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If we are the greatest nation the sun ever shone upon, it would seem to be mainly because we have been able to goad our wage-earners to this pitch of frenzy.
Upton Sinclair
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote suggests that the greatness of a nation is tied to the intense drive and effort of its workers.

Upton Sinclair's quote reflects on the relationship between national greatness and the work ethic of its wage-earners. It implies that the vigor and passion of those who earn wages contribute significantly to the overall prosperity and status of a nation, highlighting the importance of labor in defining a nation's character and success.

Themes

NationGreatnessWorkersLaborEffort

In practice

Example use cases

During a motivational speech about hard work and perseverance in the workplace.

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The private control of credit is the modern form of slavery.
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Human beings suffer agonies, and their sad fates become legends; poets write verses about them and playwrights compose dramas, and the remembrance of past grief becomes a source of present pleasure - such is the strange alchemy of the spirit.
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I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach.
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Fascism is capitalism plus murder.
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The old wanderlust had gotten into his blood, the joy of the unbound life, the joy of seeking, of hoping without limit.
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