---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think this has been a class war waged…"
description: "\"I think this has been a class war waged by the rich against the poor, and I think that they won. And I think the poor are fighting back.\" — Naomi Klein"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd4/naomi-klein-1072_class_i-think-this-has-been-a-class-war-waged_374149.png"
---

#  I think this has been a class war waged by the rich…

![“I think this has been a class war waged by the rich against the poor, and I think that they won. And I think the poor are fighting back.” quote by Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd4/naomi-klein-1072_class_i-think-this-has-been-a-class-war-waged_374149.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd4/naomi-klein-1072_class_i-think-this-has-been-a-class-war-waged_374149.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd4/naomi-klein-1072_class_i-think-this-has-been-a-class-war-waged_374149.png)

> “I think this has been a class war waged by the rich against the poor, and I think that they won. And I think the poor are fighting back.”

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Economic inequality is a class struggle where the wealthy dominate and the poor resist, but the struggle is ongoing.

**In simple terms:** Rich vs poor conflict continues.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and address systemic inequality.

Themes

economics class conflict politics activism

Mood

urgent motivational

Type

activist political

When to use this quote

- policy reform
- grassroots movements
- education
- community organizing

Key Concepts

capitalism wealth disparity social justice

Questions to Reflect On

- What actions can you take locally?
- How can solidarity be built across classes?

A Different Perspective

Resistance can be fragmented and co-opted.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Class War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class-war-389717/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Fighting back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting-back/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Poor Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-fighting-3407118/) [Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich/) [Rich poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich-poor/) [Think Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-poor-928310/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Waged Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waged-rich-3407119/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [“His conscience smote him. As smitings go, it wasn't much, his conscience being in poor fighting condition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-chase/his-conscience-smote-him-as-smitings-go-it-wasn-t-much-his-conscience/)

[Loretta Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-chase/)

> [We are being wiped off the face of this earth At an extremely alarming rate And even more alarming is the fact That we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/we-are-being-wiped-off-the-face-of-this-earth-at-an-extremely/)

[Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/)

> [We are facing a stiff wind right now, but if we persist and keep fighting back, we will prevail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/we-are-facing-a-stiff-wind-right-now-but-if-we-persist-and-keep/)

[Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/)

> [We must show new energy in fighting back an old evil. Nearly two centuries after the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/we-must-show-new-energy-in-fighting-back-an-old-evil-nearly-two/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [India has millions of internally displaced people. And now, they are putting their bodies on the line and fighting back. They are being killed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/india-has-millions-of-internally-displaced-people-and-now-they-are/)

[Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/)

> [“I shook with helplessness and rage, but also with fear. This was what fighting back earned you. More abuse. More death. Half a dozen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-gratz/i-shook-with-helplessness-and-rage-but-also-with-fear-this-was-what/)

[Alan Gratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-gratz/)

> [In my opinion while lynchings were quite possibly the most heinous crimes ever witnessed in American history, they helped in bringing people together for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assata-shakur/in-my-opinion-while-lynchings-were-quite-possibly-the-most-heinous/)

[Assata Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assata-shakur/)

> [I rap about fighting back. I make it uncomfortable by putting details to it. It might not have been politically correct but I've reached…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/i-rap-about-fighting-back-i-make-it-uncomfortable-by-putting-details/)

[Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/)

> [Get out of debt. In a world of stagnant incomes and rising core expenses like mortgage and health care costs, that's a lot easier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/get-out-of-debt-in-a-world-of-stagnant-incomes-and-rising-core/)

[Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/)

> [Republicans fighting back against changes Obama made means those changes are important, as with most of the major progress in American history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/republicans-fighting-back-against-changes-obama-made-means-those/)

[Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/)

> [The first command given by God when Adam and Eve were pitched out of the Garden of Eden in the Book of Genesis is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-first-command-given-by-god-when-adam-and-eve-were-pitched-out-of/)

[John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/)

> [“There is just too much cruelty, selfishness and corruption in the world not to want to crush the poisonous will of those who cause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger-2/there-is-just-too-much-cruelty-selfishness-and-corruption-in-the/)

[Carla H. Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger-2/)

> [ Otherwise, their only engagement I'm going to have with \[Donald Trump\] is fighting back against their attempts to undo Dodd-Frank, their attempts to destroy… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-martin/otherwise-their-only-engagement-i-m-going-to-have-with-donald-trump/)

[Michel Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-martin/)

> [Policy, for the most part, has been made by white people in America, not by people of color. And they have tended to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxine-waters/policy-for-the-most-part-has-been-made-by-white-people-in-america-not/)

[Maxine Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxine-waters/)

> [QUOTES BOUQUET: You Have To Fight Through Some Bad Days To Earn The Best Days Of Your Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adnan/quotes-bouquet-you-have-to-fight-through-some-bad-days-to-earn-the/)

[Adnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adnan/)

## More by Naomi Klein

> [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [But we need to be very clear: because of our decades of collective denial, no gradual, incremental options are now available to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/but-we-need-to-be-very-clear-because-of-our-decades-of-collective/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [As I explored Trump's inextricable relationship with his commercial brand, and its implications for the future of politics, I began to see why so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/as-i-explored-trump-s-inextricable-relationship-with-his-commercial/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [It doesn't have the ability to think rationally this economic model. It thinks like a drug addict: 'Where can I get my next fix?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/it-doesn-t-have-the-ability-to-think-rationally-this-economic-model/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [Fury is an entirely appropriate response to a system that sends young people to kill other young people in a war that never should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/fury-is-an-entirely-appropriate-response-to-a-system-that-sends-young/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [Since the 1980s, we've been living in this era, really, of corporate rule, based on this idea that the role of government is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/since-the-1980s-we-ve-been-living-in-this-era-really-of-corporate/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [We live in a society that is powered by fossil fuels, but for the meantime, we're in it. Maybe there's, like, five people living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/we-live-in-a-society-that-is-powered-by-fossil-fuels-but-for-the/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [I can tell you Donald Trump's products may not be made in America, but Donald Trump was made in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/i-can-tell-you-donald-trump-s-products-may-not-be-made-in-america-but/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [Africa is poor because its investors and its creditors are unspeakably rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/africa-is-poor-because-its-investors-and-its-creditors-are/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [“It is a civilizational wake-up call. A powerful message—spoken in the language of fires, floods, droughts, and extinctions—telling us that we need an entirely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/it-is-a-civilizational-wake-up-call-a-powerful-message-spoken-in-the/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [“You have been negotiating all my life.” So said Canadian college student Anjali Appadurai, as she stared down the assembled government negotiators at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/you-have-been-negotiating-all-my-life-so-said-canadian-college/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [There's a property in Panama where Trump has collected somewhere around $30 million just from selling his name to this property - it's somewhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/there-s-a-property-in-panama-where-trump-has-collected-somewhere/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [When I went to Australia, I had this feeling, like, 'Wow, this is really a different country.' I think that feeling of genuine foreignness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/when-i-went-to-australia-i-had-this-feeling-like-wow-this-is-really-a/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [I think there has been this really bad habit of environmentalists being insufferably smug, where they are sort of saying, 'This is the issue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/i-think-there-has-been-this-really-bad-habit-of-environmentalists/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

> [GLHR... has used Greenpeace-style media antics to draw more public attention to the plight of sweatshop workers than the multimillion - dollar international trade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/glhr-has-used-greenpeace-style-media-antics-to-draw-more-public/)

[Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

[Explore all 291 Naomi Klein quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/)

## More Class quotes

> [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/)

[Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/)

> [If I had to guess and put a name on it, I'd say that at some point, the drug war was as much a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-simon/if-i-had-to-guess-and-put-a-name-on-it-i-d-say-that-at-some-point-the/)

[David Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-simon/)

> [I grew up in the middle class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-scaramucci/i-grew-up-in-the-middle-class/)

[Anthony Scaramucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-scaramucci/)

> [It must be assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/it-must-be-assumed-and-established-as-a-principle-that-the-right-of/)

[Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/)

> [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/)

[Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/)

> [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/)

[H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/)

> [You’re crazy,” said her best friend, Angela, as the bell rang to signal five minutes before the first class on the first day back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/you-re-crazy-said-her-best-friend-angela-as-the-bell-rang-to-signal/)

[Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/)

> [“Poor people do not go on holiday; they go home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/poor-people-do-not-go-on-holiday-they-go-home/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [Because there are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehend; and a third which neither comprehends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/because-there-are-three-classes-of-intellects-one-which-comprehends/)

[Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/)

> [Right now, for many Americans, class is being foregrounded like never before because of the economic situation. It doesn't mean that race doesn't matter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/right-now-for-many-americans-class-is-being-foregrounded-like-never/)

[Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/)

> [But I don't think the Democratic Party is at eye level with the middle class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-i-don-t-think-the-democratic-party-is-at-eye-level-with-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I'm not a dancer. Never took a dance class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrishell-stause/i-m-not-a-dancer-never-took-a-dance-class/)

[Chrishell Stause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrishell-stause/)

> [Most startups are not just built for the person who is using them. When you do that, every now and then you get really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmett-shear/most-startups-are-not-just-built-for-the-person-who-is-using-them/)

[Emmett Shear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmett-shear/)

> [The structure of the Swiss ruling class is rock-hard, and unchanged since the time of Napoleon. They sit on their mountains and lecture the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-ziegler/the-structure-of-the-swiss-ruling-class-is-rock-hard-and-unchanged/)

[Jean Ziegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-ziegler/)

> [We are not going back to the failed policies of the past. We are fighting for the middle class!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/we-are-not-going-back-to-the-failed-policies-of-the-past-we-are/)

[Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/)

[Browse all 7,637 Class quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think this has been a class war waged by the rich against the poor, and I think that they won. And I think the poor are fighting back.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Naomi Klein"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/i-think-this-has-been-a-class-war-waged-by-the-rich-against-the-poor/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Class"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/i-think-this-has-been-a-class-war-waged-by-the-rich-against-the-poor/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd4/naomi-klein-1072_class_i-think-this-has-been-a-class-war-waged_374149.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd4/naomi-klein-1072_class_i-think-this-has-been-a-class-war-waged_374149.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd4/naomi-klein-1072_class_i-think-this-has-been-a-class-war-waged_374149.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think this has been a class war waged by the rich against the poor, and I think that they won. And I think…” — Naomi Klein",
                "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": "Naomi Klein",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think this has been a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/i-think-this-has-been-a-class-war-waged-by-the-rich-against-the-poor/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/i-think-this-has-been-a-class-war-waged-by-the-rich-against-the-poor/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
