--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s a strange thing. This is only…" description: "\"“It’s a strange thing. This is only thirty-five years ago—Roosevelt, Wallace. We have a new generation in business today. Successful. It’s surprising h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba8/studs-terkel-3020_business_it-s-a-strange-thing-this-is-only-thirty_2581111.jpg" --- # It’s a strange thing. This is only thirty-five years… ![“It’s a strange thing. This is only thirty-five years ago—Roosevelt, Wallace. We have a new generation in business today. Successful. It’s surprising how quickly they forget the assistance their fathers got from the Government. The Farm Bureau, which I helped organize in this state, didn’t help us…” quote by Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba8/studs-terkel-3020_business_it-s-a-strange-thing-this-is-only-thirty_2581111.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba8/studs-terkel-3020_business_it-s-a-strange-thing-this-is-only-thirty_2581111.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba8/studs-terkel-3020_business_it-s-a-strange-thing-this-is-only-thirty_2581111.jpg) > ““It’s a strange thing. This is only thirty-five years ago—Roosevelt, Wallace. We have a new generation in business today. Successful. It’s surprising how quickly they forget the assistance their fathers got from the Government. The Farm Bureau, which I helped organize in this state, didn’t help us in ’35. They take the same position today: we don’t need the Government. I’m just as sure as I’m sitting here, we can’t do it ourselves. Individuals have too many different interests. Who baled out the land banks when they were busted in the Thirties? It was the Federal”” [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) ## 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 warns that newer generations forget past government aid and overestimate self‑reliance, risking policy failures. **In simple terms:** People ignore past help and think they can do everything alone. Key Takeaway Recognize and value past public support. Themes history public policy generational memory self‑reliance government aid Mood reflective critical concerned Type analytical historical When to use this quote - Policy debates - education curricula - community planning - political campaigns Key Concepts Economic dependency political ideology social safety nets Questions to Reflect On - How does forgetting past aid affect current policy? - What balance should exist between private initiative and government support? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on self‑reliance can ignore systemic needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Farm Bureau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farm-bureau-1777832/) [Five years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five-years/) [Government Farm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-farm-1777834/) [Land Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/land-banks-1777836/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Roosevelt Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roosevelt-wallace-1777835/) [Thirties Federal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thirties-federal-1777833/) [Years ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-ago/) ## Related quotes > [While there will be policy disagreements, Secretary Vilsack has broad support across the agriculture community, including the Tennessee Farm Bureau, and has committed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hagerty/while-there-will-be-policy-disagreements-secretary-vilsack-has-broad/) [Bill Hagerty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hagerty/) > [“As I look at it, a millionth part of a railway is worth fully as much as an acre of waste land on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandre-dumas/as-i-look-at-it-a-millionth-part-of-a-railway-is-worth-fully-as-much/) [Alexandre Dumas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandre-dumas/) > [“Why did I write it down? 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This is only thirty-five years ago—Roosevelt, Wallace. We have a new generation in business today. Successful. It’s surprising how quickly they forget the assistance their fathers got from the Government. The Farm Bureau, which I helped organize in this state, didn’t help us in ’35. They take the same position today: we don’t need the Government. I’m just as sure as I’m sitting here, we can’t do it ourselves. Individuals have too many different interests. Who baled out the land banks when they were busted in the Thirties? 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