--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This island is made mainly of coal and…" description: "\"This island is made mainly of coal and surrounded by fish. Only an organizing genius could produce a shortage of coal and fish at the same time.\" — Ane..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1d/aneurin-bevan-11144_coal_this-island-is-made-mainly-of-coal-and-s_337249.jpg" --- # This island is made mainly of coal and surrounded by fish… ![“This island is made mainly of coal and surrounded by fish. Only an organizing genius could produce a shortage of coal and fish at the same time.” quote by Aneurin Bevan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1d/aneurin-bevan-11144_coal_this-island-is-made-mainly-of-coal-and-s_337249.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1d/aneurin-bevan-11144_coal_this-island-is-made-mainly-of-coal-and-s_337249.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d1d/aneurin-bevan-11144_coal_this-island-is-made-mainly-of-coal-and-s_337249.jpg) > “This island is made mainly of coal and surrounded by fish. Only an organizing genius could produce a shortage of coal and fish at the same time.” [Aneurin Bevan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-bevan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker mocks the paradox of a region abundant in coal yet lacking fish, highlighting mismanagement and contradictory policies. **In simple terms:** A place rich in one resource can still suffer shortages due to poor planning. Key Takeaway Recognize and address contradictory resource policies. Themes resource management paradox policy criticism regional economics Mood critical reflective Type political analytical When to use this quote - regional development - environmental policy - economic planning - resource scarcity - public administration Key Concepts supply chain resource allocation government planning Questions to Reflect On - How can policy align resource abundance with community needs? - What systemic changes prevent such contradictions? 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If you haven't got a programme, a bogy man will do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneurin-bevan/the-tories-every-election-must-have-a-bogy-man-if-you-haven-t-got-a/) [Aneurin Bevan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-bevan/) > [Reading is not a duty, and has consequently no business to be made disagreeable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneurin-bevan/reading-is-not-a-duty-and-has-consequently-no-business-to-be-made/) [Aneurin Bevan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-bevan/) > [Virtue is its own punishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneurin-bevan/virtue-is-its-own-punishment/) [Aneurin Bevan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-bevan/) > [No society can legitimately call itself civilized if a sick person is denied medical aid because of lack of means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneurin-bevan/no-society-can-legitimately-call-itself-civilized-if-a-sick-person-is/) [Aneurin Bevan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-bevan/) > [You call that statesmanship. I call it an emotional spasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneurin-bevan/you-call-that-statesmanship-i-call-it-an-emotional-spasm/) [Aneurin Bevan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-bevan/) > [Politics is a blood sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneurin-bevan/politics-is-a-blood-sport/) [Aneurin Bevan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-bevan/) > [The worst thing I can say about democracy is that it has tolerated the right hon. Gentleman for four and a half years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneurin-bevan/the-worst-thing-i-can-say-about-democracy-is-that-it-has-tolerated/) [Aneurin Bevan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-bevan/) > [He seems determined to make a trumpet sound like a tin whistle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneurin-bevan/he-seems-determined-to-make-a-trumpet-sound-like-a-tin-whistle/) [Aneurin Bevan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-bevan/) > [He has the lucidity which is the by-product of a fundamentally sterile mind. He does not have to struggle... with the crowded pulsations of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneurin-bevan/he-has-the-lucidity-which-is-the-by-product-of-a-fundamentally/) [Aneurin Bevan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-bevan/) > [I know that the right kind of leader for the Labour Party is a desiccated calculating machine who must not in any way permit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneurin-bevan/i-know-that-the-right-kind-of-leader-for-the-labour-party-is-a/) [Aneurin Bevan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-bevan/) > [This is my truth, tell me yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneurin-bevan/this-is-my-truth-tell-me-yours/) [Aneurin Bevan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-bevan/) > [Reactionary: a man walking backwards with his face to the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneurin-bevan/reactionary-a-man-walking-backwards-with-his-face-to-the-future/) [Aneurin Bevan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-bevan/) > [I am not going to spend any time whatsoever in attacking the Foreign Secretary. If we complain about the tune, there is no reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneurin-bevan/i-am-not-going-to-spend-any-time-whatsoever-in-attacking-the-foreign/) [Aneurin Bevan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-bevan/) > [I know that the right kind of political leader for the Labour Party is a desiccated calculating machine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aneurin-bevan/i-know-that-the-right-kind-of-political-leader-for-the-labour-party/) [Aneurin Bevan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-bevan/) [Explore all 61 Aneurin Bevan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aneurin-bevan/) ## More Coal quotes > [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/) [Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/) > [Coal lay in ledges under the ground since the Flood, until a laborer with pick and windlass brings it to the surface. 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If the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-jones/a-ten-year-old-lad-in-indianapolis-who-was-arrested-for-picking-up/) Mother Jones > [Coal is the moral choice, particularly for the developing world... The model for the world right now should be Australia. Australia gets it. Scientifically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-morano/coal-is-the-moral-choice-particularly-for-the-developing-world-the/) Marc Morano > [Iron and coal dominated everywhere, from grey to black: the black boots, the black stove-pipe hat, the black coach or carriage, the black iron…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/iron-and-coal-dominated-everywhere-from-grey-to-black-the-black-boots/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [I remember being very influenced by 'Taxi Driver', and also Tommy Lee Jones in 'Coal Miner's Daughter' a little bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-rockwell/i-remember-being-very-influenced-by-taxi-driver-and-also-tommy-lee/) [Sam Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-rockwell/) > [I have visited sweatshops, factories, and crowded slums. If I could not see it, I could smell it. The foundation of society is laid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/i-have-visited-sweatshops-factories-and-crowded-slums-if-i-could-not/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [Shakespeare doesn't belong to the past. If his material is valid, it is valid now. It's like coal. The only meaningfulness of a piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-brook/shakespeare-doesn-t-belong-to-the-past-if-his-material-is-valid-it-is/) [Peter Brook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-brook/) > [Coal is My Worst Nightmare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/coal-is-my-worst-nightmare/) [Steven Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-chu/) > [America is the Saudi Arabia of coal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/america-is-the-saudi-arabia-of-coal/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [“...those others - they're looking for trends - subjects to catch a spark - but I have you - a coal from God's altar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-geddes/those-others-they-re-looking-for-trends-subjects-to-catch-a-spark-but/) [John Geddes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-geddes/) > [We're not going to be living in a world of abundant coal power in a hundred years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/we-re-not-going-to-be-living-in-a-world-of-abundant-coal-power-in-a/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) Browse all 720 Coal quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This island is made mainly of coal and surrounded by fish. 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