Aggressive Quote by David Foster Wallace
“America, as everybody knows, is a country of many contradictions, and a big contradiction for a long time has been between a very aggressive form of capitalism and consumerism against what might be called a kind of moral or civic impulse.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "Consider the Lobster", The New Yorker, 2004
Points out the tension between aggressive capitalism/consumerism and an underlying moral or civic impulse in America.
In simple terms: America has deep contradictions between profit motives and civic values.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and balance economic drive with ethical responsibility.
Themes
economics
ethics
culture
contradiction
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
philosophical
social commentary
When to use this quote
- policy debate
- business decisions
- personal consumption
Key Concepts
capitalism
consumerism
civic duty
moral impulse
Questions to Reflect On
- Can profit and public good coexist?
- How do you reconcile personal consumption with civic values?
A Different Perspective
Economic pressures often override moral considerations.
![“I think the president's [Barack Obama] position has been very clear on Syria. He wants more aggressive, he's put the Special Ops on the ground, in fact one of the Republican criticisms is he's got thousands of Americans there. We just don't call them troops on the ground, we don't admit to it. But…” quote by Juan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f9c/juan-williams-7909_aggressive_i-think-the-president-s-barack-obama-pos_17086.jpg)
