A thought on what a decent nation can aspire to

“No nation can be really great unless it is great in peace, in industry, integrity, honesty. Skilled intelligence in civic affairs and industrial enterprises alike; the special ability of the artist, the man of letters, the man of science, and the man of business; the rigid determination to wrong no man, and to stand for righteousness-all these are necessary in a great nation.”
— Theodore Roosevelt

I came across this quote, from early 20th-century U.S. president Teddy Roosevelt, while looking for something else.

For a number of reasons, his wish list for a great America seems conspicuously timely. I could not imagine this sentiment coming from the White House right now.

Roosevelt, who certainly had many flaws, wrote this for an essay that appeared in a collection in 1897, when he was perhaps projecting his vision for a better country. He became president four years later.