"You cannot bring prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
You cannot further brotherhood of men by inciting class hatred.
You cannot establish security on borrowed money.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves."
You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
You cannot further brotherhood of men by inciting class hatred.
You cannot establish security on borrowed money.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away man's initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves."
-Rev. William Boetcker (1945)
I heard this quote last night at a fun gathering of a few friends...people friends and wine friends. It was attributed to President Lincoln, but after a quick 'google,' turns out that that was just an 'e-rumor' (anybody know that was a thing?). It was part of a pamphlet called Lincoln on Limitations written by Boetcker, a Presbyterian minister, in 1945. It examines some of Lincoln's words and then Boetcker apparently deduced from them this pithy commentary on socalism. So the author is Boetcker, but it was inspired by Lincoln. I haven't read the pamphlet and don't know if it's available, but I do like this quote.
These phrases really stuck out to me:
*"You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich."
You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich."
i.e. Don't be a communist. Distribution of wealth doesn't help the poor,
but when you take away the reward for hard work you may not have
any hard workers left.
but when you take away the reward for hard work you may not have
any hard workers left.
*"You cannot build character and courage by taking away
man's initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently
by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves."
man's initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently
by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves."
Giving people things (not including educational opportunities)
without exchange of goods or services cannot build the type of
character and work ethic that we need to produce a strong and
without exchange of goods or services cannot build the type of
character and work ethic that we need to produce a strong and
independent young generation or a successful country. Luxury is
not a human right, it's something you work for.
not a human right, it's something you work for.
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