The price of empire is America's soul, and that price is too high.
Interpretation
This quote suggests that the pursuit of power and empire compromises core values and ethics.
J. William Fulbright's quote reflects on the moral cost associated with the pursuit of empire by the United States. It warns that the quest for power and influence can lead to significant sacrifices, including the loss of essential values and ethics, implying that such a cost is unjustifiable for any nation that aspires to uphold its soul and integrity.
In practice
During a discussion about foreign policy, one might refer to Fulbright's quote to emphasize the importance of ethical considerations.
International educational exchange is the most significant current project designed to continue the process of humanizing mankind to the point, we would hope, that men can learn to live in peace-eventually even to cooperate in constructive activities rather than compete in a mindless contest of mutual destruction....We must try to expand the boundaries of human wisdom, empathy and perception, and there is no way of doing that except through education.
Maturity requires a final accommodation between our aspirations and our limitations.
Finally, the Program aims, through these means, to bring a little more knowledge, a little more reason, and a little more compassion into world affairs and thereby to increase the chance that nations will learn at last to live in peace and friendship.
In a democracy, dissent is an act of faith.
We have the power to do any damn fool thing we want to do, and we seem to do it about every ten minutes.
The biggest lesson I learned from Vietnam is not to trust [our own] government statements.
There would be no society if living together depended upon understanding each other.
And I don't think we should be continuing to propagate the idea that famous people are magical or special because it makes people feel like their lives ain't no good.
When liberty destroys order the hunger for order will destroy liberty.
The moon looks wonderful in this warm evening light, just as a candle flame looks beautiful in the light of morning. Light within light...It seems to me to be a metaphor for the human soul, the singular light within that great general light of existence.
It is undesirable to believe a proposition when there is no ground whatever for supposing it true
For the record, I don't expect you to believe any of this. Not really. I'm a liar by trade, after all; albeit, I like to think, an honest liar.
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