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Quote by Thomas Friedman

“I'm a radical pro-immigration advocate. I'm not saying we just look at the Muslim world or we just look at China, we just look at India as a source of our talent. But, one thing we know... first or second generation or new immigrants or children of immigrants have started about 40% of the Fortune 500 companies. For me it's always been a really very important issue that I want America to be open to the most energetic and talented people from around the world.”

Quote by Thomas Friedman

Author

Thomas Friedman

Thomas Friedman is an American journalist known for his in-depth analysis of globalization and international politics. He served as a columnist for The New York Times and won numerous awards for his unique perspective and thorough research. more

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“All one needs to do is just to go to any hospital in America and see the number of Pakistani or Indian or Lebanese, or Syrian, or Egyptian doctors, who are either first generation or themselves immigrants, to know, and I'm a big believer - brains are distributed evenly around the world. What aren't distributed evenly are opportunities, stable government, educational institutions, etc.”

“I don't know what the average income of Muslim-Americans is, but Muslim-American immigrants of recent vintage, I bet they have a very above-average representation in professional and business occupations.”

Knows Average Income Immigrants Occupation Representation Vintage Above Average

Author:Thomas Friedman

“Why is it Muslims from Pakistan or from Egypt come to America and thrive, and they are frustrated back home? It's about clean government. It's about a rule of law. It's about intellectual property protection. They've got all the talent and energy of anybody else. As new immigrants they may have more of it, so you put them in our system and they become doctors, lawyers, and businessmen and entrepreneurs.”

“I don't think the Arab Spring had much to do with energy. I think it was just the opposite, in fact. I think the Arab Spring happened because particularly young people knew they were living in a context where they could not realize their full potential, that they are being kept down by their own governments.”

People Thinking Facts Government Young Energy Realizing Happened Spring Opposites Full Potential Arab Spring

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“The things we truly love stay with us always, locked in our hearts as long as life remains.”

Love Heart Long Remains African American Locked

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“America was the funder of petro-dictatorships. We treated all these countries as basically big, large gas stations: Libya station, Iraq station, Iran station, Egypt station, Syria station, and all we asked of them were three things: Keep your palms open, your prices low and don't bother Israel too much, and you can do whatever you want to your own people.”

People Want Country Bigs America Three Can Do Too Much Lows Iraq Israel Treated Bother Gas Iran Stations Dictatorship Syria Egypt Palms Three Things Libya Do Whatever You Want Gas Stations

Author:Thomas Friedman

“Iraq today does have a chance to shape its own future. They may not do that, or this generation may not do that. But maybe the next one will, I don't know. They may try and fail, and stumble, get up and fall back.”

Knows Trying May Doe Today Fall Next Chance Failing Generations Shapes Iraq Get Up Fall Back The Next One This Generation

Author:Thomas Friedman

“I've always believed the world would be a better place if more people everywhere have a chance to shape their own future and realize their full potential. I think that is what life is about.”

People Ifs Thinking World Would Be Life Is Realizing Chance Shapes Better Place Always Believe Full Potential

Author:Thomas Friedman

“When people get frustrated, it's when they feel they are living in a context that deprives them of dignity, deprives them of justice and deprives them of the freedom to realize their full potential, and that to me is what the Arab awakening was all about. I think it applied to every country, and so I have been an unmitigated supporter of it.”

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Author:Thomas Friedman

“The Arab awakening was like watching elephants fly: something you didn't expect, something you haven't seen before, "Wow, elephants fly."”

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Author:Thomas Friedman