Hi all, I've been trying to find a historical quote, maybe someone here knows it?
I 'believe' it was a mid 20th century quote said by a politician, it went something along the lines of:
"if you want to know the strength of a country, look at its economy".
The phrasing must have been quite different, but that was in essence the theme conveyed as far as I remember, that the economy of a country was a determinant factor for the overall might of the country. Any help appreciated.
During his Senate confirmation hearing for Secretary of Defense in 1953, Charles E. Wilson said, "...what was good for our country was good for General Motors, and vice versa."
This was later misquoted/simplified as "What's good for General Motors is good for America."
(According to the Wikipedia article on Wilson, he preferred this later, simplified version.)
Not sure if this is the exact quote you're looking for, but I think the Eisenhower years would be the place to search.
Not sure what kind of sources are required to be cited for a public record. I had it handy in The Glory and The Dream: A Narrative History of America 1932-1972 by William Manchester. (p.793)