Not working on a full stomach.
June 15, 2007 4:06 PM Subscribe
Another broken quotation. Who said plenty would bring a country to its knees?
As much as I can remember, probably paraphrased:
Man can withstand anything but plenty; to destroy a country give it everything it wants and you'll have it weak, miserable and on its knees.
Who said that, or some semblance?
As much as I can remember, probably paraphrased:
Man can withstand anything but plenty; to destroy a country give it everything it wants and you'll have it weak, miserable and on its knees.
Who said that, or some semblance?
there is always the (pseudo?) Confucius quote (or cookie fortune) along the lines of "be wary of getting what you wish for".
posted by MonkeySaltedNuts at 6:30 PM on June 15, 2007
posted by MonkeySaltedNuts at 6:30 PM on June 15, 2007
The only other thing I can come up with is Gerald Ford:
A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.
posted by pupdog at 6:32 PM on June 15, 2007
A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.
posted by pupdog at 6:32 PM on June 15, 2007
Best answer: A strange species we are. We can stand anything God and nature can throw at us save only plenty. If I wanted to destroy a nation, I would give it too much, and I would have it on its knees, miserable, greedy, sick.
-John Steinbeck (1902-1968), Letter in The Washington Post, 28 Jan 60
posted by iconomy at 6:39 PM on June 15, 2007 [9 favorites]
-John Steinbeck (1902-1968), Letter in The Washington Post, 28 Jan 60
posted by iconomy at 6:39 PM on June 15, 2007 [9 favorites]
iconomy, you win. I knew it sounded like Steinbeck, but the other one was as close as I could find.
posted by pupdog at 6:53 PM on June 15, 2007
posted by pupdog at 6:53 PM on June 15, 2007
I didn't know the quote, I just happened to google the right combination of words, I guess. You apparently really know your Steinbeck!
posted by iconomy at 6:59 PM on June 15, 2007
posted by iconomy at 6:59 PM on June 15, 2007
It was a favorite of an old college professor.
Plus, he really liked to bitch about that sort of thing...
posted by pupdog at 7:08 PM on June 15, 2007
Plus, he really liked to bitch about that sort of thing...
posted by pupdog at 7:08 PM on June 15, 2007
Response by poster: Wow, I picked entirely the wrong synonyms for my google searches. Country instead of nation, man instead of species, etc.
Thanks.
posted by Orange Pamplemousse at 7:16 PM on June 15, 2007
Thanks.
posted by Orange Pamplemousse at 7:16 PM on June 15, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
“I have named the destroyers of nations: comfort, plenty, and security - out of which grow a bored and slothful cynicism, in which rebellion against the world as it is, and myself as I am, are submerged in listless self-satisfaction”
But I'm still trying to remember something else.
posted by pupdog at 6:10 PM on June 15, 2007