--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: While everyone is focused on security and…" description: "\"While everyone is focused on security and civil liberties, Trump's Cabinet of billionaires will try to quietly push through even more extreme measures ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc9/naomi-klein-1072_billionaires_while-everyone-is-focused-on-security-an_1627577.jpg" --- # While everyone is focused on security and civil liberties… ![“While everyone is focused on security and civil liberties, Trump's Cabinet of billionaires will try to quietly push through even more extreme measures to enrich themselves and their class, like dismantling Social Security or auctioning off major pieces of government for profit.” quote by Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc9/naomi-klein-1072_billionaires_while-everyone-is-focused-on-security-an_1627577.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc9/naomi-klein-1072_billionaires_while-everyone-is-focused-on-security-an_1627577.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc9/naomi-klein-1072_billionaires_while-everyone-is-focused-on-security-an_1627577.jpg) > “While everyone is focused on security and civil liberties, Trump's Cabinet of billionaires will try to quietly push through even more extreme measures to enrich themselves and their class, like dismantling Social Security or auctioning off major pieces of government for profit.” [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. Powerful elites may exploit crises to advance policies that benefit them at the expense of public welfare, often under the guise of security. **In simple terms:** Elites use crises to push self‑serving policies. Key Takeaway Watch for hidden agendas in policy debates. Themes politics economics social justice power dynamics public policy Mood cautious critical concerned Type analysis political commentary social critique When to use this quote - election cycles - budget negotiations - regulatory reforms - public hearings - media analysis Key Concepts neoliberalism elite capture policy manipulation class struggle Questions to Reflect On - Who benefits from proposed policies? - How can citizens hold leaders accountable? A Different Perspective The claim may overgeneralize and ignore legitimate security concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Billionaires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/billionaires/) [Civil liberties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-liberties/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Profit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profit/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) [Social security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-security/) ## Related quotes > [Regardless of the overall state of the economy, there is now a large enough elite made up of new multi-millionaires and billionaires for Wall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/regardless-of-the-overall-state-of-the-economy-there-is-now-a-large/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [Everybody's complaining about all of Trump's cabinet members, how rich they are, that's horrible. I'd rather have that than a bunch of people in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/everybody-s-complaining-about-all-of-trump-s-cabinet-members-how-rich/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [ They \[people from the Donald Trump cabinet\] haven't had experience in the areas that they're being asked to manage in a very complicated world… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/they-people-from-the-donald-trump-cabinet-haven-t-had-experience-in/) [Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/) > [This is a Donald Trump's Cabinet, especially when you look at domestic social policy or domestic policy in general, this is a very conservative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-walter/this-is-a-donald-trump-s-cabinet-especially-when-you-look-at-domestic/) [Amy Walter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-walter/) > [I don't blame the Democrats for fighting. They have got a very energized base. And there is a lot to complain about a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-don-t-blame-the-democrats-for-fighting-they-have-got-a-very/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [ I generally think the president \[Donald Trump\] should get his Cabinet picks, unless they're egregiously out of the range, either ethically or intellectually out… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-generally-think-the-president-donald-trump-should-get-his-cabinet/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [As Donald Trump and his cabinet now demonstrate, the skills encouraged in men by their biologies and the tools that boys master in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anohni/as-donald-trump-and-his-cabinet-now-demonstrate-the-skills-encouraged/) [Anohni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anohni/) > [Unlike the Obama Cabinet, the Trump Cabinet is not comprised of do-nothing bureaucrats, who worked their way up the twisted, scheme-ridden Washington ladder; rather,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayleigh-mcenany/unlike-the-obama-cabinet-the-trump-cabinet-is-not-comprised-of-do/) [Kayleigh McEnany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kayleigh-mcenany/) > [I can't imagine that being in the Trump Cabinet will be a very important job. I do think this will be a White House-run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-can-t-imagine-that-being-in-the-trump-cabinet-will-be-a-very/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [Trump's cabinet picks seem designed to unwind government itself, leaving the average citizen completely exposed and vulnerable to full exploitation by corporate interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-reid/trump-s-cabinet-picks-seem-designed-to-unwind-government-itself/) [Joy Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-reid/) > [ I wish we had more \[Dwight\] Eisenhower Republicans in this \[Donald\]Trump cabinet. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-j-dionne/i-wish-we-had-more-dwight-eisenhower-republicans-in-this-donald-trump/) [E. J. Dionne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-j-dionne/) > [The thing that strikes me, from looking at the names so far in the Donald Trump's Cabinet on the foreign policy side, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-dyer/the-thing-that-strikes-me-from-looking-at-the-names-so-far-in-the/) [Geoff Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-dyer/) > [First of all, Donald Trump cabinet or - I call it the 3-G cabinet, Goldman, generals and gazillionaires. And I think it's one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/first-of-all-donald-trump-cabinet-or-i-call-it-the-3-g-cabinet/) [Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/) > [I worry about the lack of experience that Rex Tillerson has had on the diplomatic front and, frankly, I think that's true for many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-mccaskill/i-worry-about-the-lack-of-experience-that-rex-tillerson-has-had-on/) [Claire McCaskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-mccaskill/) > [ Why aren't Democrats voting against President \[Donald\] Trump's cabinet nominees en masse? Is it because they're just a bunch soft-headed Beltway lifers who don't… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-drum/why-aren-t-democrats-voting-against-president-donald-trump-s-cabinet/) [Kevin Drum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-drum/) ## 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 Billionaires quotes > [The right wing has an ecosystem that is funded by billionaires who want tax cuts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cenk-uygur/the-right-wing-has-an-ecosystem-that-is-funded-by-billionaires-who/) [Cenk Uygur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cenk-uygur/) > [If I could set a world record, it would be that I have 150 business partners, all with thriving businesses of their own that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-corcoran/if-i-could-set-a-world-record-it-would-be-that-i-have-150-business/) [Barbara Corcoran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-corcoran/) > [A government run by billionaires for billionaires is an affront to freedom and morality and humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-moore/a-government-run-by-billionaires-for-billionaires-is-an-affront-to/) [Michael Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-moore/) > [It's an absurd world - you know, billionaires in Birkenstocks. But I'd rather have nerdy tech guys as the next Carnegie than oil tycoons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-middleditch/it-s-an-absurd-world-you-know-billionaires-in-birkenstocks-but-i-d/) [Thomas Middleditch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-middleditch/) > [I know a lot of people in the city, at all levels, horizontally and vertically - and that to me is a privilege, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandar-hemon/i-know-a-lot-of-people-in-the-city-at-all-levels-horizontally-and/) [Aleksandar Hemon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandar-hemon/) > [The mistake the apartheid government made was they gave the black people nothing, so they had nothing to lose. But now a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilbur-smith/the-mistake-the-apartheid-government-made-was-they-gave-the-black/) [Wilbur Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilbur-smith/) > [“The world would be a better place without billionaires.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/the-world-would-be-a-better-place-without-billionaires/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [I believe in a society where all people do well. Not just a handful of billionaires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anderson-cooper/i-believe-in-a-society-where-all-people-do-well-not-just-a-handful-of/) [Anderson Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anderson-cooper/) > [If your parents are billionaires, that might actually be an obstacle to your own happiness and self-development. If you go to Oxford or Harvard,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/if-your-parents-are-billionaires-that-might-actually-be-an-obstacle/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [Billionaires like the Koch brothers, casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, and political puppet master Karl Rove should not be able to buy our elections. Secret…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-johnson/billionaires-like-the-koch-brothers-casino-mogul-sheldon-adelson-and/) [Hank Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-johnson/) > [The middle class should not continue to foot the bill for tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/the-middle-class-should-not-continue-to-foot-the-bill-for-tax-breaks/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [There is no reason that billionaires should crowd us out from our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-o-malley/there-is-no-reason-that-billionaires-should-crowd-us-out-from-our/) [Martin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-o-malley/) > [“As “voyeurs of billionaires” (Goolsbee, 2007) material excess has become our metronome of modern living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-brian-ogawa/as-voyeurs-of-billionaires-goolsbee-2007-material-excess-has-become/) [Dr. Brian Ogawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-brian-ogawa/) > [I know of at least two black women who are billionaires: Sheila Johnson, who co-founded BET, and Oprah Winfrey. And I know of hundreds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-lelia-bundles/i-know-of-at-least-two-black-women-who-are-billionaires-sheila/) [A'Lelia Bundles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-lelia-bundles/) > [Arnold Schwarzenegger cut teacher's salaries and parks and libraries rather than raise taxes for the many California millionaires and billionaires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-mckay/arnold-schwarzenegger-cut-teacher-s-salaries-and-parks-and-libraries/) [Adam McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-mckay/) [Browse all 106 Billionaires quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/billionaires/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "While everyone is focused on security and civil liberties, Trump's Cabinet of billionaires will try to quietly push through even more extreme measures to enrich themselves and their class, like dismantling Social Security or auctioning off major pieces of government for profit.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Naomi Klein" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/while-everyone-is-focused-on-security-and-civil-liberties-trump-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Billionaires" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/while-everyone-is-focused-on-security-and-civil-liberties-trump-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc9/naomi-klein-1072_billionaires_while-everyone-is-focused-on-security-an_1627577.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc9/naomi-klein-1072_billionaires_while-everyone-is-focused-on-security-an_1627577.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc9/naomi-klein-1072_billionaires_while-everyone-is-focused-on-security-an_1627577.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“While everyone is focused on security and civil liberties, Trump's Cabinet of billionaires will try to…” — 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": "While everyone is focused on security...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/while-everyone-is-focused-on-security-and-civil-liberties-trump-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/while-everyone-is-focused-on-security-and-civil-liberties-trump-s/#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 } } ] } ```