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The very reason why we object to state ownership, that it…

“The very reason why we object to state ownership, that it puts a stop to individual initiative and to the healthy development of personal responsibility, is the reason why we object to an unsupervised, unchecked monopolistic control in private hands. We urge control and supervision by the nation…” quote by Theodore Roosevelt
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“The very reason why we object to state ownership, that it puts a stop to individual initiative and to the healthy development of personal responsibility, is the reason why we object to an unsupervised, unchecked monopolistic control in private hands. We urge control and supervision by the nation as an antidote to the movement for state socialism. Those who advocate total lack of regulation, those who advocate lawlessness in the business world, themselves give the strongest impulse to what I believe would be the deadening movement toward unadulterated state socialism.”

Theodore Roosevelt

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Advocates national regulation to prevent unchecked private monopolies, arguing that both state and private power need oversight to protect individual initiative.

In simple terms: Government must regulate to protect personal responsibility.

Key Takeaway

Support balanced oversight.

Themes

politics economics freedom regulation

Mood

analytical critical

Type

political economic

When to use this quote

  • business regulation
  • anti‑trust policy
  • public discourse

Key Concepts

public policy individual liberty state vs private power

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can regulation protect innovation?
  • What limits should be set on private power?
A Different Perspective

None; may oversimplify complex economic dynamics.

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