--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have our difficulties, true; but we…" description: "\"We have our difficulties, true; but we are a wiser and a tougher nation than we were in 1932. Never have there been six years of such far flung interna..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3e/franklin-d-roosevelt-488_bill-of-rights_we-have-our-difficulties-true-but-we-are_1646936.jpg" --- # We have our difficulties, true; but we are a wiser and a… ![“We have our difficulties, true; but we are a wiser and a tougher nation than we were in 1932. Never have there been six years of such far flung internal preparedness in all of history. And this has been done without any dictator's power to command, without conscription of labor or confiscation of…” quote by Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3e/franklin-d-roosevelt-488_bill-of-rights_we-have-our-difficulties-true-but-we-are_1646936.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3e/franklin-d-roosevelt-488_bill-of-rights_we-have-our-difficulties-true-but-we-are_1646936.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b3e/franklin-d-roosevelt-488_bill-of-rights_we-have-our-difficulties-true-but-we-are_1646936.jpg) > “We have our difficulties, true; but we are a wiser and a tougher nation than we were in 1932. Never have there been six years of such far flung internal preparedness in all of history. And this has been done without any dictator's power to command, without conscription of labor or confiscation of capital, without concentration camps and without a scratch on freedom of speech, freedom of the press or the rest of the Bill of Rights.” [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The nation has become more resilient and prepared without authoritarian measures, preserving freedoms. **In simple terms:** We grew stronger and freer without dictators. Key Takeaway Recognize the power of democratic resilience. Themes freedom resilience democracy Mood cautious optimistic Type historical inspirational When to use this quote - wartime governance - public policy - civil rights movements - national preparedness Key Concepts political science civil liberties Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards keep freedoms intact? - How can societies stay prepared without sacrificing rights? A Different Perspective Challenges include complacency and emerging threats that may test freedoms. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bill of rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bill-of-rights/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Concentration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concentration/) [Concentration camp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concentration-camp/) [Concentration Camps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concentration-camps/) [Conscription](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscription/) [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Dictator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictator/) [Freedom of speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-of-speech/) [Freedom of the press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-of-the-press/) [Labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labor/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Preparedness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preparedness/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech/) ## Related quotes > [Technology can be useful to organise a large number of people online and offline against the common goal of getting a particular dictator out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-cohen/technology-can-be-useful-to-organise-a-large-number-of-people-online/) [Jared Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-cohen/) > [The democracy of the market consists in the fact that people themselves make their choices and that no dictator has the power to force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-democracy-of-the-market-consists-in-the-fact-that-people/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [ “Be ... suspicious ... of all those who employ the term 'we' or 'us' without your permission. This is \[a\] form of surreptitious conscription… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/be-suspicious-of-all-those-who-employ-the-term-we-or-us-without-your/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I regard the principle of conscription of life as a flat contradiction of all our cherished ideals of individual freedom, democratic liberty and Christian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-nash-baldwin/i-regard-the-principle-of-conscription-of-life-as-a-flat/) [Roger Nash Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-nash-baldwin/) > [Anarchism is grounded in a rather definite social-psychological hypothesis: that forceful, graceful and intelligent behaviour occurs only when there is an uncoerced and direct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-goodman/anarchism-is-grounded-in-a-rather-definite-social-psychological/) [Paul Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-goodman/) > [The worship of the nation has been able to make men tolerate under its authority what they could never have tolerated from princes: a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilaire-belloc/the-worship-of-the-nation-has-been-able-to-make-men-tolerate-under/) [Hilaire Belloc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilaire-belloc/) > [I am an opponent of war and of war preparations and an opponent of universal military training and conscription; but entirely apart from that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bayard-rustin/i-am-an-opponent-of-war-and-of-war-preparations-and-an-opponent-of/) [Bayard Rustin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bayard-rustin/) > [All these fifty-year-old guys wearing baseball caps and shorts and acting like children. It winds me up. Men don't have to take responsibility anymore.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrissie-hynde/all-these-fifty-year-old-guys-wearing-baseball-caps-and-shorts-and/) [Chrissie Hynde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrissie-hynde/) > [“Universal peace-time conscription was adopted by almost all countries as the basis of their military system. This ensured that wars would grow bigger in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liddell-hart/universal-peace-time-conscription-was-adopted-by-almost-all-countries/) Liddell Hart > [Conscription if necessary, but not necessarily conscription.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-mackenzie-king/conscription-if-necessary-but-not-necessarily-conscription/) [William Lyon Mackenzie King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lyon-mackenzie-king/) > [Wicksell's old-fashioned liberalism is reminiscent of John Maynard Keynes' attitude toward conscription during World War I. Keynes opposed conscription, but he was not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mancur-olson/wicksell-s-old-fashioned-liberalism-is-reminiscent-of-john-maynard/) [Mancur Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mancur-olson/) > [If a country can't save itself through the volunteer service of its own free people, then I say : Let the damned thing go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/if-a-country-can-t-save-itself-through-the-volunteer-service-of-its/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Once conscription was introduced during the First World War, and once Britain's wars ceased being confined to the empire or to continental Europe and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/once-conscription-was-introduced-during-the-first-world-war-and-once/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [“In 1870, came the victory of the short-service troops of Prussia over the long-service troops of France, where conscription had but recently been reintroduced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-h-liddell-hart-2/in-1870-came-the-victory-of-the-short-service-troops-of-prussia-over/) [B.H. Liddell Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-h-liddell-hart-2/) > [With respect to where we are now, we have a voluntary army. And if we ever go back to conscription I hope that at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/with-respect-to-where-we-are-now-we-have-a-voluntary-army-and-if-we/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) ## More by Franklin D. Roosevelt > [In a democratic nation, power must be linked with responsibility, and obliged to defend and justify itself within the framework of the general good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/in-a-democratic-nation-power-must-be-linked-with-responsibility-and/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Inquisitiveness is the most useful talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/inquisitiveness-is-the-most-useful-talent/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > ['Peace on earth, good will toward men' - democracy must cling to that message. For it is my deep conviction that democracy cannot live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/peace-on-earth-good-will-toward-men-democracy-must-cling-to-that/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [I have seen war ... I hate war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/i-have-seen-war-i-hate-war/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/i-have-seen-war-i-have-seen-war-on-land-and-sea-i-have-seen-blood/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [All of our people all over the country-except the pure-blooded Indians-are immigrants or descendants of immigrants, including even those who came over here on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/all-of-our-people-all-over-the-country-except-the-pure-blooded/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [They have given their sons to the military services. They have stoked the furnaces and hurried the factory wheels. They have made the planes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/they-have-given-their-sons-to-the-military-services-they-have-stoked/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [On the European Front the most important development of the past year has been the crushing offensive of the Great Armies of Russia...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/on-the-european-front-the-most-important-development-of-the-past-year/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [The core of our defense is the faith we have in the institutions we defend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/the-core-of-our-defense-is-the-faith-we-have-in-the-institutions-we/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [War is a contagion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/war-is-a-contagion/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Labor Day symbolizes our determination to achieve an economic freedom for the average man which will give his political freedom realty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/labor-day-symbolizes-our-determination-to-achieve-an-economic-freedom/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Too often in recent history liberal governments have been wrecked on rocks of loose fiscal policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/too-often-in-recent-history-liberal-governments-have-been-wrecked-on/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [The frontier of America is on the Rhine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/the-frontier-of-america-is-on-the-rhine/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/repetition-does-not-transform-a-lie-into-a-truth/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [The future lies with those wise political leaders who realize that the great public is interested more in Government than in politics. The growing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/the-future-lies-with-those-wise-political-leaders-who-realize-that/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) [Explore all 521 Franklin D. Roosevelt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) ## More Bill of rights quotes > [Some of the folks on both sides might be sincere, but it does seem as if it is only the opposition that cares about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bovard/some-of-the-folks-on-both-sides-might-be-sincere-but-it-does-seem-as/) [James Bovard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bovard/) > [“I have a recurring fantasy that one more article has been added to the Bill of Rights: the right to free access to imagination.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azar-nafisi/i-have-a-recurring-fantasy-that-one-more-article-has-been-added-to/) [Azar Nafisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azar-nafisi/) > [“manager’s bill of rights,” those basic things that you have a right to expect from your employees. Responsible employees: Are responsive to feedback Keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erika-andersen/manager-s-bill-of-rights-those-basic-things-that-you-have-a-right-to/) [Erika Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erika-andersen/) > [“To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them." -George Mason - Father of the Bill of Rights”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-goodwin/to-disarm-the-people-is-the-best-and-most-effectual-way-to-enslave/) [Mark Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-goodwin/) > [A bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, and what no just government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-bill-of-rights-is-what-the-people-are-entitled-to-against-every/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The average citizen expresses pride in the American Bill of Rights and then seeks to protect his real estate by restrictive covenants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-allen-overstreet/the-average-citizen-expresses-pride-in-the-american-bill-of-rights/) [Harry Allen Overstreet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-allen-overstreet/) > [“Among those liberties which we in this UNION claim for the child, due to him as a person, is freedom of thought, the function…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parents-national-education-union/among-those-liberties-which-we-in-this-union-claim-for-the-child-due/) [Parents' National Education Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parents-national-education-union/) > [To be patriotic is to be able to question government policy in times of crisis. To be patriotic is to stand up for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sami-al-arian/to-be-patriotic-is-to-be-able-to-question-government-policy-in-times/) [Sami Al-Arian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sami-al-arian/) > [Everybody now seems to be talking about democracy. I don't understand this. As I think of it, democracy isn't like a Sunday suit to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/everybody-now-seems-to-be-talking-about-democracy-i-don-t-understand/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [We have a list of human rights - right to food, right to shelter, right to health, right to education, many such items which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/we-have-a-list-of-human-rights-right-to-food-right-to-shelter-right/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [If this nation is to be wise as well as strong, if we are to achieve our destiny, then we need more new ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-this-nation-is-to-be-wise-as-well-as-strong-if-we-are-to-achieve/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In the first movement, our infancy as a species, we felt no separation from the natural world around us. Trees, rocks, and plants surrounded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-macy/in-the-first-movement-our-infancy-as-a-species-we-felt-no-separation/) [Joanna Macy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-macy/) > [To take a single step beyond the boundaries specially drawn around the powers of Congress is to take possession of a boundless field of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/to-take-a-single-step-beyond-the-boundaries-specially-drawn-around/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Bill of Rights was Madison, I'm going with Madison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-kaine/bill-of-rights-was-madison-i-m-going-with-madison/) [Tim Kaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-kaine/) > [The notion that Americans can be protected from "terror" by giving up the Bill of Rights is absurd. Democrats are complicit in this absurd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/the-notion-that-americans-can-be-protected-from-terror-by-giving-up/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) [Browse all 294 Bill of rights quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bill-of-rights/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We have our difficulties, true; but we are a wiser and a tougher nation than we were in 1932. Never have there been six years of such far flung internal preparedness in all of history. And this has been done without any dictator's power to command, without conscription of labor or confiscation of capital, without concentration camps and without a scratch on freedom of speech, freedom of the press or the rest of the Bill of Rights.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Franklin D. 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