--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are maybe a hundred thousand…" description: "\"“There are maybe a hundred thousand political power brokers in this country who are truly invested in the perpetuation of a coin-operated government. T..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdc/wendell-potter-63603_british-monarchy_there-are-maybe-a-hundred-thousand-polit_152116.jpg" --- # There are maybe a hundred thousand political power brokers… ![“There are maybe a hundred thousand political power brokers in this country who are truly invested in the perpetuation of a coin-operated government. They see no problem with it. They are unabashed in their participation in it. They figure that’s how the world works…. We, the other 99.7%, have to…” quote by Wendell Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdc/wendell-potter-63603_british-monarchy_there-are-maybe-a-hundred-thousand-polit_152116.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdc/wendell-potter-63603_british-monarchy_there-are-maybe-a-hundred-thousand-polit_152116.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fdc/wendell-potter-63603_british-monarchy_there-are-maybe-a-hundred-thousand-polit_152116.jpg) > ““There are maybe a hundred thousand political power brokers in this country who are truly invested in the perpetuation of a coin-operated government. They see no problem with it. They are unabashed in their participation in it. They figure that’s how the world works…. We, the other 99.7%, have to push aside our cynicism and exhaustion and join with others from all walks of life to create a new, surprising, mighty reform moment in history. Just as we won our right to self-government by fighting the British monarchy more than 240 years ago, we will lose it if we fail to fight to reclaim it now.”” [Wendell Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-potter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A minority of power brokers sustain a corrupt system; the majority must unite for reform. **In simple terms:** Few control government; most must act together to change it. Key Takeaway Collective action can restore democratic power. Themes politics reform citizen activism power dynamics Mood determined optimistic Type activist political When to use this quote - voting - community organizing - public protest Key Concepts grassroots mobilization civic engagement Questions to Reflect On - What motivates you to engage? - How can diverse groups collaborate? A Different Perspective Apathy and division hinder progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [British monarchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-monarchy/) [Political power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-power/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [I did everything in my power to give my brokers brand identity and clout in the market. 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Macey > [The permanent power brokers of this city are the columnists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-newell-jacobsen/the-permanent-power-brokers-of-this-city-are-the-columnists/) [Hugh Newell Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-newell-jacobsen/) > [The leaders of the establishment and the power brokers in it and the global establishment, they're never, ever gonna say, "You know what? We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-leaders-of-the-establishment-and-the-power-brokers-in-it-and-the/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [“God, put me in the midst of power brokers, decision makers, change agents, thought leaders, missionaries and individuals who are seeking to make this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/god-put-me-in-the-midst-of-power-brokers-decision-makers-change/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [In the 20th century, the position of the monarch as head of the Church of England was given a meaning which it never had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starkey/in-the-20th-century-the-position-of-the-monarch-as-head-of-the-church/) [David Starkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starkey/) > [The Billy Carter of the British monarchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lacey/the-billy-carter-of-the-british-monarchy/) [Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/) > [It seems to me that Sotheby's is very much like the British monarchy: an old and apparently very venerable institution which is in fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lacey/it-seems-to-me-that-sotheby-s-is-very-much-like-the-british-monarchy/) [Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/) > [“In 2010, Bruce Sterling and Chris Nakashima-Brown wrote the short story “Windsor Executive Solutions,” a very future-weird speculative story about the future of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-2010-bruce-sterling-and-chris-nakashima-brown-wrote-the-short/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“One of my professors once told me that the last official act of the British monarchy was when Queen Victoria refused to sign a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/one-of-my-professors-once-told-me-that-the-last-official-act-of-the/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [“So this is where all the vapid talk about the 'soul' of the universe is actually headed. Once the hard-won principles of reason and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/so-this-is-where-all-the-vapid-talk-about-the-soul-of-the-universe-is/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“The prominent British statesman and scholar Edmund Burke (1729–1797) emphasized another fundamental characteristic of the civil society—valuing human experience, tradition, and custom. Burke was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/the-prominent-british-statesman-and-scholar-edmund-burke-1729-1797/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“This is what you get when you found a political system on the family values of Henry VIII. At a point in the not-too-remote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/this-is-what-you-get-when-you-found-a-political-system-on-the-family/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [The British monarchy has the political and constitutional task of subtracting from the government and governors of Britain the papal and kingly airs that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/the-british-monarchy-has-the-political-and-constitutional-task-of/) [Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/) ## More by Wendell Potter > [“If we don’t enact sweeping campaign finance reform we will never see progress on the major issues facing our country… as the special interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-potter/if-we-don-t-enact-sweeping-campaign-finance-reform-we-will-never-see/) [Wendell Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-potter/) > [If you are among those who believe that the U.S. has the best healthcare system in the world - despite overwhelming evidence to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-potter/if-you-are-among-those-who-believe-that-the-u-s-has-the-best/) [Wendell Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-potter/) > [My name is Wendell Potter and for 20 years I worked as a senior executive at health insurance companies, and I saw how they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-potter/my-name-is-wendell-potter-and-for-20-years-i-worked-as-a-senior/) [Wendell Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-potter/) > [We should be worrying about Wall Street - run health care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-potter/we-should-be-worrying-about-wall-street-run-health-care/) [Wendell Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-potter/) [Explore all 5 Wendell Potter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-potter/) ## More British monarchy quotes > [The British monarchy has the political and constitutional task of subtracting from the government and governors of Britain the papal and kingly airs that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-helprin/the-british-monarchy-has-the-political-and-constitutional-task-of/) [Mark Helprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-helprin/) > [“This is what you get when you found a political system on the family values of Henry VIII. 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Once the hard-won principles of reason and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/so-this-is-where-all-the-vapid-talk-about-the-soul-of-the-universe-is/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“In 2010, Bruce Sterling and Chris Nakashima-Brown wrote the short story “Windsor Executive Solutions,” a very future-weird speculative story about the future of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-2010-bruce-sterling-and-chris-nakashima-brown-wrote-the-short/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The Billy Carter of the British monarchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lacey/the-billy-carter-of-the-british-monarchy/) [Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/) > [In the 20th century, the position of the monarch as head of the Church of England was given a meaning which it never had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-starkey/in-the-20th-century-the-position-of-the-monarch-as-head-of-the-church/) [David Starkey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-starkey/) > [It seems to me that Sotheby's is very much like the British monarchy: an old and apparently very venerable institution which is in fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-lacey/it-seems-to-me-that-sotheby-s-is-very-much-like-the-british-monarchy/) [Robert Lacey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-lacey/) > [“One of my professors once told me that the last official act of the British monarchy was when Queen Victoria refused to sign a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/one-of-my-professors-once-told-me-that-the-last-official-act-of-the/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [“The prominent British statesman and scholar Edmund Burke (1729–1797) emphasized another fundamental characteristic of the civil society—valuing human experience, tradition, and custom. Burke was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/the-prominent-british-statesman-and-scholar-edmund-burke-1729-1797/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [Scandal, it bears repeating, undermines monarchies, but rarely ends them. It may be true that, according to a recent editorial in the New York…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cannadine/scandal-it-bears-repeating-undermines-monarchies-but-rarely-ends-them/) [David Cannadine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cannadine/) > [When it comes to the British monarchy, I prefer to be seduced by an image than presented with a real person. It's kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damien-hirst/when-it-comes-to-the-british-monarchy-i-prefer-to-be-seduced-by-an/) [Damien Hirst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damien-hirst/) > [There are important arguments to be made about the relative merits of an hereditary or an elected head of state: but not at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cannadine/there-are-important-arguments-to-be-made-about-the-relative-merits-of/) [David Cannadine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cannadine/) > [I believe that the visit of the Queen to the United States is an admirable occasion to produce an historical, truthful, sincere, genuine analysis…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/i-believe-that-the-visit-of-the-queen-to-the-united-states-is-an/) [Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/) > [The monarchy is foremost a business, and it's important to them that the British public continue to finance the excessive luxurious lifestyles of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-morrissey/the-monarchy-is-foremost-a-business-and-it-s-important-to-them-that-2/) [Steven Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-morrissey/) > [The invention of the camera enabled the reinvention of the British monarchy for the modern era.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-worsley/the-invention-of-the-camera-enabled-the-reinvention-of-the-british/) [Lucy Worsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-worsley/) [Browse all 19 British monarchy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-monarchy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There are maybe a hundred thousand political power brokers in this country who are truly invested in the perpetuation of a coin-operated government. 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