--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Gone are the days when the upper classes…" description: "\"Gone are the days when the upper classes were terrified of the angry mob wanting to smash their skulls and confiscate their properties. Now their bigge..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ff/ha-joon-chang-3497_angry_gone-are-the-days-when-the-upper-classes_2405694.png" --- # Gone are the days when the upper classes were terrified of… ![“Gone are the days when the upper classes were terrified of the angry mob wanting to smash their skulls and confiscate their properties. Now their biggest enemy is the army of lazy bums, whose lifestyle of indolence and hedonism, financed by crippling taxes on the rich, is sucking the lifeblood out…” quote by Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ff/ha-joon-chang-3497_angry_gone-are-the-days-when-the-upper-classes_2405694.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ff/ha-joon-chang-3497_angry_gone-are-the-days-when-the-upper-classes_2405694.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ff/ha-joon-chang-3497_angry_gone-are-the-days-when-the-upper-classes_2405694.png) > “Gone are the days when the upper classes were terrified of the angry mob wanting to smash their skulls and confiscate their properties. Now their biggest enemy is the army of lazy bums, whose lifestyle of indolence and hedonism, financed by crippling taxes on the rich, is sucking the lifeblood out of the economy.” [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Economic stagnation stems from a lazy, tax‑burdened populace draining resources, replacing fear of revolt with indolence. **In simple terms:** Idle, over‑taxed citizens hurt the economy. Key Takeaway Encourage productivity and fair taxation. Themes economics social policy taxation Mood critical analytical Type economic social commentary When to use this quote - tax policy - labor markets - social welfare programs - education reform Key Concepts Public choice behavioral economics inequality Questions to Reflect On - What incentives can boost productive work? - How to balance taxes without stifling growth? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on laziness ignores structural issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Angry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angry/) [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enemy/) [Financed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/financed/) [Lifestyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifestyle/) [Mob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mob/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Terrified](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrified/) ## Related quotes > [Up until 1986, the top marginal rate, the top statutory rate was 50 percent. Now it's 35 percent. 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Yet these are fringe ideas within most of the mainstream media, which marginalises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-jones/the-vast-majority-of-people-back-higher-taxes-on-the-rich-yet-these/) [Owen Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-jones/) > [Successful businesses create jobs; that is true. But the notion that if we cut taxes enough for the very rich and for already hugely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/successful-businesses-create-jobs-that-is-true-but-the-notion-that-if/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Prosperity of the middling and lower orders depends upon the fortunes and light taxes of the rich.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mellon/prosperity-of-the-middling-and-lower-orders-depends-upon-the-fortunes/) [Andrew Mellon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mellon/) ## More by Ha-Joon Chang > [“In no country does the average income give the right picture of how people live but in a country with higher inequality it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/in-no-country-does-the-average-income-give-the-right-picture-of-how/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [Sometimes people with strong ideology, whether left-wing or right-wing, refuse to do something simply because they believe it is wrong, when doing it actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/sometimes-people-with-strong-ideology-whether-left-wing-or-right-wing/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [Every market has some rules and boundaries that restrict freedom of choice. 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Truman, in his typical no-nonsense style, once said that ‘An expert is someone who doesn’t want to learn anything new, because then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/harry-s-truman-in-his-typical-no-nonsense-style-once-said-that-an/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [Rational thinking is an important aspect of human nature, but we have imagination, we have ambition, we have irrational fear, we are swayed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/rational-thinking-is-an-important-aspect-of-human-nature-but-we-have/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [The history of capitalism has been so totally re-written that many people in the rich world do not perceive the historical double standards involved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/the-history-of-capitalism-has-been-so-totally-re-written-that-many/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [Equality of opportunity is meaningless for those who do not have the capabilities to take advantage of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/equality-of-opportunity-is-meaningless-for-those-who-do-not-have-the/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [The higher education system in these countries (US, Korea etc) has become like a theatre in which some people decided to stand to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/the-higher-education-system-in-these-countries-us-korea-etc-has/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [What free-market economists are not telling us is that the politics they want to get rid of are none other than those of democracy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/what-free-market-economists-are-not-telling-us-is-that-the-politics/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [ “Joseph Schumpeter emphasized that all analysis in economics is preceded by a pre-analytical cognitive act, called vision, in which the analyst ‘visualise\[s\] a distinct… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/joseph-schumpeter-emphasized-that-all-analysis-in-economics-is/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [“All technical professionals have an incentive to make themselves look more complicated than they are so that they can justify the high fees their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/all-technical-professionals-have-an-incentive-to-make-themselves-look/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [I'm not an anti-capitalist, or anarchist. I want capitalism to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/i-m-not-an-anti-capitalist-or-anarchist-i-want-capitalism-to-work/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [“all technical professions have an incentive to make themselves look more complicated than they really are so that they can justify the high fees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/all-technical-professions-have-an-incentive-to-make-themselves-look/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) [Explore all 129 Ha-Joon Chang quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) ## More Angry quotes > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [There's only so much for a man to take...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-gilchrist/there-s-only-so-much-for-a-man-to-take/) Kirsten Gilchrist > [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [“When you feel terribly angry, you're possessed by anger ghost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/when-you-feel-terribly-angry-you-re-possessed-by-anger-ghost/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I always fight better when my opponent's angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-haye/i-always-fight-better-when-my-opponent-s-angry/) [David Haye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-haye/) > [Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying or getting overly angry or to maintain control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/sometimes-you-have-to-laugh-to-keep-from-crying-or-getting-overly/) [Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/) > [When you're frustrated with people, when they've made you angry, it just may be because you haven't given them enough time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/when-you-re-frustrated-with-people-when-they-ve-made-you-angry-it/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [When I was writing 'Black Panther,' on one level, I was angry because DC would never let me write 'Batman,' so I was doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-priest/when-i-was-writing-black-panther-on-one-level-i-was-angry-because-dc/) [Christopher Priest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-priest/) > [Another step had her backed up against the wall, and he braced his arms on both sides of her. 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Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) [Browse all 3,857 Angry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angry/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Gone are the days when the upper classes were terrified of the angry mob wanting to smash their skulls and confiscate their properties. 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