it-weren-t-for-people-like-the-people-in-berkeley-standing-up-for/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [ Hip to the fact that well-behaved women rarely make history, Diane \[Wilson\] has already inspired a new movement of totally uncontrollable, irresistible and unreasonable… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/hip-to-the-fact-that-well-behaved-women-rarely-make-history-diane/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [That information, those 6,000 pages, should be released to the public. It's our right as U.S. citizens to know what our government has done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/that-information-those-6-000-pages-should-be-released-to-the-public/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [ There were between 46 and 52 drone strikes under the \[George W.\] Bush administration. And now there are over 400 - that's not counting… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/there-were-between-46-and-52-drone-strikes-under-the-george-w-bush/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [There is a real attempt to sanitize the CIA killings and to glorify the CIA and to give it a new face. That's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/there-is-a-real-attempt-to-sanitize-the-cia-killings-and-to-glorify/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [The CIA is absolutely out of control. The CIA has been on a killing spree... The CIA has become a death squad and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/the-cia-is-absolutely-out-of-control-the-cia-has-been-on-a-killing/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [We civilians defend our own right to free speech. The military in Iraq does not defend our right to free speech.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/we-civilians-defend-our-own-right-to-free-speech-the-military-in-iraq/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [It's not as "cheap" as it's put out to be. One predator drone in one day of activity supposedly needs 168 people... to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/it-s-not-as-cheap-as-it-s-put-out-to-be-one-predator-drone-in-one-day/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [I actually think it is people like myself who have been fighting for our rights to free speech and I would like the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/i-actually-think-it-is-people-like-myself-who-have-been-fighting-for/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [I wouldn't characterize anybody who fought in Vietnam as a war hero. In 23 bombing sorties, there must have been civilians that were killed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/i-wouldn-t-characterize-anybody-who-fought-in-vietnam-as-a-war-hero/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [The CIA runs the drone program in Pakistan solely, not with the military. Then there's a joint CIA-military program in Yemen, then the CIA…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/the-cia-runs-the-drone-program-in-pakistan-solely-not-with-the/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) > [When Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar was asked why there was so much animosity in her country towards the United States, she gave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/when-pakistani-foreign-minister-hina-rabbani-khar-was-asked-why-there/) [Medea Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) [Explore all 20 Medea Benjamin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/) ## More Ashamed quotes > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I know what you're thinking... and you oughtta be ashamed of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-preston/i-know-what-you-re-thinking-and-you-oughtta-be-ashamed-of-yourself/) Robert Preston > [You never meet the writer when you're making a TV movie in America - they're too ashamed to show up and see how their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-don-baker/you-never-meet-the-writer-when-you-re-making-a-tv-movie-in-america/) [Joe Don Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-don-baker/) > [I'm not ashamed of the things I believe and why I believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/i-m-not-ashamed-of-the-things-i-believe-and-why-i-believe-them/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) > [If, with all the time at my disposal, with all the wealth of the resources of this vast universe, to do with as I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/if-with-all-the-time-at-my-disposal-with-all-the-wealth-of-the/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [“with her own life. And I was ashamed.” Humiliated. Broken. Miserable. If Wilcher had stood by Jaymee, if her father hadn’t berated her, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-green/with-her-own-life-and-i-was-ashamed-humiliated-broken-miserable-if/) Stacy Green > [You should avoid hedging, at least that's what I think. You should be ashamed to die until you've made some contribution to mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-johns/you-should-avoid-hedging-at-least-that-s-what-i-think-you-should-be/) Vernon Johns > [There was no mistake in us making abortion legal and available on demand. That was what we call progress. Just like it was no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ruffalo/there-was-no-mistake-in-us-making-abortion-legal-and-available-on/) [Mark Ruffalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ruffalo/) > [“When all are undressed, one is somehow not ashamed, but when one's the only one undressed and everybody is looking, it's degrading,' he kept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/when-all-are-undressed-one-is-somehow-not-ashamed-but-when-one-s-the/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [There are a great many colored people who are ashamed of the cake-walk, but I think they ought to be proud of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-weldon-johnson/there-are-a-great-many-colored-people-who-are-ashamed-of-the-cake/) [James Weldon Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-weldon-johnson/) > [I love him who is ashamed when the dice fall in his favour, and who then asketh: "Am I a dishonest player?" - for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/i-love-him-who-is-ashamed-when-the-dice-fall-in-his-favour-and-who/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zondervan-publishing/whoever-is-ashamed-of-me-and-my-words-the-son-of-man-will-be-ashamed/) [Zondervan Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zondervan-publishing/) > [You were never created to live depressed, defeated, guilty, condemned, ashamed or unworthy. You were created to be victorious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/you-were-never-created-to-live-depressed-defeated-guilty-condemned/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/i-never-wonder-to-see-men-wicked-but-i-often-wonder-to-see-them-not/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [“To survive during the Khmer Rouge, you had to steal, cheat, lie, point fingers at others, even kill. And now you are ashamed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-brinkley/to-survive-during-the-khmer-rouge-you-had-to-steal-cheat-lie-point/) [Joel Brinkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-brinkley/) [Browse all 1,607 Ashamed quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ashamed/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I wonder if you are ashamed of calling a Democratically elected government a fascist government.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Medea Benjamin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/i-wonder-if-you-are-ashamed-of-calling-a-democratically-elected/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ashamed" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/i-wonder-if-you-are-ashamed-of-calling-a-democratically-elected/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/medea-benjamin-27522_ashamed_i-wonder-if-you-are-ashamed-of-calling-a_3180079.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/medea-benjamin-27522_ashamed_i-wonder-if-you-are-ashamed-of-calling-a_3180079.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/822/medea-benjamin-27522_ashamed_i-wonder-if-you-are-ashamed-of-calling-a_3180079.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I wonder if you are ashamed of calling a Democratically elected government a fascist government.” — Medea Benjamin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Medea Benjamin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medea-benjamin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I wonder if you are ashamed...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/i-wonder-if-you-are-ashamed-of-calling-a-democratically-elected/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medea-benjamin/i-wonder-if-you-are-ashamed-of-calling-a-democratically-elected/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```