Country Quote by F. Sionil José
“The obscenities of this country are not girls like you. It is the poverty which is obscene, and the criminal irresponsibility of the leaders who make this poverty a deadening reality. The obscenities in this country are the places of the rich, the new hotels made at the expense of the people, the hospitals where the poor die when they get sick because they don't have the money either for medicines or services. It is only in this light that the real definition of obscenity should be made.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Tree of the Sea by F. Sionil José, 1975
Obscenity is not sexual but systemic poverty and corrupt leadership that exploit the vulnerable.
In simple terms: Poverty and corruption are the true obscenities.
Key Takeaway
Address inequality and demand accountable governance.
Themes
inequality
corruption
poverty
social justice
Mood
angful
critical
empathetic
Type
political
social
philosophical
When to use this quote
- policy reform
- community activism
- supporting NGOs
- public awareness campaigns
Key Concepts
Human rights
economic disparity
political accountability
Questions to Reflect On
- How does wealth concentration affect societal morals?
- What responsibilities do leaders have to the poor?
A Different Perspective
Obscenity can also be seen as a cultural symptom, not just economic.
![“That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws; and every step of intestine discord was marked by some deplorable victory of savage man over civilized society.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70c/edward-gibbon-710_barbarism_that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinkin_393.jpg)
