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Debtor Quotes

Words on debt and dependency

This set of debtor quotes reflects on debt at every scale, from individual borrowers to the United States being described as an American debtor nation.

Let every man, every corporation, and especially let every village, town, and city, every county and State, get out of debt and keep out of debt. It is the debtor that is ruined by hard times.

Quotes by Rutherford B. Hayes

We've become a debtor nation. I don't mean just on fixed-loan terms, but we own increasingly less abroad than is owned from abroad here.

Quotes by Paul Samuelson

That is what has happened to the United States in the international economic scene. We have deteriorated into a debtor status so that we are now dependent upon the kindness of strangers. That is not where the world's leading power...

Quotes by Paul Sarbanes

But Paul, in his preaching of the Gospel, is a debtor to deliver the word not to Barbarians only, but also to Greeks, and not only to the unwise, who would easily agree with him, but also to the wise.

Quotes by Origen

American Quotes

The United States appears to be a debtor nation in perpetuity.

Quotes by Lou Dobbs

On 16 September 1985, when the Commerce Department announced that the United States had become a debtor nation, the American Empire died.

Quotes by Gore Vidal

It's an open secret that if a debtor is willing to wait long enough, he can probably get away with paying almost nothing, as long as he doesn't mind hurting his credit score.

Quotes by Charles Duhigg

Frequently Asked Questions

What do debtor quotes say about the United States?
Several describe the U.S. as a debtor nation, noting it has become dependent on foreign lenders rather than being economically self-sufficient.
Why is being a debtor considered risky?
One quote warns that debtors are the ones ruined by hard times, urging every person and institution to get out of debt and stay out.
Do these quotes mention specific causes of debtor status?
They point to owning less abroad than is owned from abroad, a sign used to explain the country's debtor position.
How do debtor quotes relate to loans specifically?
They note that debtor status isn't only about fixed loans, but also fewer overseas assets, reflecting a broader economic shift, as seen in our American quotes.
What tone do these debtor quotes take?
Most are cautionary and reflective, describing debt as a lasting burden for a person, a state, or a City that requires discipline to escape.

Other lines urge every person, corporation, and City to get out of debt and stay out of it, warning that debtors suffer most in hard times.