--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's the American leadership that has not…" description: "\"It's the American leadership that has not played the role it should be playing and that leaders in other countries have been playing.\" — Jeffrey Sachs" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7e/jeffrey-sachs-9489_america_it-s-the-american-leadership-that-has-no_2343404.jpg" --- # It's the American leadership that has not played the role… ![“It's the American leadership that has not played the role it should be playing and that leaders in other countries have been playing.” quote by Jeffrey Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7e/jeffrey-sachs-9489_america_it-s-the-american-leadership-that-has-no_2343404.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7e/jeffrey-sachs-9489_america_it-s-the-american-leadership-that-has-no_2343404.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7e/jeffrey-sachs-9489_america_it-s-the-american-leadership-that-has-no_2343404.jpg) > “It's the American leadership that has not played the role it should be playing and that leaders in other countries have been playing.” [Jeffrey Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-sachs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. American leadership has failed to fulfill its expected role, while other nations have taken on that responsibility. **In simple terms:** U.S. is not leading as expected; others are stepping up. Key Takeaway Encourage U.S. to reassess its global role. Themes leadership America global affairs responsibility Mood analytical concerned Type commentary observation When to use this quote - foreign policy reviews - international summits - development aid Key Concepts geopolitics policy accountability Questions to Reflect On - What steps can the U.S. take to regain leadership? - How can other countries support shared global goals? A Different Perspective Complex global dynamics may limit U.S. actions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [American leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-leadership/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaders/) [Leaders Countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaders-countries-832498/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Leadership Played](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership-played-5678873/) [Other countries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/other-countries/) [Playing Leaders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-leaders-4802429/) [Roles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roles/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) ## Related quotes > [Its interesting that in searching for monsters to play you often end up playing leaders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sheen/its-interesting-that-in-searching-for-monsters-to-play-you-often-end/) [Michael Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sheen/) > [It's interesting that in searching for monsters to play you often end up playing leaders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sheen/it-s-interesting-that-in-searching-for-monsters-to-play-you-often-end/) [Michael Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sheen/) > [There is an element of performance to leadership, because youre on public display, and I suppose I must be attracted to that. Although, probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-sheen/there-is-an-element-of-performance-to-leadership-because-youre-on/) [Michael Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-sheen/) > [Throughout history the leaders of the countries have been very particular about what songs should be sung. We know the power of songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/throughout-history-the-leaders-of-the-countries-have-been-very/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [I have been with President Trump as he has spoken with leaders from countries on six continents, including Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, France, India, Indonesia,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-c-o-brien/i-have-been-with-president-trump-as-he-has-spoken-with-leaders-from/) [Robert C. O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-c-o-brien/) > [We deal, unfortunately, every single day with leaders of countries who are responsible for actions we find either objectionable or abhorrent, whether it's Vladimir…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-blinken/we-deal-unfortunately-every-single-day-with-leaders-of-countries-who/) [Antony Blinken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-blinken/) > [Responsibility does not only lie with the leaders of our countries or with those who have been appointed or elected to do a particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/responsibility-does-not-only-lie-with-the-leaders-of-our-countries-or/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Our survival, the future of our civilization, possibly the existence of mankind, depends on American leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/our-survival-the-future-of-our-civilization-possibly-the-existence-of/) [Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/) > [The lesson must be learned that American leadership matters, and weak leaders leave our friends and allies more vulnerable against violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-james/the-lesson-must-be-learned-that-american-leadership-matters-and-weak/) [John E. James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-james/) > [I want American Dream growth - lots of new businesses, well-paying jobs, and American leadership in new industries, like clean energy and biotechnology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/i-want-american-dream-growth-lots-of-new-businesses-well-paying-jobs/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [When Iran continues to get away with bad behavior, what do our allies who are Iran's enemies think about us? It is why we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/when-iran-continues-to-get-away-with-bad-behavior-what-do-our-allies/) [Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/) > [Part of American leadership is making sure that we're doing nation building here at home. That will help us maintain the kind of American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/part-of-american-leadership-is-making-sure-that-we-re-doing-nation/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The small and bullying leader of Russia is now dictating terms to the United States, to the point where all the United States of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-small-and-bullying-leader-of-russia-is-now-dictating-terms-to-the/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [Everywhere that I go in the world, people desperately look to American leadership in all of their world's most difficult problems. You can look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/everywhere-that-i-go-in-the-world-people-desperately-look-to-american/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [Challenging American leadership is not at stake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/challenging-american-leadership-is-not-at-stake/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) ## More by Jeffrey Sachs > [Senior development specialists in the Treasury can be counted on one hand. America's government is not even aware of the gap between its commitments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-sachs/senior-development-specialists-in-the-treasury-can-be-counted-on-one/) [Jeffrey Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-sachs/) > [We're going to have to forgive a great deal of the Soviet era debt. There's no question about that. Let's face up to that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-sachs/we-re-going-to-have-to-forgive-a-great-deal-of-the-soviet-era-debt/) [Jeffrey Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-sachs/) > [The essence of Africa's crisis is fundamentally its extreme poverty and therefore its inability to mobilize out of its own resources even the barest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-sachs/the-essence-of-africa-s-crisis-is-fundamentally-its-extreme-poverty/) [Jeffrey Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-sachs/) > [Business often does a good job supporting communities: the arts, universities, and scientific enterprises... But that philosophy has rarely reached poor countries. Even businesses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-sachs/business-often-does-a-good-job-supporting-communities-the-arts/) [Jeffrey Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-sachs/) > [In the early 1990s, when a lot of the developing world opened up to international capital flows... they ended up in very good long-term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-sachs/in-the-early-1990s-when-a-lot-of-the-developing-world-opened-up-to/) [Jeffrey Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-sachs/) > [The key to ending extreme poverty is to enable the poorest of the poor to get their foot on the ladder of development. 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They are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-sachs/tax-the-rich-end-the-wars-break-the-power-of-lobbies-in-washington/) [Jeffrey Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-sachs/) > [If we did go into a recession, something that's always possible for the U.S. or Europe, we could lower interest rates and expand the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-sachs/if-we-did-go-into-a-recession-something-that-s-always-possible-for/) [Jeffrey Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-sachs/) > [The Russian drama began at the end of 1991, when the Soviet Union mercifully ended. Russia and 14 other new countries emerged from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-sachs/the-russian-drama-began-at-the-end-of-1991-when-the-soviet-union/) [Jeffrey Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-sachs/) > [I think the IMF helped to detonate the Indonesian crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-sachs/i-think-the-imf-helped-to-detonate-the-indonesian-crisis/) [Jeffrey Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-sachs/) > [The essence of Africa's crisis is fundamentally its extreme poverty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-sachs/the-essence-of-africa-s-crisis-is-fundamentally-its-extreme-poverty-2/) [Jeffrey Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-sachs/) > [The debts are unaffordable. If they won't cancel the debts I would suggest obstruction; you do it yourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-sachs/the-debts-are-unaffordable-if-they-won-t-cancel-the-debts-i-would/) [Jeffrey Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-sachs/) > [White House and State Department foreign-policy experts are overwhelmingly directed towards military and diplomatic issues, not development issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-sachs/white-house-and-state-department-foreign-policy-experts-are/) [Jeffrey Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-sachs/) > [Let the future say of our generation that we sent forth mighty currents of hope and that we worked together to heal the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-sachs/let-the-future-say-of-our-generation-that-we-sent-forth-mighty/) [Jeffrey Sachs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-sachs/) [Explore all 66 Jeffrey Sachs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-sachs/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? 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