--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If America ever passes out as a great…" description: "\"If America ever passes out as a great nation, we ought to put on our tombstone: America died from a delusion she had Moral Leadership.\" — Will Rogers" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/will-rogers-272_america_if-america-ever-passes-out-as-a-great-na_2685132.jpg" --- # If America ever passes out as a great nation, we ought to… ![“If America ever passes out as a great nation, we ought to put on our tombstone: America died from a delusion she had Moral Leadership.” quote by Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/will-rogers-272_america_if-america-ever-passes-out-as-a-great-na_2685132.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/will-rogers-272_america_if-america-ever-passes-out-as-a-great-na_2685132.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/will-rogers-272_america_if-america-ever-passes-out-as-a-great-na_2685132.jpg) > “If America ever passes out as a great nation, we ought to put on our tombstone: America died from a delusion she had Moral Leadership.” [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote warns that a nation's collapse can be traced to a loss of moral integrity, suggesting that ethical decay is fatal. **In simple terms:** Moral decay leads to national failure. Key Takeaway Uphold moral leadership. Themes ethics leadership nationhood Mood cautious reflective Type political philosophical When to use this quote - government policy - education - media commentary - civic engagement Key Concepts Moral philosophy political theory Questions to Reflect On - What defines moral leadership today? - How can societies protect ethical standards? A Different Perspective Moral standards are hard to measure and enforce. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [America Died](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-died-1461571/) [America Passes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-passes-2612634/) [Delusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusion/) [Delusion Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delusion-moral-2612632/) [Died](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/died/) [Died Delusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/died-delusion-2612633/) [Great nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-nations/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-leadership/) [Nation Ought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nation-ought-445637/) [Nations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nations/) [Ought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought/) [Tombstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tombstone/) [United states of america](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states-of-america/) [Usa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/usa/) ## Related quotes > [I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts. I'm not a member of any organized political party, I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-don-t-make-jokes-i-just-watch-the-government-and-report-the-facts-i/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [When Captain America died, Americans heard it in an American way: through the media. When Captain Britain died, the British felt it in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-cornell/when-captain-america-died-americans-heard-it-in-an-american-way/) [Paul Cornell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-cornell/) > [My sister and the baby she was carrying died in the United States of America. They died in the country that spends more money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-lim/my-sister-and-the-baby-she-was-carrying-died-in-the-united-states-of/) [Robin Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-lim/) > [Every nation ought to have a right to provide for its own happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/every-nation-ought-to-have-a-right-to-provide-for-its-own-happiness/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [The nation ought to have a tax system which looks like someone designed it on purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-e-simon/the-nation-ought-to-have-a-tax-system-which-looks-like-someone/) [William E. Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-e-simon/) > [True statesmanship is the art of changing a nation from what it is into what it ought to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rounseville-alger/true-statesmanship-is-the-art-of-changing-a-nation-from-what-it-is/) [William Rounseville Alger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rounseville-alger/) > [ \[I\]n framing a Government for a nation we ought, in those provisions which are designed to be permanent, to calculate not on temporary, but… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/i-n-framing-a-government-for-a-nation-we-ought-in-those-provisions/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [The blood of a nation ought never to be shed except for its own preservation in the utmost extremity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-fenelon/the-blood-of-a-nation-ought-never-to-be-shed-except-for-its-own/) [Francois Fenelon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-fenelon/) > [Americans will quarrel over how, who, or what to rescue or save, but the idea that the nation ought to be off doing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-von-hoffman/americans-will-quarrel-over-how-who-or-what-to-rescue-or-save-but-the/) [Nicholas von Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-von-hoffman/) > [No nation ought to keep a navy larger than is necessary to do police duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/no-nation-ought-to-keep-a-navy-larger-than-is-necessary-to-do-police/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“As James Madison put it, the nation ought to be constituted “to protect the minority of the opulent against the majority.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-james-madison-put-it-the-nation-ought-to-be-constituted-to-protect/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [he'd know that I think that . . . well, that bending an enemy's will through military force is the absolute last way a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/he-d-know-that-i-think-that-well-that-bending-an-enemy-s-will-through/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [All those who seek to destroy the liberties of a democratic nation ought to know that war is the surest and shortest means to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/all-those-who-seek-to-destroy-the-liberties-of-a-democratic-nation/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [One good Man may take another's Word, if they so agree, but a whole Nation ought never to trust to any Honesty, but what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-de-mandeville/one-good-man-may-take-another-s-word-if-they-so-agree-but-a-whole/) [Bernard de Mandeville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-de-mandeville/) > [Law in general is human reason, inasmuch as it governs all the inhabitants of the earth: the political and civil laws of each nation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/law-in-general-is-human-reason-inasmuch-as-it-governs-all-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Will Rogers > [She was so ugly she could make a mule back away from an oat bin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/she-was-so-ugly-she-could-make-a-mule-back-away-from-an-oat-bin/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [We are always saying: Let the Law take its Course but what we really mean is: Let the Law take OUR Course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/we-are-always-saying-let-the-law-take-its-course-but-what-we-really/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [The Democrats and the Republicans are equally corrupt where money is concerned. It's only in the amount where the Republicans excel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-democrats-and-the-republicans-are-equally-corrupt-where-money-is/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Farmers, get out your sense of humor. Congress meets to relieve you again next week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/farmers-get-out-your-sense-of-humor-congress-meets-to-relieve-you/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Politicians, after all, are not over a year behind public opinion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/politicians-after-all-are-not-over-a-year-behind-public-opinion/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [American invents everything, but the trouble is we get tired of it the minute the new is wore off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/american-invents-everything-but-the-trouble-is-we-get-tired-of-it-the/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [I don't know what humor is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-don-t-know-what-humor-is/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [There are two things I don't care how smart you are, you will never understand. One is an alienist's testimony, and the other is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-are-two-things-i-don-t-care-how-smart-you-are-you-will-never/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [The more you observe politics, the more you've got to admit that each party is worse than the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/the-more-you-observe-politics-the-more-you-ve-got-to-admit-that-each/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [I don't think you can make a lawyer honest by an act of legislature. You've got to work on his conscience. And his lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/i-don-t-think-you-can-make-a-lawyer-honest-by-an-act-of-legislature/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [There are two theories to arguing with a woman. Neither works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-are-two-theories-to-arguing-with-a-woman-neither-works/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [America is a great country, but you can't live in it for nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/america-is-a-great-country-but-you-can-t-live-in-it-for-nothing/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [There ought to be one day - just one - when there is open season on senators.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-ought-to-be-one-day-just-one-when-there-is-open-season-on/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [Every Gag I tell must be based on truth. No matter how much I may exaggerate it, it must have a certain amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/every-gag-i-tell-must-be-based-on-truth-no-matter-how-much-i-may/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [So live that you would not mind selling your pet parrot to the town gossip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/so-live-that-you-would-not-mind-selling-your-pet-parrot-to-the-town/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) [Explore all 776 Will Rogers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) ## 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. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If America ever passes out as a great nation, we ought to put on our tombstone: America died from a delusion she had Moral Leadership.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Will Rogers" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/if-america-ever-passes-out-as-a-great-nation-we-ought-to-put-on-our/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/if-america-ever-passes-out-as-a-great-nation-we-ought-to-put-on-our/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/will-rogers-272_america_if-america-ever-passes-out-as-a-great-na_2685132.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/will-rogers-272_america_if-america-ever-passes-out-as-a-great-na_2685132.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/713/will-rogers-272_america_if-america-ever-passes-out-as-a-great-na_2685132.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If America ever passes out as a great nation, we ought to put on our tombstone: America died from a delusion…” — Will Rogers", "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": "Will Rogers", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If America ever passes out as...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/if-america-ever-passes-out-as-a-great-nation-we-ought-to-put-on-our/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/if-america-ever-passes-out-as-a-great-nation-we-ought-to-put-on-our/#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 } } ] } ```