--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When economist William Beveridge dreamed…" description: "\"When economist William Beveridge dreamed up the postwar welfare state he wanted to fight five 'giant evils' - want, disease, ignorance, squalor and idl..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c29/jeremy-kyle-18338_fight_when-economist-william-beveridge-dreamed_2616736.jpg" --- # When economist William Beveridge dreamed up the postwar… ![“When economist William Beveridge dreamed up the postwar welfare state he wanted to fight five 'giant evils' - want, disease, ignorance, squalor and idleness. Fast forward 65 years and it seems the last New Labour government grew an Unfair State that fuelled - not fought - one of those evils…” quote by Jeremy Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c29/jeremy-kyle-18338_fight_when-economist-william-beveridge-dreamed_2616736.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c29/jeremy-kyle-18338_fight_when-economist-william-beveridge-dreamed_2616736.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c29/jeremy-kyle-18338_fight_when-economist-william-beveridge-dreamed_2616736.jpg) > “When economist William Beveridge dreamed up the postwar welfare state he wanted to fight five 'giant evils' - want, disease, ignorance, squalor and idleness. Fast forward 65 years and it seems the last New Labour government grew an Unfair State that fuelled - not fought - one of those evils: idleness.” [Jeremy Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-kyle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Beveridge aimed to eliminate five societal ils; modern policies may unintentionally reinforce idleness instead of combating it. **In simple terms:** Policy can worsen the problem it targets. Key Takeaway Reevaluate welfare impacts. Themes policy social welfare idleness Mood analytical critical Type policy economic When to use this quote - government programs - social safety nets - labor market reforms Key Concepts economic theory public policy Questions to Reflect On - How can policy incentivize activity? - What measures reduce unintended idleness? A Different Perspective Complex causes of idleness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evils Idleness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evils-idleness-2074366/) [Evils Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evils-want-2074367/) [Fight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fight/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new/) [Postwar Welfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/postwar-welfare-2074365/) [State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state/) [Welfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/welfare/) [Welfare state](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/welfare-state/) ## Related quotes > [The great virtues of the German people have created more evils than idleness ever did vices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/the-great-virtues-of-the-german-people-have-created-more-evils-than/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [The cradle-to-grave welfare state diminishes individual initiative and can breed a pervasive sclerosis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/the-cradle-to-grave-welfare-state-diminishes-individual-initiative/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [Socialism is a fundamentally different social system where the world's resources are not controlled by a greedy, undemocratic oligarchy. 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