The true greatness of a nation is not measured by the vastness of its territory, or by the multitude of its people, or by the profusion of its exports and imports; but by the extent to which it has contributed to the life and thought and progress of the world. A man's greatness is not estimated by the size of his body or of his purse; not by his family connections or social position, however high these may be. He may bulk large in public estimation today, but tomorrow he will be forgotten like a dream, and his very servants may secure a higher position and a name lasting possibly a little longer. A man's greatness is estimated by his influence, not over the votes and empty cheers of a changing and passing crowd, but by his abiding, inspiring influence in their bidden thoughts, upon their ways of thinking, and consequently of acting. That is why the Wycliffes, Shakespeares, Miltons, Newtons, Wesleys, and Gladstones of English history live, and will live, in everlasting memory, while lesser men are remembered only through them, and the crowd of demagogues, pretenders, and self-seekers are named, if ever named, only to point a moral, or adorn a tale. So with nations. A great nation is not one which, like Russia, has an enormous territory ; or, like China, has an enormous population. It is the nation which gives mankind new modes of thought, new ideals of life, new hopes, new aspirations; which lifts the world out of the rut, and sets it going on a cleaner and brighter road.
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Canada is a country whose main exports are hockey players and cold fronts. Our main imports are baseball players and acid rain.
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The key to sustained growth and rising standards of living will be the ability of developing countries to create vital export industries to compete in a free and open global marketplace. We should help these countries help themselves by opening the U.S. market to their exports.
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Half the world does not know the joys of wearing cotton underwear. (promoting US exports, as quoted in Time)
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Tobacco exports should be expanded aggressively because Americans are smoking less.
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And slowdowns in the U.S. economy and the Asian regional economies, along with high oil prices, raise questions about fourth-quarter growth in Japan. Private demand is weak by any measure. Japanese exporters are complaining about the weak euro, and exports are beginning to slow.
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