The New Nationalism (Speech, August 31, 1910)
Theodore Roosevelt
Roosevelt's words come at a time when America was wrestling with the power of trusts and monopolies that distorted true meritocracy. His vision of equality of opportunity deliberately pushes back against the entrenched privileges that stifle both individual potential and collective progress. By equating civil life with military meritocracy, he emphasizes that genuine achievement, not inherited advantage, should drive societal advancement.