--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we, as individuals, want to keep…" description: "\"If we, as individuals, want to keep control of our democracy - rather than have a government paid for by corporate interest checks - then we have to fi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35f/michael-bennet-10791_back_if-we-as-individuals-want-to-keep-contro_2149274.jpg" --- # If we, as individuals, want to keep control of our… ![“If we, as individuals, want to keep control of our democracy - rather than have a government paid for by corporate interest checks - then we have to fight back now and make sure our system reflects the belief that people, not corporations, control our democracy.” quote by Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35f/michael-bennet-10791_back_if-we-as-individuals-want-to-keep-contro_2149274.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35f/michael-bennet-10791_back_if-we-as-individuals-want-to-keep-contro_2149274.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35f/michael-bennet-10791_back_if-we-as-individuals-want-to-keep-contro_2149274.jpg) > “If we, as individuals, want to keep control of our democracy - rather than have a government paid for by corporate interest checks - then we have to fight back now and make sure our system reflects the belief that people, not corporations, control our democracy.” [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Citizens must act now to prevent corporate money from dominating politics, ensuring democracy serves people. **In simple terms:** Fight corporate influence in politics. Key Takeaway Vote, organize, and demand transparency. Themes democracy citizen activism corporate power Mood urgent hopeful Type activist political When to use this quote - elections - campaign finance reform - grassroots movements Key Concepts political science ethics Questions to Reflect On - What concrete steps can you take today? - How can you mobilize others around this cause? A Different Perspective Changing entrenched systems is difficult and slow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) [Corporate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporate/) [Corporations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporations/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Fight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fight/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Individuals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individuals/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [System](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/system/) ## Related quotes > [Without a strong educational system — free of government control — democracy is crippled. Knowledge is not only the key to power. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/without-a-strong-educational-system-free-of-government-control/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [The promise to leave the European Union, end the supremacy of EU law and take back control of our democracy. With my leadership, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-gove/the-promise-to-leave-the-european-union-end-the-supremacy-of-eu-law/) [Michael Gove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-gove/) > [The ruling class is the rich. . . . And those people are so able to manipulate our democracy that they really control the democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-cronkite/the-ruling-class-is-the-rich-and-those-people-are-so-able-to/) [Walter Cronkite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-cronkite/) > [The Internet has democratized content, and the gatekeepers are no longer in control. 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They're less keen to cover the rest of us who might want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carr/television-and-film-seem-to-love-those-individuals-who-want-to-die/) [Liz Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carr/) > [With Crosby, Stills and Nash and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young...we're very strong individuals, and we want our lives to be led the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-nash/with-crosby-stills-and-nash-and-crosby-stills-nash-and-young-we-re/) [Graham Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-nash/) > [“If foresters were to manage the boreal forest the way many people demand it be managed the future forest would almost certainly be other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-f-squires/if-foresters-were-to-manage-the-boreal-forest-the-way-many-people/) Malcolm F. Squires > [“Increasingly the individuals who want to live together are, or more precisely are becoming, the legislators of their own way of life, the judges…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ulrich-beck-y-elisabeth-beck-gernsheim/increasingly-the-individuals-who-want-to-live-together-are-or-more/) Ulrich Beck y Elisabeth Beck-Gernsheim > [Individuals who want to believe that there is no fulfillment in love, that true love does not exist, cling to these assumptions because this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/individuals-who-want-to-believe-that-there-is-no-fulfillment-in-love/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [Incarcerated individuals want what most people want in a novel: good, honest writing and a story well told.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-pelecanos/incarcerated-individuals-want-what-most-people-want-in-a-novel-good/) [George Pelecanos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-pelecanos/) > [Multinational corporations do control. They control the politicians. They control the media. They control the pattern of consumption, entertainment, thinking. They're destroying the planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-brown/multinational-corporations-do-control-they-control-the-politicians/) [Jerry Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-brown/) > [And it is that one percent, the heads of large corporations, who control the policies of news media and determine what you and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assata-shakur/and-it-is-that-one-percent-the-heads-of-large-corporations-who/) [Assata Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assata-shakur/) > [ It is the professed goal \[of U.S. multinational corporations\] to control as large a share of the world market as they do of the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-magdoff/it-is-the-professed-goal-of-u-s-multinational-corporations-to-control/) Harry Magdoff > [In the United States large corporations control some members of Congress. All this does is delay the corporation’s funeral at our expense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/in-the-united-states-large-corporations-control-some-members-of/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [The McDonald's business model is designed to hand corporations full control of human eating habits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-mcdonald-s-business-model-is-designed-to-hand-corporations-full/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Michael Bennet > [I think the inhabitants of the past are fighting hard to keep the rents they acquired in the 20th century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/i-think-the-inhabitants-of-the-past-are-fighting-hard-to-keep-the/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [To protect our country's economic future and the health and well being of all Americans, we must find a way to rein in out-of-control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/to-protect-our-country-s-economic-future-and-the-health-and-well/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [I have a very clear idea of what the Freedom Caucus has done to this country by terrorizing both the Republican Party and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/i-have-a-very-clear-idea-of-what-the-freedom-caucus-has-done-to-this/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [Health care is much the same - the status quo is, by all measures, failing far too many people - and we must not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/health-care-is-much-the-same-the-status-quo-is-by-all-measures/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [In this day and age of digital media, as we've learned, it's not as though nobody's going to find out what you said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/in-this-day-and-age-of-digital-media-as-we-ve-learned-it-s-not-as/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [ \[The Clean Power Plan\] is an important step toward curbing carbon pollution and addressing climate change. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/the-clean-power-plan-is-an-important-step-toward-curbing-carbon/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [Colorado's majestic landscapes are one of our most valuable assets, and it's important that we work to preserve these treasures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/colorado-s-majestic-landscapes-are-one-of-our-most-valuable-assets/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [As we all become increasingly reliant on social networking websites and new technologies to stay connected, it's important to remain cognizant of how private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/as-we-all-become-increasingly-reliant-on-social-networking-websites/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [My time at the Denver Public Schools taught me there is no harder, or more important, job than being a teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/my-time-at-the-denver-public-schools-taught-me-there-is-no-harder-or/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [Anyone who thinks they're a progressive should be interested in making progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/anyone-who-thinks-they-re-a-progressive-should-be-interested-in/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [A student who has excelled in the classroom should have the opportunity to attend college and become a productive, taxpaying member of society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/a-student-who-has-excelled-in-the-classroom-should-have-the/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [I believe people I represent still aspire to the idea that our job as a generation is to provide more opportunity to the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/i-believe-people-i-represent-still-aspire-to-the-idea-that-our-job-as/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [Electoral victory is not an end in itself. 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Then I probably wouldn't have found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-george/i-wish-that-i-had-known-back-then-that-a-mastery-of-process-would/) [Elizabeth George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-george/) > [It's what the people wanted at the time, but the country could not be half-segregated and half-integrated, just as it could not be half-slave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wallace/it-s-what-the-people-wanted-at-the-time-but-the-country-could-not-be/) [George Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wallace/) > [I've always stuck my arms behind my back anyway when trying to block a shot in the penalty area.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millie-bright/i-ve-always-stuck-my-arms-behind-my-back-anyway-when-trying-to-block/) [Millie Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millie-bright/) > [I'm sure at some point I will get back into coaching, but right now I need to focus completely on my kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ewing/i-m-sure-at-some-point-i-will-get-back-into-coaching-but-right-now-i/) [Patrick Ewing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ewing/) > [Any time someone achieves success before they've earned it, it always comes back to haunt them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-white/any-time-someone-achieves-success-before-they-ve-earned-it-it-always/) [Ron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-white/) > [In Congress, Florida Republicans worked with the Trump administration to secure funding for coastal restoration projects following the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/in-congress-florida-republicans-worked-with-the-trump-administration/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [Back in the really olden days, dinner was seldom a ceremonial event for U.S. families. 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