Progressive societies outgrow institutions as children outgrow clothes.
Henry GeorgeRead
The march of invention has clothed mankind with powers of which a century ago the boldest imagination could not have dreamt.
Interpretation
This quote highlights the incredible advancements in technology that have transformed human capabilities beyond imagination.
Henry George's quote emphasizes the dramatic progress that technology and invention have brought to humanity. It reflects on how previous generations could not have conceived the vast array of possibilities and tools that we now take for granted, showcasing the transformative power of human creativity and innovation over time.
In practice
During a technology conference to inspire innovation among young entrepreneurs.
Progressive societies outgrow institutions as children outgrow clothes.
It is not the business of government to make men virtuous or religious, or to preserve the fool from the consequences of his own folly. Government should be repressive no further than is necessary to secure liberty by protecting the equal rights of each from aggression on the part of others, and the moment governmental prohibitions extend beyond this line they are in danger of defeating the very ends they are intended to serve.
Poorly paid labor is inefficient labor, the world over.
The protection of the masses has in all times been the pretense of tyranny - the plea of monarchy, of aristocracy, of special privilege of every kind. The slave owners justified slavery as protecting the slaves.
So long as all the increased wealth which modern progress brings goes but to build up great fortunes, to increase luxury and make sharper the contrast between the House of Have and the House of Want, progress is not real and cannot be permanent.
Compare society to a boat. Her progress through the water will not depend upon the exertion of her crew, but upon the exertion devoted to propelling her. This will be lessened by any expenditure of force in fighting among themselves, or in pulling in different directions.
Every time a new technology comes along, we feel we're about to break through to a place where we will not be able to recover. The advent of broadcast radio confused people. It delighted people, of course, but it also changed the world.
People are mobile. They move around, and anytime they want to communicate, if you tie them to the wall or the wires, you're restricting them, you're infringing on their freedom.
We monitor many frequencies. We listen always. Came a voice, out of the babel of tongues, speaking to us. It played us a mighty dub.
We say that the world's magnificence has been enriched by a new beauty: the beauty of speed. Time and Space died yesterday. We already live in the absolute, because we have created eternal, omnipresent speed.
We should set a national goal of making computers and Internet access available for every American . . . we must help all Americans gain the skills they need to make the most of the connection.
You have to combine both things: invention and innovation focus, plus the company that can commercialize things and get them to people.
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