Iqbal Quadir Quotes

“In America, people buy cars, and they put very little money down. They get a car, and they go to work. The work pays them a salary; the salary allows them to pay for the car over time. The car pays for itself.”

— Iqbal Quadir

“When leaders are no longer beholden to the people who elected them, corruption results and the recruitment of extremists becomes easier.”

— Iqbal Quadir

The history of Europe over the last several centuries provides clear evidence of the transformative power of commerce.

— Iqbal Quadir

“The best way poor people can come out of their poverty is to get on the global highway, not on some dirt side road.”

— Iqbal Quadir

“Barack Obama has talked a lot about changing the way America relates to the world, and few areas are as ripe for reform as our policies on foreign aid.”

— Iqbal Quadir

“During the Cold War, the U.S. instituted a policy of sending money to governments in poor countries to buy their political loyalty. While studies show that sending aid to foreign governments creates allegiance, it does not lead to economic progress.”

— Iqbal Quadir

Poor countries are poor because they are wasting their resources.

— Iqbal Quadir

“Rich countries have been sending aid to poor countries for the last 60 years. And, by and large, this has failed.”

— Iqbal Quadir

“China has an almost infinite need for energy, and frankly, the world would be better off if much of that need goes in the direction of wind power.”

— Iqbal Quadir

“A lot of technologies in the world were unusual in the beginning, and became standard. That's the beauty of bottom-up entrepreneurship and innovations.”

— Iqbal Quadir

I'm motivated by creating a level playing field for the world so that the weak have a chance.

— Iqbal Quadir

A military or government hierarchy is anathema to the dispersed population and diverse tribes of mountainous Afghanistan.

— Iqbal Quadir

Just as entrepreneurs developed America, they can develop other countries, too.

— Iqbal Quadir

“The rapid proliferation of cell phones in Afghanistan proves that anything that adds value to people's lives spreads like brushfire - and commerce is certainly a force that could add value for Afghanis.”

— Iqbal Quadir

Pakistan is riddled with problems that are rooted in the disproportionate power of the state. Aid has only boosted that power.

— Iqbal Quadir

We should encourage governments to be sustained by citizens' taxes - that is, democracies. Democracies will be enduring allies of America.

— Iqbal Quadir

“Connectivity is productivity - whether it's in a modern office or an underdeveloped village.”

— Iqbal Quadir

Top-down approaches do not work. The bottleneck is at the top of the bottle.

— Iqbal Quadir