Civil war Quote by Robert Penn Warren
““The struggle for power conducted along logical lines is much more likely to occur in smoke-filled rooms than at the polls. The party system is a grid, a filter, a meat chopper, through which issues are processed for the consuming public. The Civil War confirmed our preference for this arrangement. We like the fog of politics, with the occasional drama of the flash of a lightning bolt that, happily, is usually nothing more than a near miss.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: The New Yorker, 1960s
Power struggles happen behind closed doors, not in public votes, shaping politics like a filtered grid.
In simple terms: Politics is controlled by hidden elites, not voters.
Key Takeaway
Recognize hidden influences in politics.
Themes
politics
power
media
public opinion
elitism
Mood
cynical
analytical
Type
critical
observational
When to use this quote
- elections
- legislative negotiations
- media analysis
- public advocacy
Key Concepts
systems theory
political economy
information control
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you see hidden power structures in your community?
- What can increase transparency?
A Different Perspective
Hidden elites can be hard to expose and challenge.
![“Creation has been taken down a very different path than We [God] desired. In your world the value of the individual is constantly weighed against the survival of the system - whether political, economical, social, or religious - any system, actually. First one person, and then a few and finally…” quote by William P. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e69/william-p-young-3038_different-path_creation-has-been-taken-down-a-very-diff_362248.jpg)
![“[A]nd soon now we shall go out of the house and go into the convulsion of the world, out of history into history and the awful responsibility of Time.” quote by Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/857/robert-penn-warren-2118_awful_a-nd-soon-now-we-shall-go-out-of-the-hou_158285.jpg)
