--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You could transfer Congress over to run…" description: "\"You could transfer Congress over to run Standard Oil or General Motors, and they would have both things bankrupt in two years.\" — Will Rogers" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b89/will-rogers-272_business_you-could-transfer-congress-over-to-run_572419.jpg" --- # You could transfer Congress over to run Standard Oil or… ![“You could transfer Congress over to run Standard Oil or General Motors, and they would have both things bankrupt in two years.” quote by Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b89/will-rogers-272_business_you-could-transfer-congress-over-to-run_572419.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b89/will-rogers-272_business_you-could-transfer-congress-over-to-run_572419.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b89/will-rogers-272_business_you-could-transfer-congress-over-to-run_572419.jpg) > “You could transfer Congress over to run Standard Oil or General Motors, and they would have both things bankrupt in two years.” [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. He suggests that powerful corporations would quickly fail if placed under congressional control, highlighting inefficiency and mismanagement. **In simple terms:** Corporations would collapse under government control. Key Takeaway Beware of overregulation. Themes politics economics corporate power Mood cautionary critical Type political economic When to use this quote - policy debate - business regulation - public discourse Key Concepts government oversight market dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What are the risks of political interference in industry? - Can regulation improve corporate behavior? A Different Perspective Government may lack expertise to run businesses. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Standard oil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standard-oil/) ## Related quotes > [It is safe to say that the U.S. Congress is now run by paid staffers, not by people elected to do the job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-goldwater/it-is-safe-to-say-that-the-u-s-congress-is-now-run-by-paid-staffers/) [Barry Goldwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-goldwater/) > [The entertainment business is and always has been about money, and it's about, 'Does that person merit that salary?' The fact is that that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-medavoy/the-entertainment-business-is-and-always-has-been-about-money-and-it/) [Mike Medavoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-medavoy/) > [I've had opportunities before to run for office - the Republicans recruited me when I was surgeon general, to run for Congress, to run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-carmona/i-ve-had-opportunities-before-to-run-for-office-the-republicans/) [Richard Carmona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-carmona/) > [I was declared bankrupt a few years ago, which really made me grow up and look in the mirror, face myself, and find strength.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miquita-oliver/i-was-declared-bankrupt-a-few-years-ago-which-really-made-me-grow-up/) [Miquita Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miquita-oliver/) > [Legalize racing in every State. Sure people will bet, but they get to see the horses run and you certain can't see General Motors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/legalize-racing-in-every-state-sure-people-will-bet-but-they-get-to/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [One of the most depressing features of the ethical side of the matter is that instead of such methods arousing contempt they are more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/one-of-the-most-depressing-features-of-the-ethical-side-of-the-matter/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [I helped purify Nicaragua for the international banking house of Brown Brothers in 1909-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for American sugar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/i-helped-purify-nicaragua-for-the-international-banking-house-of/) [Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/) > [ I'm glad I wrote the book to show what I found out about the \[ Standard Oil Company\]. I'm glad many people read my… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/i-m-glad-i-wrote-the-book-to-show-what-i-found-out-about-the-standard/) [John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/) > [Nike used to be known as Blue Ribbon Sports. What's now Sara Lee used to be Consolidated Foods. And Exxon was once Standard Oil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-surowiecki/nike-used-to-be-known-as-blue-ribbon-sports-what-s-now-sara-lee-used/) [James Surowiecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-surowiecki/) > [Today, we have our own concentrations of economic power. Instead of Standard Oil, U.S. Steel, the Union Pacific Railroad, and J. P. Morgan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-packer/today-we-have-our-own-concentrations-of-economic-power-instead-of/) [George Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-packer/) > [Rockefeller and his associates did not build the Standard Oil Co. in the board rooms of Wall Street banks. They fought their way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/rockefeller-and-his-associates-did-not-build-the-standard-oil-co-in/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [Now, if the Standard Oil Company were the only concern in the country guilty of the practices which have given it monopolistic power, this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/now-if-the-standard-oil-company-were-the-only-concern-in-the-country/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [The Catholic Church must be the biggest corporation in the United States. We have a branch office in every neighborhood. Our assets and real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avro-manhattan/the-catholic-church-must-be-the-biggest-corporation-in-the-united/) [Avro Manhattan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avro-manhattan/) > [I decided to write the book to open the eyes of the people of how corrupt John D. Rockefeller company was and the unfair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/i-decided-to-write-the-book-to-open-the-eyes-of-the-people-of-how/) [Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/) > [I helped make Mexico, especially Tampico, safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/smedley-butler/i-helped-make-mexico-especially-tampico-safe-for-american-oil/) [Smedley Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/smedley-butler/) ## 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 Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. A company that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-mcmillon/companies-with-cultures-that-celebrate-diverse-opinions-and-encourage/) [Doug McMillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-mcmillon/) > [You can laugh at me, but I understand show business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ksenia-sobchak/you-can-laugh-at-me-but-i-understand-show-business/) [Ksenia Sobchak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ksenia-sobchak/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [Nobody has a crystal ball, and part of evolving a business plan is to say, 'I might have said we're going left, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-kavanaugh/nobody-has-a-crystal-ball-and-part-of-evolving-a-business-plan-is-to/) [Ryan Kavanaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-kavanaugh/) > [I think a business guy is different from an artist. They walk different paths. Artists create the best outputs when they're having fun. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [I'm not into business at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-mercury/i-m-not-into-business-at-all/) [Freddie Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-mercury/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Browse all 39,016 Business quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You could transfer Congress over to run Standard Oil or General Motors, and they would have both things bankrupt in two years.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Will Rogers" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/you-could-transfer-congress-over-to-run-standard-oil-or-general/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Business" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/you-could-transfer-congress-over-to-run-standard-oil-or-general/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b89/will-rogers-272_business_you-could-transfer-congress-over-to-run_572419.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b89/will-rogers-272_business_you-could-transfer-congress-over-to-run_572419.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b89/will-rogers-272_business_you-could-transfer-congress-over-to-run_572419.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You could transfer Congress over to run Standard Oil or General Motors, and they would have both things…” — 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": "You could transfer Congress over to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/you-could-transfer-congress-over-to-run-standard-oil-or-general/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/you-could-transfer-congress-over-to-run-standard-oil-or-general/#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 } } ] } ```