A spirit of national masochism prevails, encouraged by an effete corps of impudent snobs who characterize themselves as intellectuals. – Spiro T. Agnew
But America is a great, unwieldy Body. Its Progress must be slow. It is like a large Fleet sailing under Convoy. The fleetest Sailors must wait for the dullest and slowest. Like a Coach and sixthe swiftest Horses must be slackened and the slowest quickened, that all may keep an even Pace. – John Adams