I fully expected that, by the end of the century, we would have achieved substantially more than we actually did.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
If there was any one achievement, it would be that we've have done it on our own terms.
In a few hundred years you have achieved in America what it took thousands of years to achieve in Europe.
We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible.
Do a little bit more than average and from that point on our progress multiplies itself out of all proportion to the effort put in.
Just think how much poorer we would be today if the world would have had half as many people in the 19th century as it actually did. You can get rid of Thomas Edison or Louis Pasteur; take your pick.
If we look at where relations between the Soviet Union and Germany were in 1945 and where we stand now, then we have achieved so much.
All in all, I would not have missed this century for the world.
There's so much left to achieve, there's so much more to do, there's so much that has not been done.
One of the things I say to people is: Imagine if we succeeded.
We had hundreds of thousands of people all dedicated to doing the perfect job, and I think they did about as well as anyone could ever have expected.