Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.
Ronald ReaganRead
Now, so there will be no misunderstanding, it's not my intention to do away with government. It is rather to make it work - work with us, not over us; to stand by our side, not ride on our back. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it; foster productivity, not stifle it.
Interpretation
The quote advocates for a government that supports its people rather than controls them.
In this quote, Ronald Reagan emphasizes the importance of a government that collaborates with its citizens to create opportunities and foster productivity. Rather than imposing excessive control, he argues that government should empower individuals, enabling them to thrive and succeed through support and partnership.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about the role of government in society.
Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.
Our status as a free society and world power is not based on brute strength. When we've taken up arms, it has been for the defense of freedom for ourselves and for other peaceful nations who needed our help. But now, faced with the development of weapons with immense destructive power, we've no choice but to maintain ready defense forces that are second to none. Yes, the cost is high, but the price of neglect would be infinitely higher.
I'm spending more time at this library in four days than I did at the Eureka College Library in four years.
I'm not a politician by profession. I am a citizen who decided I had to be personally involved in order to stand up for my own values and beliefs. My candidacy is based on my record, and for that matter, my entire life.
My fellow citizens, our nation is poised for greatness. We must do what we know is right, and do it with all our might. Let history say of us: "These were golden years - when the American Revolution was reborn, when freedom gained new life, and America reached for her best."
We must have faith in the people of this country and faith in our principles.
When scrutiny is lacking, tyranny, corruption and man's baser qualities have a better chance of entering into the public business of any government.
Could you imagine if the U.N. had endorsed the war in Iraq, what our reputation would be like?
Governments can err, Presidents do make mistakes, but the immortal Dante tells us that divine justice weighs the sins of the cold-blooded and the sins of the warm-hearted in different scales. Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the constant omission of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference.
In Palestine, the Israelis claim they found a land without people,' a Syrian officer explained to us. 'Now they will take southern Lebanon and claim they have found another land without people if these refugees do not return.
Governments everywhere that are unable to guarantee equitable growth and social welfare have suffered a fatal decay of legitimacy.
A good government may, indeed, redress the grievances of an injured people; but a strong people can alone build up a great nation.
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