Not only our future economic soundness but the very soundness of our democratic institutions depends on the determination of our government to give employment to idle men.
Interpretation
The stability of our economy and democracy relies on providing jobs to those who are unemployed.
In this quote, Franklin D. Roosevelt emphasizes that both economic soundness and the integrity of democratic institutions are closely linked to the government's commitment to creating job opportunities for the unemployed. He suggests that addressing unemployment is not just an economic imperative, but also a foundational aspect of maintaining a healthy democracy, as it helps to prevent social unrest and promotes civic participation.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech advocating for job creation programs.
There has been one persistent theme through all Axis propaganda. This theme has been that Americans are admittedly rich, that Americans have considerable industrial power - but that Americans are soft and decadent, that they cannot and will not unite and work and fight. ... Let them tell that to the Marines!
The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.
A war of ideas can no more be won without books than a naval war can be won without ships. Books, like ships, have the toughest armor, the longest cruising range, and mount the most powerful guns.
Better the occasional faults of a government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a government frozen in the ice of its own indifference.
Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.
A world turned into a stereotype, a society converted into a regiment, a life translated into a routine, make it difficult for either art or artists to survive. Crush individuality in society and you crush art as well. Nourish the conditions of a free life and you nourish the arts, too.
With the exception of the instinct of self-preservation, the propensity for emulation is probably the strongest and most alert and persistent of the economic motives proper.
The first requisite of a sound monetary system is that it put the least possible power over the quantity or quality of money in the hands of the politicians.
There is no easy fix or youth unemployment. Partnership between the public and private sectors can make a big difference.
If bankers become overly conservative in response to past lending mistakes - or if examiners force such behavior - it will hurt bankers' own long-term interests and the economy in general.
One-sided national economic triumphs cannot be achieved in the increasingly interwoven global economy without precipitating calamitous consequences for everyone.
Having a decent share of the national wealth for the middle class is not bad for growth. It is actually useful both for equity and efficiency reasons.
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