--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No government proposal more complicated…" description: "\"No government proposal more complicated than \"This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private\" ever works.\" — P. J. O'Rourke" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/def/p-j-o-rourke-184_complicated_no-government-proposal-more-complicated_624992.png" --- # No government proposal more complicated than "This note is… ![“No government proposal more complicated than "This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private" ever works.” quote by P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/def/p-j-o-rourke-184_complicated_no-government-proposal-more-complicated_624992.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/def/p-j-o-rourke-184_complicated_no-government-proposal-more-complicated_624992.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/def/p-j-o-rourke-184_complicated_no-government-proposal-more-complicated_624992.png) > “No government proposal more complicated than "This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private" ever works.” [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Complex financial instruments that promise universal acceptance often fail because they lack practical enforceability and public trust. **In simple terms:** Complicated legal tender promises rarely work. Key Takeaway Simplify financial promises and ensure enforceability. Themes economics law policy trust complexity Mood skeptical critical analytical Type political economic cautionary When to use this quote - government budgeting - private contracts - currency reform - debt settlement Key Concepts legal tender public debt financial instruments Questions to Reflect On - Why do governments favor overly complex financial solutions? - How can transparency improve trust in monetary policy? A Different Perspective Complexity can obscure real costs and create loopholes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Complicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated/) [Debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debt/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government Proposal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-proposal-4549416/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Legal Tender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legal-tender-488664/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Note Legal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/note-legal-5049812/) [Notes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notes/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Proposal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proposal/) [Proposal Complicated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proposal-complicated-5049813/) ## Related quotes > [Beginning to dismantle the Pentagon would save $1 trillion a year - a small government proposal if ever there was one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/beginning-to-dismantle-the-pentagon-would-save-1-trillion-a-year-a/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [Under the gold standard gold is money and money is gold. It is immaterial whether or not the laws assign legal tender quality only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/under-the-gold-standard-gold-is-money-and-money-is-gold-it-is/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [Originally, Congress provided in 1793 that all foreign coins circulating in the United States be legal tender. Indeed, foreign coins have been estimated to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/murray-rothbard/originally-congress-provided-in-1793-that-all-foreign-coins/) [Murray Rothbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/murray-rothbard/) > [“The simple exchange of legal tender for goods and services--was there anything more elemental, yet more beautiful? Money. No matter what anyone said, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-lee/the-simple-exchange-of-legal-tender-for-goods-and-services-was-there/) [Don Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-lee/) > [Appreciation is the legal tender that all souls enjoy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/appreciation-is-the-legal-tender-that-all-souls-enjoy/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [I deny the power of the general government to making paper money, or anything else a legal tender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-deny-the-power-of-the-general-government-to-making-paper-money-or/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Life is legal tender, and individual character stamps its value. We are from a thousand mints, and all genuine. Despite our infinitely diverse appraisements,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-imogen-guiney/life-is-legal-tender-and-individual-character-stamps-its-value-we-are/) [Louise Imogen Guiney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-imogen-guiney/) > [No legal tender law is ever needed to make men take good money; its only use is to make them take bad money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-t-byington/no-legal-tender-law-is-ever-needed-to-make-men-take-good-money-its/) [Steven T. Byington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-t-byington/) > [I want to just obey the Constitution.The Constitution says only gold and silver can be legal tender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/i-want-to-just-obey-the-constitution-the-constitution-says-only-gold/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [Cash, though, is to a business as oxygen is to an individual: never thought about when it is present, the only thing in mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/cash-though-is-to-a-business-as-oxygen-is-to-an-individual-never/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [The governments alone are responsible for the spread of the superstitious awe with which the common man looks upon every bit of paper upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/the-governments-alone-are-responsible-for-the-spread-of-the/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [I'm gonna be a happy idiot and struggle for the legal tender. Where the ads take aim and lay their claim to the heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-browne/i-m-gonna-be-a-happy-idiot-and-struggle-for-the-legal-tender-where/) [Jackson Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-browne/) > [The Congress should not be creating money out of thin air, which is what Lincoln did when he created greenbacks. But it is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-congress-should-not-be-creating-money-out-of-thin-air-which-is/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [“Truth for us nowadays is not what is, but what others can be brought to accept: just as we call money not only legal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/truth-for-us-nowadays-is-not-what-is-but-what-others-can-be-brought/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [ The legal tender quality \[of money\] is only valuable for the purposes of dishonesty. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salmon-p-chase/the-legal-tender-quality-of-money-is-only-valuable-for-the-purposes/) [Salmon P. Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salmon-p-chase/) ## More by P. J. O'Rourke > [I'm fascinated by political enthusiasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-m-fascinated-by-political-enthusiasm/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [In comparative terms, there's no poverty in America by a long shot. Heritage Foundation political scientist Robert Rector has worked up figures showing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-comparative-terms-there-s-no-poverty-in-america-by-a-long-shot/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [The Democrats said, "We don't know what's wrong with America, but we can fix it." The Republicans said, "There's nothing wrong with America, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/the-democrats-said-we-don-t-know-what-s-wrong-with-america-but-we-can/) [P. J. 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O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [It was Ronald Reagan who used to say that the 10 most frightening words in the English language are, "I'm from the federal government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/it-was-ronald-reagan-who-used-to-say-that-the-10-most-frightening/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Gun violence has cost us too many political leaders, and hardly ever the worst ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/gun-violence-has-cost-us-too-many-political-leaders-and-hardly-ever/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Pete Seeger is a modest, unassuming, cheerful, and kind-natured man. He's a good folk singer, if you can stand folk singing. And he's such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/pete-seeger-is-a-modest-unassuming-cheerful-and-kind-natured-man-he-s/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Journalists are notoriously easy to kid. All you have to do is speak to a journalist in a very serious tone of voice, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/journalists-are-notoriously-easy-to-kid-all-you-have-to-do-is-speak/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I like to think of my behavior in the sixties as a 'learning experience.' Then again, I like to think of anything stupid I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-like-to-think-of-my-behavior-in-the-sixties-as-a-learning/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I'll be 56 this year, I've got two kids, and I think it's probably time to go back to writing one-glove jokes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-ll-be-56-this-year-i-ve-got-two-kids-and-i-think-it-s-probably-time/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Something that comes to us, some gym shoe that comes to us as a result of child labor from a brutal dictatorship, where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/something-that-comes-to-us-some-gym-shoe-that-comes-to-us-as-a-result/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Russians not only vehemently despise blacks, they believe Africa begins at the Ukraine border.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/russians-not-only-vehemently-despise-blacks-they-believe-africa/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Now, do I think the baby boomers tend to be self-absorbed? I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/now-do-i-think-the-baby-boomers-tend-to-be-self-absorbed-i-do/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) [Explore all 983 P. J. O'Rourke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) ## More Complicated quotes > [Of course I like you. It's because I like you I don't wanna be with you. It's a complicated emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlin/of-course-i-like-you-it-s-because-i-like-you-i-don-t-wanna-be-with/) [Marlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlin/) > [“Why the hell did he have to be so complicated? One minute he was charming, the next he withdrew behind his internal walls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lia-davis/why-the-hell-did-he-have-to-be-so-complicated-one-minute-he-was/) [Lia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lia-davis/) > [Life is more complicated than we think, yet far simpler than anyone dares to imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/life-is-more-complicated-than-we-think-yet-far-simpler-than-anyone/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Programmers are always surrounded by complexity; we cannot avoid it… If our basic tool, the language in which we design and code our programs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/programmers-are-always-surrounded-by-complexity-we-cannot-avoid-it-if/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [“Just because it's complicated, just because you think you can't ever know everything about another person, it doesn't mean you can't try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/just-because-it-s-complicated-just-because-you-think-you-can-t-ever/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [The one thing I absolutely hate about social media are the people who abuse it. Whenever I see a person who constantly posts negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmin-garcia/the-one-thing-i-absolutely-hate-about-social-media-are-the-people-who/) [Jazmin Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmin-garcia/) > [I think the ethics and morals of genetic engineering are very complicated. It intrigues me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spottiswoode/i-think-the-ethics-and-morals-of-genetic-engineering-are-very/) [Roger Spottiswoode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spottiswoode/) > [Your Starbucks order is directly proportional to how complicated your personality is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin/your-starbucks-order-is-directly-proportional-to-how-complicated-your/) [Kevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin/) > [Geometry, which should only obey Physics, when united with it sometimes commands it. 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Perhaps the biggest thing I've learned from my dad is how to be prepared at all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-sekulow/i-have-learned-so-much-from-my-dad-perhaps-the-biggest-thing-i-ve/) [Jay Sekulow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-sekulow/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ The parts of the \[Civil Right\] Movement we recognize so well now were not born from a single decision, but were a complicated and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-aydin/the-parts-of-the-civil-right-movement-we-recognize-so-well-now-were/) [Andrew Aydin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-aydin/) > [Two people could build an outhouse in four hours. They're not complicated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-maxwell/two-people-could-build-an-outhouse-in-four-hours-they-re-not/) [Robert Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-maxwell/) [Browse all 3,190 Complicated quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complicated/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "No government proposal more complicated than \"This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private\" ever works.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "P. J. 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