--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To dissociate politicians from…" description: "\"To dissociate politicians from capitalists is slightly disingenuous, to put it mildly. U.S. lawmakers are competitive and auction themselves to the hig..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/885/tariq-ali-2958_capitalists_to-dissociate-politicians-from-capitalis_1314745.png" --- # To dissociate politicians from capitalists is slightly… ![“To dissociate politicians from capitalists is slightly disingenuous, to put it mildly. U.S. lawmakers are competitive and auction themselves to the highest bidder via the lobby system.” quote by Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/885/tariq-ali-2958_capitalists_to-dissociate-politicians-from-capitalis_1314745.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/885/tariq-ali-2958_capitalists_to-dissociate-politicians-from-capitalis_1314745.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/885/tariq-ali-2958_capitalists_to-dissociate-politicians-from-capitalis_1314745.png) > “To dissociate politicians from capitalists is slightly disingenuous, to put it mildly. U.S. lawmakers are competitive and auction themselves to the highest bidder via the lobby system.” [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Politicians often sell themselves to the highest bidder, making the claim of independence misleading. **In simple terms:** Politicians are influenced by money. Key Takeaway Watch for hidden financial influences. Themes politics ethics corruption Mood cynical critical Type analytical political When to use this quote - voting decisions - policy analysis - activism - media consumption Key Concepts capitalism lobbying power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How do campaign finance laws affect this dynamic? - What mechanisms can reduce lobbyist influence? A Different Perspective The quote may overgeneralize; not all politicians are equally compromised. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bidder Lobby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bidder-lobby-4361792/) [Capitalists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalists/) [Capitalists Slightly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalists-slightly-4361793/) [Disingenuous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disingenuous/) [Dissociate Politicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dissociate-politicians-4361791/) [Lobby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lobby/) [Politicians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politicians/) [Politicians Capitalists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politicians-capitalists-1233056/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [System](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/system/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) ## Related quotes > [I don't believe that the big men, the politicians and capitalists alone, are guilty of war. Oh no, the little man is just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/i-don-t-believe-that-the-big-men-the-politicians-and-capitalists/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) > [I don't believe the war is simply the work of politicians and capitalists. Oh no, the common man is every bit as guilty; otherwise,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/i-don-t-believe-the-war-is-simply-the-work-of-politicians-and/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) > […maybe the whole Internet will simply become like Facebook: falsely jolly, fake-friendly, self-promoting, slickly disingenuous….” - Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/maybe-the-whole-internet-will-simply-become-like-facebook-falsely/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [On my wedding day. I didn't want a natural, blushing-bride look - I had a full-on hairdo and red lips. I thought it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/on-my-wedding-day-i-didn-t-want-a-natural-blushing-bride-look-i-had-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Those who say they're not ambitious are being disingenuous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-hucknall/those-who-say-they-re-not-ambitious-are-being-disingenuous/) [Mick Hucknall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-hucknall/) > [No one that has ever been in combat ever wants to see war anywhere in the world. It is horrible. It's horrible looking at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-shea/no-one-that-has-ever-been-in-combat-ever-wants-to-see-war-anywhere-in/) [Matt Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-shea/) > [We want the government to be controlled by all the people, not by the richest 1%. That's always been the first demand. That's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/we-want-the-government-to-be-controlled-by-all-the-people-not-by-the/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [It'd be disingenuous to say I don't like attention - I'm an actor for God's sake - and it's flattering and all, but attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-giamatti/it-d-be-disingenuous-to-say-i-don-t-like-attention-i-m-an-actor-for/) [Paul Giamatti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-giamatti/) > [The Congo is very wealthy from oil money but is not paying its debts and at the same time is applying for special status…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/the-congo-is-very-wealthy-from-oil-money-but-is-not-paying-its-debts/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) > [It's disingenuous to... pretend the sources of our money don't impact the policy we write - you just can't serve two masters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/it-s-disingenuous-to-pretend-the-sources-of-our-money-don-t-impact/) [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandria-ocasio-cortez/) > [Don't let anyone tell you otherwise - not our political opponents, and certainly not a disingenuous filmmaker, who would have us believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/don-t-let-anyone-tell-you-otherwise-not-our-political-opponents-and/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [These things, she felt, were not to be passed around like disingenuous party favors. She kept an honor code with her journals and her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/these-things-she-felt-were-not-to-be-passed-around-like-disingenuous/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“Like most seasoned phonies, I roundly suspect that everyone is as disingenuous as I am.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/like-most-seasoned-phonies-i-roundly-suspect-that-everyone-is-as/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [There's the disingenuous duplicitousness, but you can apply that to every politician, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cross/there-s-the-disingenuous-duplicitousness-but-you-can-apply-that-to/) [David Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cross/) > [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) ## More by Tariq Ali > [American imperialism has always been the imperialism that has been frightened of speaking its name. Now it's beginning to do so. In a way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/american-imperialism-has-always-been-the-imperialism-that-has-been/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [Scotland's political identity was destroyed, and a huge Scottish emigration to North America followed the brutal Highland clearances. These included every layer of Scottish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/scotland-s-political-identity-was-destroyed-and-a-huge-scottish/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [When a country is invaded and attacked and people resist it's important to speak up and to say they have the right to resist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/when-a-country-is-invaded-and-attacked-and-people-resist-it-s/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [I think another crisis, which is being predicted now and which will be worse than what we saw in 2008, could bring the European…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/i-think-another-crisis-which-is-being-predicted-now-and-which-will-be/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [The European Union is effectively a union dominated by the German political and economic elite. Its main function is to serve as a nucleus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/the-european-union-is-effectively-a-union-dominated-by-the-german/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [Anthony Powell was the most European of 20th-century British novelists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/anthony-powell-was-the-most-european-of-20th-century-british-novelists/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [I think democracy is on the decline in the West. Ruling parties are the same: neo-liberalism at home and wars abroad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/i-think-democracy-is-on-the-decline-in-the-west-ruling-parties-are/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [One cannot discuss Europe without understanding US imperial hegemony, both globally and certainly in Europe as it stands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/one-cannot-discuss-europe-without-understanding-us-imperial-hegemony/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [The Enlightenment attacked religion - Christianity, mainly - for two reasons: that it was a set of ideological delusions, and that it was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/the-enlightenment-attacked-religion-christianity-mainly-for-two/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [I think the Americans fished out the same condom but found it had too many holes in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/i-think-the-americans-fished-out-the-same-condom-but-found-it-had-too/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [Basically, we are witnessing the twilight of democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/basically-we-are-witnessing-the-twilight-of-democracy/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [One could think of ways to defeat the censor. I could put up the answers on my Facebook page or website or Counterpunch. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/one-could-think-of-ways-to-defeat-the-censor-i-could-put-up-the/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [In January 1961, the United States severed diplomatic relations in response to Cuban nationalisation of U.S.-owned sugar plantations, banks and businesses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/in-january-1961-the-united-states-severed-diplomatic-relations-in/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [“Monotonous talk of the end of American hegemony, the universal cliché of the period, is mostly a way of avoiding mounting a serious opposition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/monotonous-talk-of-the-end-of-american-hegemony-the-universal-clich/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) > [I was never totally what we would now call 'politically correct,' even in my most militant phase. I always liked good food, good wines.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/i-was-never-totally-what-we-would-now-call-politically-correct-even/) [Tariq Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) [Explore all 144 Tariq Ali quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/) ## More Capitalists quotes > [Capitalists have done more good for society through their charitable giving, philanthropy and generosity than all their critics combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/capitalists-have-done-more-good-for-society-through-their-charitable/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [“Private property based on the labour of the small proprietor, free competition, democracy, i.e., all the catchwords with which the capitalists and their press…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-lenin/private-property-based-on-the-labour-of-the-small-proprietor-free/) [Vladimir Lenin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-lenin/) > [The more successful capitalists are in cutting their wage costs, the less money workers will have to buy back what those same capitalists produce.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-d-wolff/the-more-successful-capitalists-are-in-cutting-their-wage-costs-the/) [Richard D. Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-d-wolff/) > [We're supposed to live under capitalism, and capitalism is supposed to be competitive so you would expect that capitalists and entrepreneurs would like competition.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harvey/we-re-supposed-to-live-under-capitalism-and-capitalism-is-supposed-to/) [David Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harvey/) > [In seventy years, Russia’s Communists had not succeeded in dealing markets such a telling blow as did its deadbeat capitalists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-lowenstein/in-seventy-years-russia-s-communists-had-not-succeeded-in-dealing/) [Roger Lowenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-lowenstein/) > [The American capitalists are richer and stronger than their counterparts in other lands. They are also younger and more ignorant, and therefore more inclined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-cannon/the-american-capitalists-are-richer-and-stronger-than-their/) [James P. Cannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-cannon/) > [All capitalists should be like Warren Buffett, and he says he should be taxed more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-asner/all-capitalists-should-be-like-warren-buffett-and-he-says-he-should/) [Ed Asner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-asner/) > [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 Tea Party in the United States' biggest fight is with the the Republican establishment, which is really a collection of crony capitalists that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-bannon/the-tea-party-in-the-united-states-biggest-fight-is-with-the-the/) [Steve Bannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-bannon/) > [The capitalists owned everything in the world, and everyone else was their slave. They owned all the land, all the houses, all the factories,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-capitalists-owned-everything-in-the-world-and-everyone-else-was/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [I don't agree with the Black Lives Matter organizers. They are stated as anti-capitalists. And it's much more than just the police to them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/i-don-t-agree-with-the-black-lives-matter-organizers-they-are-stated/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [Without getting into brothels, there are ethical capitalists the problem is that there aren't enough of them. It is not "just a few bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/without-getting-into-brothels-there-are-ethical-capitalists-the/) [John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/) > [What made women's labour particularly attractive to the capitalists was not only its lower price but also the greater submissiveness of women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clara-zetkin/what-made-women-s-labour-particularly-attractive-to-the-capitalists/) [Clara Zetkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clara-zetkin/) > [The terror in which English capitalists now stand of organized proletarian resistance gives to the naturally protected craft organizations the power to receive the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/the-terror-in-which-english-capitalists-now-stand-of-organized/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [We will hang the capitalists with the rope that they sell us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/we-will-hang-the-capitalists-with-the-rope-that-they-sell-us/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) [Browse all 197 Capitalists quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalists/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To dissociate politicians from capitalists is slightly disingenuous, to put it mildly. U.S. lawmakers are competitive and auction themselves to the highest bidder via the lobby system.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tariq Ali" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/to-dissociate-politicians-from-capitalists-is-slightly-disingenuous/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Capitalists" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/to-dissociate-politicians-from-capitalists-is-slightly-disingenuous/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/885/tariq-ali-2958_capitalists_to-dissociate-politicians-from-capitalis_1314745.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/885/tariq-ali-2958_capitalists_to-dissociate-politicians-from-capitalis_1314745.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/885/tariq-ali-2958_capitalists_to-dissociate-politicians-from-capitalis_1314745.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To dissociate politicians from capitalists is slightly disingenuous, to put it mildly. U.S. lawmakers are…” — Tariq Ali", "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": "Tariq Ali", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ali/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To dissociate politicians from capitalists is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/to-dissociate-politicians-from-capitalists-is-slightly-disingenuous/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ali/to-dissociate-politicians-from-capitalists-is-slightly-disingenuous/#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 } } ] } ```