America is the only nation in history which miraculously has gone directly from barbarism to degeneration without the usual interval of civilization.
Meaning of the quote
According to the quote, America somehow skipped the normal stages of development that other countries go through. Instead of moving from a primitive, uncivilized state to a more advanced, cultured society, America went straight from being uncivilized to being in a state of decline, without experiencing the typical period of becoming a more civilized nation in between. The quote suggests that this was an unusual and surprising pattern for a country's development.
More quotes from Georges Clemenceau
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