--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To blame the poor for subsisting on…" description: "\"To blame the poor for subsisting on welfare has no justice unless we are also willing to judge every rich member of society by how productive he or she..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e6/norman-mailer-839_abuse_to-blame-the-poor-for-subsisting-on-welf_3011304.png" --- # To blame the poor for subsisting on welfare has no justice… ![“To blame the poor for subsisting on welfare has no justice unless we are also willing to judge every rich member of society by how productive he or she is. Taken individual by individual, it is likely that there's more idleness and abuse of government favors among the economically privileged than…” quote by Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e6/norman-mailer-839_abuse_to-blame-the-poor-for-subsisting-on-welf_3011304.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e6/norman-mailer-839_abuse_to-blame-the-poor-for-subsisting-on-welf_3011304.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e6/norman-mailer-839_abuse_to-blame-the-poor-for-subsisting-on-welf_3011304.png) > “To blame the poor for subsisting on welfare has no justice unless we are also willing to judge every rich member of society by how productive he or she is. Taken individual by individual, it is likely that there's more idleness and abuse of government favors among the economically privileged than among the ranks of the disadvantaged.” [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Judging the poor without judging the rich is unjust; both should be evaluated by productivity. **In simple terms:** Fairness requires assessing all, not just the needy. Key Takeaway Apply equal standards to all. Themes justice economic inequality fairness Mood critical analytical Type philosophical political When to use this quote - policy debates - tax reform - public opinion - media commentary - academic study Key Concepts social critique political economy ethics Questions to Reflect On - How to measure true productivity? - What metrics ensure fairness? A Different Perspective Bias may overlook systemic privilege. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blame/) [Blame Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blame-poor-294400/) [Disadvantaged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disadvantaged/) [Economically Privileged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economically-privileged-2194031/) [Favors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/favors/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Idleness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idleness/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Judging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judging/) [Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/justice/) [Members](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/members/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Privileged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/privileged/) [Productive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/productive/) [Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich/) [Subsisting Welfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/subsisting-welfare-4830605/) [Taken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taken/) [Welfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/welfare/) [Welfare Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/welfare-justice-4830604/) [Willing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willing/) ## Related quotes > [The information society should serve all of its citizens, not only the technically sophisticated and economically privileged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/the-information-society-should-serve-all-of-its-citizens-not-only-the/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [“In places where government priorities and market imperatives create a world so capricious that to help a neighbor is to risk your ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/in-places-where-government-priorities-and-market-imperatives-create-a/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [In a sane, civil, intelligent and moral society, you don't blame poor people for being poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/in-a-sane-civil-intelligent-and-moral-society-you-don-t-blame-poor/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [“This is the dark side of the “American dream.” We blame the poor, accusing them of being poor because they do not work hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ogyen-trinley-dorje/this-is-the-dark-side-of-the-american-dream-we-blame-the-poor/) [Ogyen Trinley Dorje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ogyen-trinley-dorje/) > [There was something missing In my foundation Why blame the poor walls?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javed-akhtar/there-was-something-missing-in-my-foundation-why-blame-the-poor-walls/) [Javed Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javed-akhtar/) > [We continue to blame the poor for their own condition. They are lazy. We do not want to know that the poorest of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-m-kunin/we-continue-to-blame-the-poor-for-their-own-condition-they-are-lazy/) [Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/) > [Most people don't see themselves as sitting on that bottom rung as a defense mechanism. The more they blame poor people for their poverty,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-land/most-people-don-t-see-themselves-as-sitting-on-that-bottom-rung-as-a/) [Stephanie Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-land/) > [One of the things I tell my students is that if you want to understand what's been going on and also what needs to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/one-of-the-things-i-tell-my-students-is-that-if-you-want-to/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [ “… what right \[do\] people in wealthy countries have to blame the poor for their poverty, much less for humanity’s environmental dilemma, when it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hertsgaard/what-right-do-people-in-wealthy-countries-have-to-blame-the-poor-for/) [Mark Hertsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hertsgaard/) > [Homosexuals do not meet the criteria for a susect class under the equal protection clause because they are neither disadvantaged nor identified on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-johnson/homosexuals-do-not-meet-the-criteria-for-a-susect-class-under-the/) [Mike Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-johnson/) > [I've completely lost faith in the Democratic Party to truly serve the disadvantaged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-rauner/i-ve-completely-lost-faith-in-the-democratic-party-to-truly-serve-the/) [Bruce Rauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-rauner/) > [Since Eve negotiated Adam, I am the most disadvantaged negotiator in history of mankind. I have no army, no navy, no air force, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saeb-erekat/since-eve-negotiated-adam-i-am-the-most-disadvantaged-negotiator-in/) [Saeb Erekat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saeb-erekat/) > [In Trinidad, where as new arrivals we were a disadvantaged community, that excluding idea was a kind of protection; it enabled us - for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-naipaul/in-trinidad-where-as-new-arrivals-we-were-a-disadvantaged-community/) [V. S. Naipaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-naipaul/) > [Some kids win the lottery at birth; far too many don't - and most people have a hard time catching up over the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-heckman/some-kids-win-the-lottery-at-birth-far-too-many-don-t-and-most-people/) [James Heckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-heckman/) > [I'd like to think Helen very much understood what it was to be disadvantaged in the medical field. And that that was something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-stuart-masterson/i-d-like-to-think-helen-very-much-understood-what-it-was-to-be/) [Mary Stuart Masterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-stuart-masterson/) ## More by Norman Mailer > [Conservatives are people who look at a tree and feel instinctively that it is more beautiful than anything they can name. But when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/conservatives-are-people-who-look-at-a-tree-and-feel-instinctively/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [There's a subterranean impetus towards pornography so powerful that half the business world is juiced by the sort of half sex that one finds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/there-s-a-subterranean-impetus-towards-pornography-so-powerful-that/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [So the blind will lead the blind, and the deaf shout warnings to one another until their voices are lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/so-the-blind-will-lead-the-blind-and-the-deaf-shout-warnings-to-one/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Writing for a newspaper is like running a revolutionary war. You go to battle not when you are ready, but when action offers itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/writing-for-a-newspaper-is-like-running-a-revolutionary-war-you-go-to/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [I would introduce myself if it were not useless. The name I had last night will not be the same as the name I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/i-would-introduce-myself-if-it-were-not-useless-the-name-i-had-last/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [“City Point is so beautiful, she says. In the night they cannot see the garbage that litters the beach, the seaweed and driftwood, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/city-point-is-so-beautiful-she-says-in-the-night-they-cannot-see-the/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [“I find it’s more fun to write about something that you don’t know completely and that you will discover on route. A dear friend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/i-find-it-s-more-fun-to-write-about-something-that-you-don-t-know/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Short-term amnesia is not the worst affliction if you have an Irish flair for the sauce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/short-term-amnesia-is-not-the-worst-affliction-if-you-have-an-irish/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Part of the oncoming demise (of New York during its terrible fiscal crisis) is that none of us can simply believe it. We were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/part-of-the-oncoming-demise-of-new-york-during-its-terrible-fiscal/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [I have always had this very strong, call it a feeling, call it a prejudice, call it a conviction ... that the mysteries are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/i-have-always-had-this-very-strong-call-it-a-feeling-call-it-a/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [I do believe that America's deepest political sickness is that it is a self-righteous nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/i-do-believe-that-america-s-deepest-political-sickness-is-that-it-is/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [America is a hurricane, and the only people who do not hear the sound are those fortunate if incredibly stupid and smug White Protestants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/america-is-a-hurricane-and-the-only-people-who-do-not-hear-the-sound/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Armstrong, sitting in the commander's seat, spacesuit on, helmet on, plugged into electrical and environmental umbilical's, is a man who is not only a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/armstrong-sitting-in-the-commander-s-seat-spacesuit-on-helmet-on/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [I was thinking that surgeons had to be the happiest people on earth. To cut people up and get paid for it-that's happiness, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/i-was-thinking-that-surgeons-had-to-be-the-happiest-people-on-earth/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Movies are more likely than literature to reach deep feelings in people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/movies-are-more-likely-than-literature-to-reach-deep-feelings-in/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) [Explore all 355 Norman Mailer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) ## More Abuse quotes > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Being nice is okay,but don't allow anybody to abuse it...try to fight for your self when you know your on the right way...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-nice-is-okay-but-don-t-allow-anybody-to-abuse-it-try-to-fight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Build a bridge over shame by teaching kids about sexual abuse. Give them a chance to run to us should they encounter it. Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-byers-ruch/build-a-bridge-over-shame-by-teaching-kids-about-sexual-abuse-give/) [Carolyn Byers Ruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-byers-ruch/) > [It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-is-sure-that-those-are-most-desirous-of-honour-or-glory-who-cry/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [I have a theory that all abuse, no matter what kind of abuse it is, is foremost an assault on the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-have-a-theory-that-all-abuse-no-matter-what-kind-of-abuse-it-is-is/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [“Blaming therapy, social work and other caring professions for the confabulation of testimony of 'satanic ritual abuse' legitimated a programme of political and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/blaming-therapy-social-work-and-other-caring-professions-for-the/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [Finally, the scariest thing about abuse of any shape or form, is, in my opinion, not the abuse itself, but that if it continues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cumming/finally-the-scariest-thing-about-abuse-of-any-shape-or-form-is-in-my/) [Alan Cumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cumming/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Stand up for yourself. Never give any one permission to abuse you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/stand-up-for-yourself-never-give-any-one-permission-to-abuse-you/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [All governments should be pressured to correct their abuses of human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/all-governments-should-be-pressured-to-correct-their-abuses-of-human/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [“Words are free. It does not mean you should abuse them. Be kind with them. They will mirror your actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hadinet-tekie/words-are-free-it-does-not-mean-you-should-abuse-them-be-kind-with/) [Hadinet Tekie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hadinet-tekie/) > [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/) [Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/) [Browse all 3,113 Abuse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To blame the poor for subsisting on welfare has no justice unless we are also willing to judge every rich member of society by how productive he or she is. Taken individual by individual, it is likely that there's more idleness and abuse of government favors among the economically privileged than among the ranks of the disadvantaged.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Norman Mailer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/to-blame-the-poor-for-subsisting-on-welfare-has-no-justice-unless-we/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abuse" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/to-blame-the-poor-for-subsisting-on-welfare-has-no-justice-unless-we/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e6/norman-mailer-839_abuse_to-blame-the-poor-for-subsisting-on-welf_3011304.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e6/norman-mailer-839_abuse_to-blame-the-poor-for-subsisting-on-welf_3011304.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e6/norman-mailer-839_abuse_to-blame-the-poor-for-subsisting-on-welf_3011304.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To blame the poor for subsisting on welfare has no justice unless we are also willing to judge every rich…” — Norman Mailer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Norman Mailer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To blame the poor for subsisting...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/to-blame-the-poor-for-subsisting-on-welfare-has-no-justice-unless-we/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/to-blame-the-poor-for-subsisting-on-welfare-has-no-justice-unless-we/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```