--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The United States are a miracle: the…" description: "\"The United States are a miracle: the division between two states is sometimes a river or a mountain, and sometimes it's a straight line. But nobody say..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e3/quentin-crisp-1163_accepted_the-united-states-are-a-miracle-the-divi_2876597.png" --- # The United States are a miracle: the division between two… ![“The United States are a miracle: the division between two states is sometimes a river or a mountain, and sometimes it's a straight line. But nobody says, "That tree really belongs in South Carolina. I shan't do anything about it now, I'll get it back later." I shall go after I am here to London…” quote by Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e3/quentin-crisp-1163_accepted_the-united-states-are-a-miracle-the-divi_2876597.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e3/quentin-crisp-1163_accepted_the-united-states-are-a-miracle-the-divi_2876597.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e3/quentin-crisp-1163_accepted_the-united-states-are-a-miracle-the-divi_2876597.png) > “The United States are a miracle: the division between two states is sometimes a river or a mountain, and sometimes it's a straight line. But nobody says, "That tree really belongs in South Carolina. I shan't do anything about it now, I'll get it back later." I shall go after I am here to London and after that to Potsdam, where Comrade Stalin, Mr Churchill and Harry Truman divided up Europe; and what we see now is the result of that. The Americans would have accepted it. But Europeans don't accept anything.” [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker critiques European reluctance to accept political borders, contrasting it with American acceptance, and comments on historical division of Europe **In simple terms:** Europe resists imposed borders more than America accepts them Key Takeaway Recognize differing cultural attitudes toward borders Themes politics history national identity Mood critical analytical Type political historical When to use this quote - political debate - historical analysis - education Key Concepts sovereignty boundary acceptance Questions to Reflect On - What historical factors shape European border attitudes? - How does national identity influence acceptance of borders? A Different Perspective The view oversimplifies complex geopolitical realities ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Carolina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carolina/) [Comrade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comrade/) [Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/) [London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/london/) [Miracle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miracle/) [Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rivers/) [Straight line](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/straight-line/) [Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [American foreign policy is not understood by the vast majority of American people. 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My attention is pretty much equally divided between Europe, the southern Balkans and Black Sea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nabarro/the-virus-is-moving-quite-substantially-into-new-locations-my/) [David Nabarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nabarro/) > [E.U. need to be nurtured and cultivated and protected and fought for because the achievements that we've seen on this continent, in contrast to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/e-u-need-to-be-nurtured-and-cultivated-and-protected-and-fought-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [While it was an experiment to bring them together, nothing has divided Europe as much as the euro.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stiglitz/while-it-was-an-experiment-to-bring-them-together-nothing-has-divided/) [Joseph Stiglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stiglitz/) > [One of my unsung heroes is Erich Mendelsohn. 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That's the genius of the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-shalala/you-go-to-college-not-only-for-the-latest-knowledge-but-also-to-meet/) [Donna Shalala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-shalala/) > [Europeans don't like to talk about intelligence, and they often pretend their countries don't spy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ignatius/europeans-don-t-like-to-talk-about-intelligence-and-they-often/) [David Ignatius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ignatius/) > [ The difference is that they \[Europeans\] don't have that culture about hip-hop as a lifestyle, a way of life; for them it's more of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-maro/the-difference-is-that-they-europeans-don-t-have-that-culture-about/) [K-Maro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-maro/) > [Europeans don't seem to have the groupie mentality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-rock/europeans-don-t-seem-to-have-the-groupie-mentality/) [Kid Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-rock/) ## More by Quentin Crisp > [You can behave as badly as you like in America. Nobody notices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/you-can-behave-as-badly-as-you-like-in-america-nobody-notices/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Never keep up with the Joneses. Drag them down to your level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/never-keep-up-with-the-joneses-drag-them-down-to-your-level/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [“Masturbation is not only an expression of self-regard: it is also the natural emotional outlet of those who, before anything has reared its ugly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/masturbation-is-not-only-an-expression-of-self-regard-it-is-also-the/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [I am the last of Britain's stately homos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/i-am-the-last-of-britain-s-stately-homos/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [My mother protected me from the world and my father threatened me with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/my-mother-protected-me-from-the-world-and-my-father-threatened-me/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Nothing more rapidly inclines a person to go into a monastery than reading a book on etiquette. 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It is virtue which, if it is to be marketed with consumer appeal, must carry Green Shield stamps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/vice-is-its-own-reward-it-is-virtue-which-if-it-is-to-be-marketed/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Most men when they make up their faces, the makeup stands forward, and their faces are behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/most-men-when-they-make-up-their-faces-the-makeup-stands-forward-and/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Development of character consists solely in moving toward self-sufficiency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/development-of-character-consists-solely-in-moving-toward-self/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Women have decided to be people, which is a great mistake. 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I shan't do anything about it now, I'll get it back later.\" I shall go after I am here to London and after that to Potsdam, where Comrade Stalin, Mr Churchill and Harry Truman divided up Europe; and what we see now is the result of that. The Americans would have accepted it. 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