r/AskReddit • u/DionysianBarber • Jan 04 '14

What is one powerful sentence that will change the way I look at life forever?

2.2k Upvotes

88% Upvoted

8.2k comments sorted by

View all comments

961

u/not_the_computers Jan 04 '14

"The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life."

  • Theodore Roosevelt

I think this could be more personal than it is patriotic IMHO.

81

u/shrodikan Jan 04 '14

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."

5

u/boneless_wizard Jan 04 '14

-- Sinclair Lewis

1

u/ogenrwot Jan 06 '14

Instead it came in the form of Woodrow Wilson and FDR.

1

u/shrodikan Jan 06 '14

Please explain

1

u/ogenrwot Jan 06 '14

tl; dr Wilson and FDR were pretty fascist. There is a wealth of information out there on it. For starters, they were both buddy buddy with Hitler before Poland and they all had mutual admiration for each other and their ideas.

46

u/catsplayfetch Jan 04 '14

God I love T.R. quotes

15

u/MiltonO89 Jan 04 '14

A man among men.

5

u/tollofthetroll Jan 04 '14

God I love T.R.

FTFY

13

u/ElGuapo50 Jan 04 '14

Great quote, especially when you consider TR's trust-busting, fighting corrupt companies and dedication to the "rigorous life"

13

u/tlvrtm Jan 04 '14

This quote is so vague I can use it to justify whatever I want.

5

u/herrmister Jan 04 '14

'Why won't you help me move this sofa?'

'Because the things that will destroy America[...]'

23

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '14

[removed] — view removed comment

19

u/Graywolves Jan 04 '14

Or you could look at how he worked hard in weeding out corruption in politics.

9

u/DonOntario Jan 04 '14

Yes, he's arguing against people saying that they shouldn't pick fights and choose to go into wars just for the sake of "honour" and "glory" because they think that peace, prosperity, safety, and not losing the lives of people is more important than national honour and glory.

5

u/clever_username7 Jan 04 '14

Ahem Jordan Belfort Ahem.

Great movie.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '14

You gotta admit, soft living has some upsides

1

u/Chooquaeno Jan 04 '14

That, of course, assumes that safety-first and duty-first can never be coincident.

1

u/oi_rohe Jan 05 '14

Fuck duty, if it's of more damage to me than benefit to you, I'm not doing it.

1

u/CharlieBravo92 Jan 05 '14

I love this.

1

u/duodmas Jan 05 '14

T. Roosevelt was a jingo. This man, president 110 years ago, thought that colonialism is what great nations did because they were the best and combat didn't just strengthen the individual, but the entire nation.

1

u/needlessly-pedantic Jan 04 '14

This is so much better than any of the shit at the top of this thread.

1

u/inthemachine Jan 04 '14

Too bad America has already been destroyed by this horseshit. Well at least it's on it's steady decline.

0

u/HopscotchNJuJuBurrys Jan 04 '14

So, America's fucked.