---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We believe that no nation can survive…"
description: "\"We believe that no nation can survive politically free but economically enslaved.\" — Tommy Douglas"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/tommy-douglas-17183_believe_we-believe-that-no-nation-can-survive-po_2487833.jpg"
---

#  We believe that no nation can survive politically free but…

![“We believe that no nation can survive politically free but economically enslaved.” quote by Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/tommy-douglas-17183_believe_we-believe-that-no-nation-can-survive-po_2487833.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/tommy-douglas-17183_believe_we-believe-that-no-nation-can-survive-po_2487833.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/tommy-douglas-17183_believe_we-believe-that-no-nation-can-survive-po_2487833.jpg)

> “We believe that no nation can survive politically free but economically enslaved.”

[Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Political freedom without economic autonomy leads to oppression and loss of true sovereignty.

**In simple terms:** Freedom needs both political and economic independence.

Key Takeaway

Ensure economic empowerment alongside political rights.

Themes

political freedom economic autonomy sovereignty social justice

Mood

critical reflective

Type

analytical political

When to use this quote

- policy making
- labor movements
- community development
- education reform

Key Concepts

capitalism colonialism human rights

Questions to Reflect On

- How can societies balance political rights with economic equality?
- What policies protect both freedoms?

A Different Perspective

Economic constraints can limit political agency despite formal freedoms.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/)

## Related quotes

> [In other countries, rich and poor, education remains substantially free, with educational standards that rank high in global comparisons. Even in the US, higher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/in-other-countries-rich-and-poor-education-remains-substantially-free/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [Leadership is tested not by one's capacity to survive politically but by the ability to make tough decisions in trying times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ehud-olmert/leadership-is-tested-not-by-one-s-capacity-to-survive-politically-but/)

[Ehud Olmert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ehud-olmert/)

> [Spiritual methods are essential in Africa if you are going to survive politically. My cousin is the chief security officer for the president of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malidoma-patrice-some/spiritual-methods-are-essential-in-africa-if-you-are-going-to-survive/)

[Malidoma Patrice Some](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malidoma-patrice-some/)

> [You cannot decree women to be sexually free when they are not economically free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shere-hite/you-cannot-decree-women-to-be-sexually-free-when-they-are-not/)

[Shere Hite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shere-hite/)

> [The streets of our country are in turmoil. The universities are filled with students rebelling and rioting. Communists are seeking to destroy our country.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/the-streets-of-our-country-are-in-turmoil-the-universities-are-filled/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [Only a more Savage Nation can survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/only-a-more-savage-nation-can-survive/)

[Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/)

> [Although every step must be taken to protect against a chemical or biological attack in America, our nation would survive the use of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-schiff/although-every-step-must-be-taken-to-protect-against-a-chemical-or/)

[Adam Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-schiff/)

> [When we have done our best, we can, as a united people, take whatever may befall with calm courage and confidence that this old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eamon-de-valera/when-we-have-done-our-best-we-can-as-a-united-people-take-whatever/)

[Eamon de Valera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eamon-de-valera/)

> [A nation will not survive morally or economically when so few have so much and so many have so little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/a-nation-will-not-survive-morally-or-economically-when-so-few-have-so/)

[Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/)

> [Without law and order our nation cannot survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/without-law-and-order-our-nation-cannot-survive/)

[Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/)

> [But the simple truth is that we've lost control of our own borders, and no nation can do that and survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/but-the-simple-truth-is-that-we-ve-lost-control-of-our-own-borders/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [A nation can survive its fools, even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within…for the traitor appears not to be a traitor...he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-nation-can-survive-its-fools-even-the-ambitious-but-it-cannot/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [No nation can survive without passing its heritage, language and, yes, faith to the next generation. A country must be built on something substantial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-thomas/no-nation-can-survive-without-passing-its-heritage-language-and-yes/)

[Cal Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-thomas/)

> [Any nation that can survive what we have lately in the way of government, is on the high road to permanent glory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/any-nation-that-can-survive-what-we-have-lately-in-the-way-of/)

[Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/)

> [Our deep spiritual confidence that this nation will survive the perils of today - which may well be with us for decades to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/our-deep-spiritual-confidence-that-this-nation-will-survive-the/)

[John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/)

## More by Tommy Douglas

> [I am proud that my daughter believes, as I do, that hungry children should be fed whether they are Black Panthers or White Republicans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/i-am-proud-that-my-daughter-believes-as-i-do-that-hungry-children/)

[Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/)

> [In Washington they have their hawks and doves and in Ottawa we have our parrots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/in-washington-they-have-their-hawks-and-doves-and-in-ottawa-we-have/)

[Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/)

> [My dream is for people around the world to look up and to see Canada like a little jewel sitting at the top of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/my-dream-is-for-people-around-the-world-to-look-up-and-to-see-canada/)

[Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/)

> [A recession is when your neighbour has to tighten his belt. A depression is when you have to tighten your own belt. And a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/a-recession-is-when-your-neighbour-has-to-tighten-his-belt-a/)

[Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/)

> [To accept the principal that "all power proceeds from the barrel of a gun" is to accept a society which will be dominated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/to-accept-the-principal-that-all-power-proceeds-from-the-barrel-of-a/)

[Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/)

> [We are all in this world together, and the only test of our character that matters is how we look after the least fortunate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/we-are-all-in-this-world-together-and-the-only-test-of-our-character/)

[Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/)

> [Setting people to spy on one another is not the way to protect freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/setting-people-to-spy-on-one-another-is-not-the-way-to-protect-freedom/)

[Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/)

> [If ever we needed in this country to adopt a new attitude towards homosexuality, this is the time. Instead of treating it as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/if-ever-we-needed-in-this-country-to-adopt-a-new-attitude-towards/)

[Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/)

> [I am sure that hon. members will realize that I am not drawing on my imagination when I state that last fall there were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/i-am-sure-that-hon-members-will-realize-that-i-am-not-drawing-on-my/)

[Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/)

> [He was the only man I ever knew who could get money from the rich and votes from the poor with the promise to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/he-was-the-only-man-i-ever-knew-who-could-get-money-from-the-rich-and/)

[Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/)

> [ The \[Liberal\] federal government's trouble is that they have a wishbone where they should have a backbone. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/the-liberal-federal-government-s-trouble-is-that-they-have-a-wishbone/)

[Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/)

> [Courage, my friends; 'tis not too late to build a better world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/courage-my-friends-tis-not-too-late-to-build-a-better-world/)

[Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/)

> [We agree with the statement contained in the encyclical Quadragesimo Anno, written by Pope Leo XIII, that "anything which dominates the life of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/we-agree-with-the-statement-contained-in-the-encyclical-quadragesimo/)

[Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/)

> [The greatest way to defend democracy is to make it work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/the-greatest-way-to-defend-democracy-is-to-make-it-work/)

[Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/)

> [I came to believe that health services ought not to have a price tag on them, and that people should be able to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/i-came-to-believe-that-health-services-ought-not-to-have-a-price-tag/)

[Tommy Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/)

[Explore all 38 Tommy Douglas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/)

## More Believe quotes

> [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/)

[Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/)

> [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/)

[Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/)

> [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/)

[Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/)

> [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/)

[Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/)

> [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/)

[Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/)

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/)

[Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/)

> [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/)

[Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/)

> [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/)

[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

> [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/)

[Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/)

> [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/)

[Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/)

> [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/)

[Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/)

> [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/)

[James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/)

> [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/)

[Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/)

Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "We believe that no nation can survive politically free but economically enslaved.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Tommy Douglas"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/we-believe-that-no-nation-can-survive-politically-free-but/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Believe"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/we-believe-that-no-nation-can-survive-politically-free-but/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/tommy-douglas-17183_believe_we-believe-that-no-nation-can-survive-po_2487833.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/tommy-douglas-17183_believe_we-believe-that-no-nation-can-survive-po_2487833.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/tommy-douglas-17183_believe_we-believe-that-no-nation-can-survive-po_2487833.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“We believe that no nation can survive politically free but economically enslaved.” — Tommy Douglas",
                "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": "Tommy Douglas",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-douglas/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "We believe that no nation can...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/we-believe-that-no-nation-can-survive-politically-free-but/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-douglas/we-believe-that-no-nation-can-survive-politically-free-but/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
