---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When a leader has deployed a private…"
description: "\"When a leader has deployed a private army, that is one definition of a police state. Another is when the president, or a leader, has his own treasury.\"..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/naomi-wolf-1344_army_when-a-leader-has-deployed-a-private-arm_858066.png"
---

#  When a leader has deployed a private army, that is one…

![“When a leader has deployed a private army, that is one definition of a police state. Another is when the president, or a leader, has his own treasury.” quote by Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/naomi-wolf-1344_army_when-a-leader-has-deployed-a-private-arm_858066.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/naomi-wolf-1344_army_when-a-leader-has-deployed-a-private-arm_858066.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/naomi-wolf-1344_army_when-a-leader-has-deployed-a-private-arm_858066.png)

> “When a leader has deployed a private army, that is one definition of a police state. Another is when the president, or a leader, has his own treasury.”

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

## About This Quote

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

A police state can be defined by a leader's private army or personal treasury, highlighting concentration of power.

**In simple terms:** Power can become authoritarian through private forces or finances.

Key Takeaway

Guard against unchecked authority.

Themes

politics authoritarianism power economics

Mood

concerned analytical

Type

political educational

When to use this quote

- government policy
- military privatization
- budget transparency
- civil liberties

Key Concepts

state control private militias financial autonomy

Questions to Reflect On

- How can citizens monitor private armies?
- What safeguards prevent personal treasuries?

A Different Perspective

Such definitions may overlook other authoritarian tactics.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Army Definition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army-definition-822010/) [Definition Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definition-police-822009/) [Definitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definitions/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police/) [Police state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police-state/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Private Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/private-army-520199/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Treasury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treasury/)

## Related quotes

> [“Right after the war, every opportunistic governor and anyone rich enough to afford his own private army wanted magic users. That would have destroyed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-edward/right-after-the-war-every-opportunistic-governor-and-anyone-rich/)

[Robert Edward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-edward/)

> [The East India Company's domination of the Indian economy was based on its private army.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-trout/the-east-india-company-s-domination-of-the-indian-economy-was-based/)

[Robert Trout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-trout/)

> [The reason I'm voting for Barack Obama is that it's either him or a police state - someone who's carrying on policies that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/the-reason-i-m-voting-for-barack-obama-is-that-it-s-either-him-or-a/)

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

> [Millions of people have to restore liberty and have to understand the danger and personal risk they face in a police state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/millions-of-people-have-to-restore-liberty-and-have-to-understand-the/)

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

> [It is foolish for people to think they can align themselves and be safe in a police state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/it-is-foolish-for-people-to-think-they-can-align-themselves-and-be/)

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

> [“Should we wrap it all up and simply say that they arrested the innocent? But we omitted saying that the very concept of guilt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/should-we-wrap-it-all-up-and-simply-say-that-they-arrested-the/)

[Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/)

> [There's one overriding issue, namely, that we live in a police state so long as the police get to police themselves. And that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/there-s-one-overriding-issue-namely-that-we-live-in-a-police-state-so/)

[Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/)

> [“The regime's policies, whether intentionally or unintentionally, had engendered a sharp divide between Muslims and Christians, in spite of the fact that generations of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wael-ghonim/the-regime-s-policies-whether-intentionally-or-unintentionally-had/)

[Wael Ghonim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wael-ghonim/)

> [“Life in a police state is pretty good—if you are the state police.” Though”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-cameron/life-in-a-police-state-is-pretty-good-if-you-are-the-state-police/)

[Marc Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-cameron/)

> [“Police not enforcing laws results in a high crime rate that is formally reported as a low crime rate in police statistics.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/police-not-enforcing-laws-results-in-a-high-crime-rate-that-is/)

[Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/)

> [What must be addressed in the most immediate sense is the threat that the emerging police state in the United States poses not to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/what-must-be-addressed-in-the-most-immediate-sense-is-the-threat-that/)

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

> [“Always Remember... Once You Give Up Your Rights, You Can Never Get Them Back. Once You Turn On That Police State, You Can Never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziad-k-abdelnour/always-remember-once-you-give-up-your-rights-you-can-never-get-them/)

[Ziad K. Abdelnour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziad-k-abdelnour/)

> [California always struck me as a police state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-russell/california-always-struck-me-as-a-police-state/)

[Leon Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-russell/)

> [I mean a real police state just to get a token recognition of a law. It take, it took, I think, 15,000 troops and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/i-mean-a-real-police-state-just-to-get-a-token-recognition-of-a-law/)

[Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/)

> [“This was laughable, of course, but that’s always the way with totalitarian regimes. Language gets turned on its head. Serfdom is freedom. Repression is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masaji-ishikawa/this-was-laughable-of-course-but-that-s-always-the-way-with/)

[Masaji Ishikawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masaji-ishikawa/)

## More by Naomi Wolf

> [“You could see the signs of female aging as diseased, especially if you had a vested interest in making women too see them your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/you-could-see-the-signs-of-female-aging-as-diseased-especially-if-you/)

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

> [Demographically, I'm a hippie from San Francisco and I'm not culturally inclined to be sympathetic to states' rights. My cultural heritage is FDR and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/demographically-i-m-a-hippie-from-san-francisco-and-i-m-not/)

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

> [There's been a systematic propagandizing of American citizens for 30 years to make us forget what America is supposed to be and what our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/there-s-been-a-systematic-propagandizing-of-american-citizens-for-30/)

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

> [Maybe the less pain we inflict on our bodies, the more beautiful our bodies will look to us](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/maybe-the-less-pain-we-inflict-on-our-bodies-the-more-beautiful-our/)

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

> [“The rise of the beauty myth was just one of several emerging social fictions that masqueraded as natural components of the feminine sphere, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/the-rise-of-the-beauty-myth-was-just-one-of-several-emerging-social/)

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

> [The Victorian woman became her ovaries, as today's woman has become her "beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/the-victorian-woman-became-her-ovaries-as-today-s-woman-has-become/)

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

> [“The anthropologist Margaret Mead concluded in 1948, after observing seven different ethnic groups in the Pacific Islands, that different cultures made different forms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/the-anthropologist-margaret-mead-concluded-in-1948-after-observing/)

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

> [What becomes of a man who acquires a beautiful woman, with her "beauty" his sole target? He sabotages himself. He has gained no friend,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/what-becomes-of-a-man-who-acquires-a-beautiful-woman-with-her-beauty/)

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

> [“Beauty” is a currency system like the gold standard. Like any economy, it is determined by politics, and in the modern age in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/beauty-is-a-currency-system-like-the-gold-standard-like-any-economy/)

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

> [“Rape and sexual assault ... should be understood not just as a form of forced sex, they should also be understood as as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/rape-and-sexual-assault-should-be-understood-not-just-as-a-form-of/)

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

> [“The qualities that a given period calls beautiful in women are merely symbols of the female behavior that that period considers desirable: The beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/the-qualities-that-a-given-period-calls-beautiful-in-women-are-merely/)

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

> [To live in a culture in which women are routinely naked where men aren't is to learn inequality in little ways all day long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/to-live-in-a-culture-in-which-women-are-routinely-naked-where-men/)

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

> [a white person who claims to have no impediment of vision in this country is not, I think, telling the whole truth. And when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/a-white-person-who-claims-to-have-no-impediment-of-vision-in-this/)

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

> [“The beauty myth sets it up this way: A high rating as an art object is the most valuable tribute a woman can exact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/the-beauty-myth-sets-it-up-this-way-a-high-rating-as-an-art-object-is/)

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

> [“Societies tell themselves necessary fictions in the same way that individuals and families do. Henrik Ibsen called them “vital lies,” and psychologist Daniel Goleman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/societies-tell-themselves-necessary-fictions-in-the-same-way-that/)

[Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

[Explore all 251 Naomi Wolf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/)

## More Army quotes

> [There are no more worlds to conquer!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/there-are-no-more-worlds-to-conquer/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/)

[Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/)

> [Every army in the history of the world has always had some deserters, usually much greater than we have today, because once again every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-hilferty/every-army-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-always-had-some-deserters/)

[Bryan Hilferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-hilferty/)

> [It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-our-forces-are-ten-to-the-enemy-s-one-to/)

[Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/)

> [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/)

[Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/)

> [I just read an article about how young American males feel uncomfortable appearing naked in front of each other in locker rooms. That was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ivory/i-just-read-an-article-about-how-young-american-males-feel/)

[James Ivory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ivory/)

> [ I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect \[Donald Trump\], or then-president \[Barack Obama\]. But it's - I'm very clear.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-that-by-the-president-elect/)

[James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/)

> [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/)

[Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/)

> [“The most important lesson that came out of Vietnam for me was that Marines take care of Marines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/the-most-important-lesson-that-came-out-of-vietnam-for-me-was-that/)

[Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/)

> [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/one-of-our-great-allies-at-present-is-the-church-itself-do-not/)

[C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/)

> [I have real strong feelings about our troops and support them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-fichtner/i-have-real-strong-feelings-about-our-troops-and-support-them/)

[William Fichtner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-fichtner/)

> [Personally, I don't really have a set style or look. It's pretty much what I feel like wearing that day, from a floral-print dress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shay-mitchell/personally-i-don-t-really-have-a-set-style-or-look-it-s-pretty-much/)

[Shay Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shay-mitchell/)

> [Growing up with a parent in the army, I saw firsthand the challenges our service members face when transitioning to new jobs after time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharice-davids/growing-up-with-a-parent-in-the-army-i-saw-firsthand-the-challenges/)

[Sharice Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharice-davids/)

> [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/)

[William H. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/)

> [Thanks to all members of the military around the world for giving me the ultimate motivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-neidhart/thanks-to-all-members-of-the-military-around-the-world-for-giving-me/)

[Natalya Neidhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-neidhart/)

[Browse all 3,919 Army quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When a leader has deployed a private army, that is one definition of a police state. Another is when the president, or a leader, has his own treasury.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Naomi Wolf"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/when-a-leader-has-deployed-a-private-army-that-is-one-definition-of-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Army"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/when-a-leader-has-deployed-a-private-army-that-is-one-definition-of-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/naomi-wolf-1344_army_when-a-leader-has-deployed-a-private-arm_858066.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/naomi-wolf-1344_army_when-a-leader-has-deployed-a-private-arm_858066.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/naomi-wolf-1344_army_when-a-leader-has-deployed-a-private-arm_858066.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When a leader has deployed a private army, that is one definition of a police state. Another is when the…” — Naomi Wolf",
                "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 Wolf",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When a leader has deployed a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/when-a-leader-has-deployed-a-private-army-that-is-one-definition-of-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/when-a-leader-has-deployed-a-private-army-that-is-one-definition-of-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
