# Quote — Ben Bova, Saturn

> “The real problem,” Eberly burst out, “is that these regulations were written by people who live in a world that must be tightly controlled. They all share the same basic, underlying view that society must be hierarchical and controlled from the top.”
>
> Wilmot felt pleased that the discussion was moving into his field of interest. “Aren’t all societies controlled from the top? Even so-called democracies are ruled by a small elite group; the only difference is that a democracy can shift its elite without bloodshed and give the general populace the illusion that they have made a telling change.”

- Author: [Ben Bova](https://www.leafyquotes.com/ben-bova.md)
- Book: [Saturn](https://www.leafyquotes.com/ben-bova/saturn.md)
- Page: 115
- Source: [Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ben_Bova#Saturn_(2003)) ([CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/))
- Quote page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/ben-bova/saturn/the-real-problem

## More from this book

> Even snaky little Vyborg chatted happily with a few of the glowing-eyed young women that clustered about him, Eberly noted. Power goes to some people’s heads; in other people, power goes straight to the groin.

p. 397 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/ben-bova/saturn/even-snaky-little.md)

> “A teacher?” Vyborg gasped. “They got rid of him in Mexico because he was teaching unauthorized garbage. Do you want him teaching his blasphemies here?”
>
> Berkowitz’s smile diminished by less than a millimeter. “Freedom of thought is not blasphemous, Sammi. He’s a great teacher.”

p. 134 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/ben-bova/saturn/a-teacher-vyborg.md)

> He’s so doggone narrow-minded he could look through a keyhole with both eyes.

p. 222 — [Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/ben-bova/saturn/hes-so-doggone.md)