Ideological Expression Quotes

Television is to news as bumperstickers are to philosophy.

[Visual images are] the surest way of conveying an idea. A leader or an interest can make itself master of current symbols to master the current situation.

I've always loved reading manifestos. Collectively, they represent a triumph of style.

Governments first decide on their interests and then seek the vocabulary most congenial to their policies.

Political art expresses the cliches you agree with, unlike propaganda, which expresses the cliches you don't.

If a man's free will to adopt ideas and values is inalienable, his freedom of action - his freedom to put these ideas into effect in the world - is not in such a fortunate condition.

American Communists have the opportunity to preach freely their ideas. It would be absolutely wrong to hold the Soviet government responsible for activities of the American Communists.

People are always wondering if I am an artist or political activist or politician. Maybe I'll just clearly tell you: Whatever I do is not art. Let's say it is just objects or materials, movies or writing, but not art, OK?

My function is to communicate Soviet truths, not to put them to a test.

The Smithsonian’s own view of its mission was that it should “tell visitors immediately what we are about and how we’d like them to change.” In other words, the purpose of a taxpayer-supported institution is to express the ideologies of those who run it and to brainwash the visiting public with the vision of the anointed.

All art is propaganda. It is universally and inescapably propaganda; sometimes unconsciously, but often deliberately, propaganda.

I never think that anything I'm writing is bluntly political in any way. I'm not going for commentary.

We’ve got to do a better job of conveying our philosophy and ideas to people around the world …

Hollywood has always been political. They consider it their right and duty to tell us what is politically good and right.

At 'SNL,' I wrote political stuff, but I never felt the show should have an axe to grind. But when I left in '95, I could let my own beliefs out.

If I want to get my ideas out, I have to be involved in the mechanism that the world is ran by.

I have never known a novel that was good enough to be good in spite of its being adapted to the author's political views.

There is no music that can't be used politically, but the motives behind the creation of that music can be non-political.

Each social formation, through each of its material activities, exerts its influence upon the civic whole; and each of its ideas and ideals wins also its place and power.

In times when religious or political faith or hope predominates, the writer functions totally in unison with society, and expresses society's feelings, beliefs, and hopes in perfect harmony.

Perhaps things are not things but words: metaphors, words for other things.

I think it's my interaction with journalists that has pegged me more as political than my actual records, although they have obviously political aspects to them as well.

I've often said that all poetry is political. This is because real poems deal with a human response to reality and politics is part of reality, history in the making. Even if a poet writes about sitting in a glass house drinking tea, it reflects politics.

I think I had struck on a combination of imagery and politics that worked.

It is clear from Salman Rushdie's writing that politics and literature cannot be separated. Everything is political.