Relevant words today, from the Tao Te Ching-Translation by Stephen Mitchell

Chapter 18

"When the great Tao is forgotten,
goodness and piety appear.
When the body's intelligence declines,
cleverness and knowledge step forth.
When there is no peace in the family,
filial piety begins.
When the country falls into chaos,
patriotism is born."

First verse of Chapter 46

"When a country is in harmony with the Tao,
the factories make trucks and tractors.
When a country goes counter to the Tao,
warheads are stockpiled outside the cities."

Note-"The Tao is defined as the basic principle of the universe, and the book is about wisdom in action... "it teaches how to work for the good with effortless skill...and applies equally to good government, sexual love, child rearing, business and ecology."

"The Tao Te Ching is the most widely translated book in world literature, after the Bible."