Our greatest leaders are neither dreamers nor dictators: They are, like Jefferson, those who articulate national aspirations yet master the mechanics of influence and know when to depart from dogma.
Jon MeachamRead
The perennial conviction that those who work hard and play by the rules will be rewarded with a more comfortable present and a stronger future for their children faces assault from just about every direction. That great enemy of democratic capitalism, economic inequality, is real and growing.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The belief that hard work and following rules leads to prosperity is challenged by increasing economic inequality.
Jon Meacham points out that the widely held belief in meritocracy, where hard work and adherence to societal rules guarantee success, is under threat due to the rising issue of economic inequality. This inequality undermines the notion that effort alone can secure a better life, especially for future generations, prompting a reevaluation of what constitutes fair reward in a democratic capitalist society.
Themes
Economic InequalityHard WorkMeritocracyDemocratic CapitalismFuture Generations
In practice
Example use cases
During a community meeting discussing economic policies, this quote can be used to highlight the need for addressing inequality.
More from Jon Meacham
All quotes →It would be wonderful if the public sector were always great, or always terrible; or if the private sector were always great, or always terrible. Alas, reality is more complicated than comforting caricatures. Governments fail, and corporations fail.
Jon MeachamRead
As crucial as religion has been and is to the life of the nation, America's unifying force has never been a specific faith, but a commitment to freedom - not least freedom of conscience.
Jon MeachamRead
A wise nation should cultivate a political spirit that allows opponents to cooperate without fearing an automatic execution from their core supporters. Who knew that the real rogues in American politics would be the ones who dare to get along?
Jon MeachamRead
One of the earliest resurrection scenes in the Bible is that of Thomas demanding evidence - he wanted to see, to touch, to prove. Those who question and probe and debate are heirs of the apostles just as much as the most fervent of believers.
Jon MeachamRead
Among the many problems with taking the Bible literally is it reduces the most mysterious and complex of realities to simple - even simplistic - terms. Yes, scripture speaks of fire and damnation and eternal bliss, but the Bible is the product of human hands and hearts, and much of the imagery is allegorical, not meteorological.
Jon MeachamRead
Similar quotes
The time has come to end this charade. The debts are unaffordable. If they won't cancel the debts I would suggest obstruction; you do it yourselves. Africa should say: 'thank you very much but we need this money to meet the needs of children who are dying right now so we will put the debt servicing payments into urgent social investment in health, education, drinking water, control of AIDS and other needs.'
Jeffrey SachsRead
China adopted a capitalist system in the 1980s, and they went from a 60% poverty rate to 10%.
Bill GatesRead
The focus of our public discourse has been on how American companies are competing with Japanese, German, and other foreign companies. What this allows us to ignore is how each of those American companies is really in competition with the families of the workers. That's the real competition.
Arlie Russell HochschildRead
It is a sobering fact that the prominence of central banks in this century has coincided with a general tendency towards more inflation, not less. [I]f the overriding objective is price stability, we did better with the nineteenth-century gold standard and passive central banks, with currency boards, or even with 'free banking.' The truly unique power of a central bank, after all, is the power to create money, and ultimately the power to create is the power to destroy.
Paul VolckerRead
I am a huge bull on this country. We will not have a double-dip recession at all. I see our businesses coming back almost across the board.
Warren BuffettRead
Most of the big banks were shot through with short-termism, deceptive practices and self-dealing. We must institute basic changes in corporate governance and in management practice to restore responsibility and honesty for the sake of the economy and for the self-respect of the country.
Edmund PhelpsRead