--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: America should be leading the world in…" description: "\"America should be leading the world in green and clean solutions, and human rights. We shouldn't be leading the world in wars and incarceration rates a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8f/van-jones-984_america_america-should-be-leading-the-world-in-g_13813.png" --- # America should be leading the world in green and clean… ![“America should be leading the world in green and clean solutions, and human rights. We shouldn't be leading the world in wars and incarceration rates and pollution. We can be a better country. I think we're going to be a better country.” quote by Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8f/van-jones-984_america_america-should-be-leading-the-world-in-g_13813.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8f/van-jones-984_america_america-should-be-leading-the-world-in-g_13813.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8f/van-jones-984_america_america-should-be-leading-the-world-in-g_13813.png) > “America should be leading the world in green and clean solutions, and human rights. We shouldn't be leading the world in wars and incarceration rates and pollution. We can be a better country. I think we're going to be a better country.” [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates for the U.S. to prioritize environmental stewardship, human rights, and peaceful leadership over militarism and pollution, urging national improvement. **In simple terms:** Promotes ethical, sustainable global leadership. Key Takeaway U.S. should lead by example, not by conflict. Themes environmentalism human rights peaceful diplomacy national identity social responsibility Mood hopeful determined optimistic Type political inspirational When to use this quote - policy formulation - public advocacy - educational curricula - media commentary Key Concepts sustainability ethical governance global influence Practical Applications - government strategy - NGO campaigns Questions to Reflect On - What policies could shift national priorities toward sustainability? - How can citizens hold leaders accountable for environmental and human‑rights standards? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [America Leading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-leading-375546/) [Clean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clean/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/green/) [Human rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-rights/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Incarceration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/incarceration/) [Leading World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leading-world-375548/) [Pollution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pollution/) [Pollution Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pollution-better-375547/) [Rate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rate/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Solutions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solutions/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-green-375549/) ## Related quotes > [If we take all this actions and if it turns out not be true, we have reduced pollution and have better ways to live,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/if-we-take-all-this-actions-and-if-it-turns-out-not-be-true-we-have/) [Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/) > [This girl is my whole world!(:<3 I am the one in the green teheee xD](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-girl-is-my-whole-world-3-i-am-the-one-in-the-green-teheee-xd/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The challenges we face, a global pandemic, global economy, global climate change crisis, mass migration, extreme poverty, social justice, are unrelenting and interconnected, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-thomas-greenfield/the-challenges-we-face-a-global-pandemic-global-economy-global/) [Linda Thomas-Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-thomas-greenfield/) > [America and Japan are the two leading world economies in terms of technology and innovative products. And in software, information-age technology and biotechnology the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/america-and-japan-are-the-two-leading-world-economies-in-terms-of/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [JFK was leading the world, leading the United States into a new position with the Soviet Union. He was calling for the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/jfk-was-leading-the-world-leading-the-united-states-into-a-new/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [From leading the world into the age of democracy to spearheading the technological revolution, America has always been at the forefront of greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-b-rangel/from-leading-the-world-into-the-age-of-democracy-to-spearheading-the/) [Charles B. Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-b-rangel/) > [Under the Biden-Harris Administration, America is leading from the shadows of Camp David and Wilmington, Delaware, and our nation, troops, and the world are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-donalds/under-the-biden-harris-administration-america-is-leading-from-the/) [Byron Donalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-donalds/) > [Together, leading the world, the U.S.A. will rid our planet of this barbarous organization called ISIS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/together-leading-the-world-the-u-s-a-will-rid-our-planet-of-this/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [The United States of America is the leading power in the world. Our friends and our adversaries respect us in large measure because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-rice/the-united-states-of-america-is-the-leading-power-in-the-world-our/) [Susan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-rice/) > [Russia will have much greater respect for America when I'm leading than when other people have led it. You will see that. Russia will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/russia-will-have-much-greater-respect-for-america-when-i-m-leading/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [That's one component: rather than creating job-training pipelines that put these kids at the back of the line for the last century's pollution-based jobs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/that-s-one-component-rather-than-creating-job-training-pipelines-that/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [The chief moral obligation of the 21st Century is to build a green economy that is strong enough to lift people out of poverty.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/the-chief-moral-obligation-of-the-21st-century-is-to-build-a-green/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Our criminal justice system has swallowed up too many people I love. I am proud to join the ACLU in the fight to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-k-williams/our-criminal-justice-system-has-swallowed-up-too-many-people-i-love-i/) [Michael K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-k-williams/) > [You know and we have about 60 to 70 percent black men in prison today and it's because of the negativity they have in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stedman-graham/you-know-and-we-have-about-60-to-70-percent-black-men-in-prison-today/) [Stedman Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stedman-graham/) > [“Crime and punishment can be summed up in two classifications: there are bad people and there are people who get into bad situations. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnie-dent-jr/crime-and-punishment-can-be-summed-up-in-two-classifications-there/) [Johnnie Dent Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnie-dent-jr/) ## More by Van Jones > [Right now, the government is spending billions of dollars supporting the problem-makers in the U.S. economy - the polluters, despoilers, incarcerators, and warmongers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/right-now-the-government-is-spending-billions-of-dollars-supporting/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [ If \[Donald\] Trump throws 20 million off of health care, that's going to be - if he handles this badly - and it's very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/if-donald-trump-throws-20-million-off-of-health-care-that-s-going-to/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [ I learned more in those six months \[ in the White House\] than in the prior six years. I don't think that anybody who… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-learned-more-in-those-six-months-in-the-white-house-than-in-the/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Most green-collar jobs are middle-skill jobs. That means they require more education that a high-school diploma, but less than a four-year degree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/most-green-collar-jobs-are-middle-skill-jobs-that-means-they-require/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [The problem that we have is that most Americans don't even study American history, let alone Pinochet, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin and all these guys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/the-problem-that-we-have-is-that-most-americans-don-t-even-study/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [ \[Donald Trump\] is a horrible human being, but he ain't worse than Bull Connor. Fannie Lou loved Bull Connor and beat Bull Connor because… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/donald-trump-is-a-horrible-human-being-but-he-ain-t-worse-than-bull/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [The government built the grid to favor one industry over others. But I don't hear any conservatives screaming about that. Folks don't understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/the-government-built-the-grid-to-favor-one-industry-over-others-but-i/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Keith Ellison is an organizer's organizer.He's one of the only Muslims in Congress, so you have a big statement there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/keith-ellison-is-an-organizer-s-organizer-he-s-one-of-the-only/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Everybody should be mad but anger only takes you so far. At some point, you'll have outrage fatigue and burn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/everybody-should-be-mad-but-anger-only-takes-you-so-far-at-some-point/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [We have to accept that some very toxic stuff was marbled into the Trump phenomenon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/we-have-to-accept-that-some-very-toxic-stuff-was-marbled-into-the/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [All the big ideas for getting us onto a lower carbon trajectory involve a lot of people doing a lot of work, and that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/all-the-big-ideas-for-getting-us-onto-a-lower-carbon-trajectory/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [I'm the guy that's trying to break up that monopoly to introduce free enterprise and competition to the energy sector.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-m-the-guy-that-s-trying-to-break-up-that-monopoly-to-introduce-free/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [I think that America could not become America until it dealt with the disenfranchisement of women and African Americans in the last century. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-think-that-america-could-not-become-america-until-it-dealt-with-the/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [I'm learning and changing all the time, and I expect to continue doing so my entire life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-m-learning-and-changing-all-the-time-and-i-expect-to-continue-doing/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [I think parenting is one of the most important jobs, because you can hit two or three generations with the values in your house…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/i-think-parenting-is-one-of-the-most-important-jobs-because-you-can/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) [Explore all 314 Van Jones quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) ## 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! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. 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? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. 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