With more than 67 percent of the Nation's freight moving on

The words of Dennis Hastert — “With more than 67 percent of the Nation's freight moving on highways, economists believe that our ability to compete internationally is tied to the quality of our infrastructure.” — are a reminder that the fate of nations is not only written in armies and laws, but in the hidden veins that carry the lifeblood of commerce. Roads, bridges, ports, and rails may seem lifeless stone and steel, yet they are the sinews of prosperity. Without them, trade falters, markets wither, and the people grow weak. In these words lies an ancient wisdom: the strength of a civilization rests upon the paths that bind its people together.

The freight that moves upon the highways is more than goods in motion; it is the very pulse of the nation. Grain, fuel, steel, medicine — these flow like rivers of sustenance, unseen yet essential. When Hastert speaks of 67 percent, he calls us to notice the staggering dependence of a people upon their networks of passage. And when he warns that our ability to compete internationally is tied to this, he reminds us that commerce is not an isolated struggle. It is a race of nations, each striving to carry their wealth swiftly and surely, each vying to keep their people supplied.

The ancients knew this truth well. Consider the Romans, who did not merely conquer with sword and shield, but with their roads. Straight and strong, paved across valleys and mountains, they bound the empire together. Grain from Egypt, wine from Gaul, olive oil from Spain — all flowed to the heart of Rome because the roads carried them. When the empire’s infrastructure decayed, when roads crumbled and bridges broke, commerce slowed, armies faltered, and Rome’s greatness dissolved into ruin. Thus, even the mightiest empire was tethered to the quality of its pathways.

In modern times, the same lesson endures. The United States rose in part because of the interstate highway system, built not only to connect cities but to defend the nation, to speed commerce, and to unite people. Factories could reach markets, farmers could deliver harvests, and ideas could travel with the ease of motion. Yet, when bridges rust, when roads crack, when ports grow outdated, the nation’s lifeblood slows. Competitors abroad, with swifter rails and broader ports, may seize the advantage, leaving behind those who neglected the bones of their own commerce.

But Hastert’s words are not solely about nations; they echo into the lives of individuals. For what is infrastructure if not the foundation upon which greater deeds are built? Just as a nation cannot thrive without strong roads, a person cannot thrive without strong foundations. Discipline, health, knowledge — these are the highways of the soul. Neglect them, and your journey slows. Tend them, and you will carry your freight of dreams and duties with strength across the years.

The lesson is thus twofold. To leaders, it is this: invest in the infrastructure of your people, for neglect will one day choke the life of your commerce. To individuals, it is this: build your inner infrastructure — your habits, your discipline, your networks of trust — for these will determine how far and how swiftly you can go. The roads of your life, like the roads of a nation, must be maintained with diligence.

Practical wisdom follows. Examine your own life: are your foundations strong, or do you tread on cracked roads? Strengthen them. Learn continually, care for your body, foster your relationships, and cultivate order in your affairs. Likewise, demand from your leaders that they tend to the public pathways, not only for the present but for generations unborn. For every pothole filled, every bridge strengthened, every road built, is not stone laid for today, but a promise for tomorrow.

Thus, the words of Hastert stand as a warning and a call: nations endure or decline not by chance, but by the quality of their infrastructure. And men and women, too, rise or fall by the roads they build within themselves. Tend to the foundations, and you shall endure. Neglect them, and all else will crumble.