--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: First comes Coke, then asphalt, then…" description: "\"“First comes Coke, then asphalt, then power lines, then maybe education, justice, and human rights.”\" — Jeffrey Gettleman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b76/jeffrey-gettleman-15142_coke_first-comes-coke-then-asphalt-then-power_92421.jpg" --- # First comes Coke, then asphalt, then power lines, then… ![“First comes Coke, then asphalt, then power lines, then maybe education, justice, and human rights.” quote by Jeffrey Gettleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b76/jeffrey-gettleman-15142_coke_first-comes-coke-then-asphalt-then-power_92421.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b76/jeffrey-gettleman-15142_coke_first-comes-coke-then-asphalt-then-power_92421.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b76/jeffrey-gettleman-15142_coke_first-comes-coke-then-asphalt-then-power_92421.jpg) > ““First comes Coke, then asphalt, then power lines, then maybe education, justice, and human rights.”” [Jeffrey Gettleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gettleman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Infrastructure and consumer goods precede social progress, suggesting a hierarchy where basic amenities enable later advances in justice and rights. **In simple terms:** Development follows material foundations Key Takeaway Basic needs precede rights Themes development infrastructure social justice human rights Mood analytical critical Type observational sociopolitical When to use this quote - urban planning - NGO strategy - policy making Key Concepts sequencing of progress material prerequisites Practical Applications - development aid design - advocacy campaigns Questions to Reflect On - Is material progress a prerequisite for justice? - Can rights be pursued without infrastructure? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Human rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-rights/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) ## Related quotes > [ It \[further education\] is most essential,otherwise I would not have educated my sons. I learnt the hard way.Maybe if I had some education my… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dhirubhai-ambani/it-further-education-is-most-essential-otherwise-i-would-not-have/) [Dhirubhai Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dhirubhai-ambani/) > [“We were trying to rebuild people in our image, convincing them that our way of doing things was superior to their way, that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/we-were-trying-to-rebuild-people-in-our-image-convincing-them-that/) [Jeffrey Gettleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gettleman/) > [As Trotsky didn't exactly say, you may not be interested in electronic snoops, but snoops are interested in you, whether or not you keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/as-trotsky-didn-t-exactly-say-you-may-not-be-interested-in-electronic/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [Passion is something you really don't miss, after it has cooled. It is like looking at an empty bottle on the side of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-bragg/passion-is-something-you-really-don-t-miss-after-it-has-cooled-it-is/) [Rick Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bragg/) > [You can't snort a line of coke off a womans ass and not wonder about her hopes and dreams, it's not gentlemanly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-moody/you-can-t-snort-a-line-of-coke-off-a-womans-ass-and-not-wonder-about/) [Hank Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-moody/) > [I don't even drink Coke. It tastes like robot sweat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/i-don-t-even-drink-coke-it-tastes-like-robot-sweat/) [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) > [“That was the first time I did coke. My body, it was electric. For the first time in my life I felt as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/that-was-the-first-time-i-did-coke-my-body-it-was-electric-for-the/) [Benjamin Alire Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/) > [The waiter brought fresh-baked bread and cheese, a bottle of sparkling water for Annabeth, and a Coke with ice for me (because I’m a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/the-waiter-brought-fresh-baked-bread-and-cheese-a-bottle-of-sparkling/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [Man! I'll suck dick for coke! By suck dick, I mean I'll do whatever it takes, and by coke, I mean cash cause I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katt-williams/man-i-ll-suck-dick-for-coke-by-suck-dick-i-mean-i-ll-do-whatever-it/) [Katt Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katt-williams/) > [Everyone knows I drink a lot of Diet Coke, so...I drink chocolate milk after races as my recovery drink, and you won't ever find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-armstrong/everyone-knows-i-drink-a-lot-of-diet-coke-so-i-drink-chocolate-milk/) [Kristin Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-armstrong/) > [Everybody likes to drink a Coke once in a while; it's when we run out of everything else to drink and we're only left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lexi-alexander/everybody-likes-to-drink-a-coke-once-in-a-while-it-s-when-we-run-out/) [Lexi Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lexi-alexander/) > [I just put myself in a hotel and was smoking coke for a while. Then I met up with the wrong people. I ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-wallice/i-just-put-myself-in-a-hotel-and-was-smoking-coke-for-a-while-then-i/) [Marc Wallice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-wallice/) > [“The number of individuals who know how to make a can of Coke is zero. The number of individual nations that could produce a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-number-of-individuals-who-know-how-to-make-a-can-of-coke-is-zero/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It ended suddenly for Brenda, more slowly for me. My runs began getting shorter and less pleasurable. I'd feel bad after only one day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/it-ended-suddenly-for-brenda-more-slowly-for-me-my-runs-began-getting/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [I hate things that are diluted- -I mean, you don't mix Jack Daniels with Coke. That's a sin!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/motley-crue/i-hate-things-that-are-diluted-i-mean-you-don-t-mix-jack-daniels-with/) [Motley Crue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/motley-crue/) ## More by Jeffrey Gettleman > [“The Oxford dons had accomplished the impossible. They made Africa boring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/the-oxford-dons-had-accomplished-the-impossible-they-made-africa/) [Jeffrey Gettleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gettleman/) > [“The news of suffering takes a new shape when you’re a parent. Fatherhood peels back a layer of skin, exposing a network of nerves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/the-news-of-suffering-takes-a-new-shape-when-you-re-a-parent/) [Jeffrey Gettleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gettleman/) > [“We were about to undertake the most physical challenge of our lives on a diet the equivalent of s’mores.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/we-were-about-to-undertake-the-most-physical-challenge-of-our-lives/) [Jeffrey Gettleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gettleman/) > [“I can’t remember any time the Americans have delivered a worse mess than this. You know what they’re doing?” He bent forward and dropped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/i-can-t-remember-any-time-the-americans-have-delivered-a-worse-mess/) [Jeffrey Gettleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gettleman/) > [“Once I heard a remark made about a certain New York television reporter to the effect that he was the type who would have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/once-i-heard-a-remark-made-about-a-certain-new-york-television/) [Jeffrey Gettleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gettleman/) > [“it takes no more than ten grown men to prevent a stationary car from getting away—”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/it-takes-no-more-than-ten-grown-men-to-prevent-a-stationary-car-from/) [Jeffrey Gettleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gettleman/) > [“you know everything you need to know about a guy by seeing how he treats waiters.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/you-know-everything-you-need-to-know-about-a-guy-by-seeing-how-he/) [Jeffrey Gettleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gettleman/) > [“That’s how the Islamists are,” Louis went on. “They keep changing and changing, but they’ll never give up on their goal to rule the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/that-s-how-the-islamists-are-louis-went-on-they-keep-changing-and/) [Jeffrey Gettleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gettleman/) > [“The Soviet Union had just said dasvidaniya to itself, the Cold War had suddenly ended, the United States was embarking on the longest-running economic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/the-soviet-union-had-just-said-dasvidaniya-to-itself-the-cold-war-had/) [Jeffrey Gettleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gettleman/) > [“The more war you get, the more war you want. It’s an addiction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/the-more-war-you-get-the-more-war-you-want-it-s-an-addiction/) [Jeffrey Gettleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gettleman/) > [“as soon as the Berlin Wall came crumbling down, the Mobutus became an embarrassment. There was suddenly no reason to prop them up. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/as-soon-as-the-berlin-wall-came-crumbling-down-the-mobutus-became-an/) [Jeffrey Gettleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gettleman/) > [“if you’re wondering if we were absolutely insane to march out into the middle of the desert and place our lives in the hands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/if-you-re-wondering-if-we-were-absolutely-insane-to-march-out-into/) [Jeffrey Gettleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gettleman/) > [“There’s this notion, lived just about every day out here, that nothing’s easy but anything’s possible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/there-s-this-notion-lived-just-about-every-day-out-here-that-nothing/) [Jeffrey Gettleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gettleman/) > [“There’s always that thrill of learning something new, feeling your brain grow inside your head, no matter what that something is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/there-s-always-that-thrill-of-learning-something-new-feeling-your/) [Jeffrey Gettleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gettleman/) > [“America’s decision to green-light Ethiopia’s invasion of Somalia and overthrow a popular, grassroots, and surprisingly effective Islamist administration led, over the next five years,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/america-s-decision-to-green-light-ethiopia-s-invasion-of-somalia-and/) [Jeffrey Gettleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gettleman/) [Explore all 44 Jeffrey Gettleman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gettleman/) ## More Coke quotes > [I hate things that are diluted- -I mean, you don't mix Jack Daniels with Coke. That's a sin!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/motley-crue/i-hate-things-that-are-diluted-i-mean-you-don-t-mix-jack-daniels-with/) [Motley Crue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/motley-crue/) > [It ended suddenly for Brenda, more slowly for me. My runs began getting shorter and less pleasurable. I'd feel bad after only one day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/it-ended-suddenly-for-brenda-more-slowly-for-me-my-runs-began-getting/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [“The number of individuals who know how to make a can of Coke is zero. The number of individual nations that could produce a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-number-of-individuals-who-know-how-to-make-a-can-of-coke-is-zero/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I just put myself in a hotel and was smoking coke for a while. Then I met up with the wrong people. I ended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-wallice/i-just-put-myself-in-a-hotel-and-was-smoking-coke-for-a-while-then-i/) [Marc Wallice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-wallice/) > [Everybody likes to drink a Coke once in a while; it's when we run out of everything else to drink and we're only left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lexi-alexander/everybody-likes-to-drink-a-coke-once-in-a-while-it-s-when-we-run-out/) [Lexi Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lexi-alexander/) > [Everyone knows I drink a lot of Diet Coke, so...I drink chocolate milk after races as my recovery drink, and you won't ever find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-armstrong/everyone-knows-i-drink-a-lot-of-diet-coke-so-i-drink-chocolate-milk/) [Kristin Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-armstrong/) > [Man! I'll suck dick for coke! By suck dick, I mean I'll do whatever it takes, and by coke, I mean cash cause I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katt-williams/man-i-ll-suck-dick-for-coke-by-suck-dick-i-mean-i-ll-do-whatever-it/) [Katt Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katt-williams/) > [The waiter brought fresh-baked bread and cheese, a bottle of sparkling water for Annabeth, and a Coke with ice for me (because I’m a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/the-waiter-brought-fresh-baked-bread-and-cheese-a-bottle-of-sparkling/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [“That was the first time I did coke. My body, it was electric. For the first time in my life I felt as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-alire-s-enz/that-was-the-first-time-i-did-coke-my-body-it-was-electric-for-the/) [Benjamin Alire Sáenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-alire-s-enz/) > [I don't even drink Coke. It tastes like robot sweat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rees/i-don-t-even-drink-coke-it-tastes-like-robot-sweat/) [David Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rees/) > [You can't snort a line of coke off a womans ass and not wonder about her hopes and dreams, it's not gentlemanly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-moody/you-can-t-snort-a-line-of-coke-off-a-womans-ass-and-not-wonder-about/) [Hank Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-moody/) > [Passion is something you really don't miss, after it has cooled. It is like looking at an empty bottle on the side of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-bragg/passion-is-something-you-really-don-t-miss-after-it-has-cooled-it-is/) [Rick Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-bragg/) > [As Trotsky didn't exactly say, you may not be interested in electronic snoops, but snoops are interested in you, whether or not you keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/as-trotsky-didn-t-exactly-say-you-may-not-be-interested-in-electronic/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [There really isn't anything more refreshing then iced Coke out of the old-school glass bottles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zupan/there-really-isn-t-anything-more-refreshing-then-iced-coke-out-of-the/) [Mark Zupan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zupan/) > [Just have a Coke or something and watch the boys go past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-snead/just-have-a-coke-or-something-and-watch-the-boys-go-past/) [Sam Snead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-snead/) Browse all 338 Coke quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“First comes Coke, then asphalt, then power lines, then maybe education, justice, and human rights.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeffrey Gettleman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/first-comes-coke-then-asphalt-then-power-lines-then-maybe-education/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Coke" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/first-comes-coke-then-asphalt-then-power-lines-then-maybe-education/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b76/jeffrey-gettleman-15142_coke_first-comes-coke-then-asphalt-then-power_92421.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b76/jeffrey-gettleman-15142_coke_first-comes-coke-then-asphalt-then-power_92421.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b76/jeffrey-gettleman-15142_coke_first-comes-coke-then-asphalt-then-power_92421.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“First comes Coke, then asphalt, then power lines, then maybe education, justice, and human rights.” — Jeffrey Gettleman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jeffrey Gettleman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gettleman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“First comes Coke, then asphalt, then...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/first-comes-coke-then-asphalt-then-power-lines-then-maybe-education/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gettleman/first-comes-coke-then-asphalt-then-power-lines-then-maybe-education/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```