I've always argued that this country has benefited immensely from the fact that we draw people from all over the world.
I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the uncomfortable truth that economic interests, particularly oil, play a significant role in political decisions like the Iraq war.
Alan Greenspan's quote sheds light on the often-ignored motivations behind political actions, particularly military interventions. He suggests that the underlying reasons for the Iraq war, particularly the pursuit of oil resources, are widely recognized but remain politically sensitive to discuss openly. This underscores a broader commentary on the intersection of politics and economics, where decisions might prioritize national interests over moral or ethical considerations.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about military intervention, one could use this quote to emphasize the economic motivations behind war.
More from Alan Greenspan
All quotes βThere's no other job in public life that is like chairman of the Fed.
Since 1948 I have spent every single day thinking how the economic and political worlds have changed.
Most high-income people in our country do not realize that their incomes are being subsidized by their protection from competition from highly skilled people who are prevented from immigrating to the United States. But we need such skills in order to staff our productive economy, so that the standard of living for Americans as a whole can grow.
I don't know where the stock market is going, but I will say this, that if it continues higher, this will do more to stimulate the economy than anything we've been talking about today or anything anybody else was talking about.
Every economy exists, no matter what the level of democracy, has elements of crony capitalism. It's - given human nature and given the democratic structures, which we all, I assume, adhere to, that is an inevitable consequence.
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Marxists get up early to further their cause. We must get up even earlier to defend our freedom.
You realize that for all the shenanigans that go on in the big circus of politics, everybody wakes up and goes to work.
When it comes to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, I will take no options off the table. ... That includes all elements of American power: a political effort aimed at isolating Iran, a diplomatic effort to sustain our coalition and ensure that the Iranian program is monitored, an economic effort that imposes crippling sanctions and, yes, a military effort to be prepared for any contingency.
I intend to talk about race during this election in the South because the Republicans have been talking about it since 1968 in order to divide us. And I'm going to bring us together. Because you know what? You know what? White folks in the South who drive pickup trucks with Confederate flag decals in the back ought to be voting with us and not them, because their kids don't have health insurance either and their kids need better schools too.