--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Despite the fact that there's billions of…" description: "\"Despite the fact that there's billions of dollars sitting in the Iraqi government reserves, somehow they are incapable of getting it out to the people...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/991/patrick-cockburn-28053_billions_despite-the-fact-that-there-s-billions-o_1512928.png" --- # Despite the fact that there's billions of dollars sitting… ![“Despite the fact that there's billions of dollars sitting in the Iraqi government reserves, somehow they are incapable of getting it out to the people. There are a very large number of people here who are on the edge of starvation. For those sort of people - a sizable chunk of people - that…” quote by Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/991/patrick-cockburn-28053_billions_despite-the-fact-that-there-s-billions-o_1512928.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/991/patrick-cockburn-28053_billions_despite-the-fact-that-there-s-billions-o_1512928.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/991/patrick-cockburn-28053_billions_despite-the-fact-that-there-s-billions-o_1512928.png) > “Despite the fact that there's billions of dollars sitting in the Iraqi government reserves, somehow they are incapable of getting it out to the people. There are a very large number of people here who are on the edge of starvation. For those sort of people - a sizable chunk of people - that service makes them regard Muqtada as a sort of god.” [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wealth can be hoarded by governments, leaving citizens in dire need while leaders are revered as saviors despite systemic failure. **In simple terms:** Money hoarding causes suffering, yet people idolize those who can help. Key Takeaway Address corruption and ensure aid reaches the needy. Themes corruption poverty leadership public trust Mood frustrated hopeful Type political social critique When to use this quote - government budgeting - NGO distribution - community support - policy reform Key Concepts economic disparity political patronage humanitarian aid Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens hold leaders accountable for resource misuse? - What mechanisms ensure aid reaches the starving? A Different Perspective Political realities often block efficient aid delivery. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dollars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dollars/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Large numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/large-numbers/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Reserves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reserves/) [Starvation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starvation/) ## Related quotes > [Everyone agrees that our ultimate goal is to establish a free, open and democratic Iraqi government and bring our men and women in uniform…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-walsh/everyone-agrees-that-our-ultimate-goal-is-to-establish-a-free-open/) [James T. Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-walsh/) > [The key to making the inspections work is the Iraqi government making the crucial decision that because of the international pressure Iraq has to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-key-to-making-the-inspections-work-is-the-iraqi-government-making/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We've got to ensure that the quality and the capability of these forces will be good enough to withstand the challenges that the insurgents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-abizaid/we-ve-got-to-ensure-that-the-quality-and-the-capability-of-these/) [John Abizaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-abizaid/) > [When Iraq becomes strong enough in our opinion to stand alone, we shall be in a position to state that our task has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/when-iraq-becomes-strong-enough-in-our-opinion-to-stand-alone-we/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [The links between the American government and the Iraqi government are so close that you cannot judge one without asking at least the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-verges/the-links-between-the-american-government-and-the-iraqi-government/) [Jacques Verges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-verges/) > [There have been linkages between the Iraqi government and al-Qaeda going back more or less a decade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-have-been-linkages-between-the-iraqi-government-and-al-qaeda/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you mean by "military victory" an Iraqi government that can be established and whose writ runs across the whole country, that gets the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-a-kissinger/if-you-mean-by-military-victory-an-iraqi-government-that-can-be/) [Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-a-kissinger/) > [Tonight, with a new Iraqi government in place, and following consultations with allies abroad and Congress at home, I can announce that America will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/tonight-with-a-new-iraqi-government-in-place-and-following/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [According to recent opinion polls, a large majority of Iraqis believe that the U.S. military has no intention to leave Iraq, and that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-conyers/according-to-recent-opinion-polls-a-large-majority-of-iraqis-believe/) [John Conyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-conyers/) > [We need to continue our full support of the nascent Iraqi government by helping to rebuild their economic infrastructure and maintain security while training…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-roberts/we-need-to-continue-our-full-support-of-the-nascent-iraqi-government/) [Pat Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-roberts/) > [Insurgents have capitalized on popular resentment and anger towards the United States and the Iraqi government to build their own political, financial and military…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lantos/insurgents-have-capitalized-on-popular-resentment-and-anger-towards/) [Tom Lantos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lantos/) > [We shouldn't knee jerk anything. The Iraqi government a few years back, when they had a chance to sign an agreement that would keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-levin/we-shouldn-t-knee-jerk-anything-the-iraqi-government-a-few-years-back/) [Carl Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-levin/) > [Benchmarks, yes, we want the Iraqi government to do the things that will show progress. But to say, American troops are going to leave,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-bailey-hutchison/benchmarks-yes-we-want-the-iraqi-government-to-do-the-things-that/) [Kay Bailey Hutchison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-bailey-hutchison/) > [January 30th will be a historic day for the Middle East and the world. The Iraqi people will take the next step toward a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-rohrabacher/january-30th-will-be-a-historic-day-for-the-middle-east-and-the-world/) [Dana Rohrabacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-rohrabacher/) > [But, clearly, the prime minister has laid down some ground rules which any functioning democratic state would insist upon, having to do with, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/but-clearly-the-prime-minister-has-laid-down-some-ground-rules-which/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) ## More by Patrick Cockburn > [There are some things that could hold it together, notably oil revenues. But at the moment, the much vaunted surge has had a measure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/there-are-some-things-that-could-hold-it-together-notably-oil/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [Mosul stands rally at a sort of juncture of sectarian and ethnic differences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/mosul-stands-rally-at-a-sort-of-juncture-of-sectarian-and-ethnic/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [I don't think the whole of Iraq would be under al-Sadr, but I think he would be the predominant force on the Shia side.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/i-don-t-think-the-whole-of-iraq-would-be-under-al-sadr-but-i-think-he/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [Young Shia who have been brought up with nothing, who are pretty anarchic, pretty dangerous. In 2004 when they came close to killing me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/young-shia-who-have-been-brought-up-with-nothing-who-are-pretty/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [Muqtada leads the only real mass movement in Iraq. It's a mass movement of the Shia, who are 60 percent of the population, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/muqtada-leads-the-only-real-mass-movement-in-iraq-it-s-a-mass/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [But from the moment George Bush decided to overthrow Saddam, the people who were going to benefit here were the Shia, who are 60…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/but-from-the-moment-george-bush-decided-to-overthrow-saddam-the/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [Muqtada is radical in the sense that he wants the U.S. occupation to end and has always said so from the beginning. Secondly, his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/muqtada-is-radical-in-the-sense-that-he-wants-the-u-s-occupation-to/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [You know, if you want to meet a lot of Iraqi leaders, the best places are the hotels in Amman or in London. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/you-know-if-you-want-to-meet-a-lot-of-iraqi-leaders-the-best-places/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [There's a lot of expectation in the Middle East that post-Obama there will be a sort of tougher U.S. line on Assad, there will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/there-s-a-lot-of-expectation-in-the-middle-east-that-post-obama-there/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [ Muqtada belongs to the most famous religious family in Iraq, which is the al-Sadr family. He's really the third in line. \[Muqtada's father\] drew… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/muqtada-belongs-to-the-most-famous-religious-family-in-iraq-which-is/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [Turkey is saying that it wants to preserve Sunni dominance in Mosul. Obviously, there, the Kurds, the Shia, the Iraqi government have their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/turkey-is-saying-that-it-wants-to-preserve-sunni-dominance-in-mosul/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [It's always sort of amazing, sitting in Baghdad, to watch visiting dignitaries being received in the Green Zone by politicians who have usually very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/it-s-always-sort-of-amazing-sitting-in-baghdad-to-watch-visiting/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [Everything that happens in Iraq affects countries outside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/everything-that-happens-in-iraq-affects-countries-outside/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [A defeat for ISIS in Iraq will be defeat for ISIS in Syria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/a-defeat-for-isis-in-iraq-will-be-defeat-for-isis-in-syria/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) > [There are sort of Kurdish districts there in Mosul, or there used to be, but the Kurds mostly fled or were driven out. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/there-are-sort-of-kurdish-districts-there-in-mosul-or-there-used-to/) [Patrick Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) [Explore all 20 Patrick Cockburn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/) ## More Billions quotes > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [As far as Japan is concerned, I want to help all of our allies, but we are losing billions and billions of dollars. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/as-far-as-japan-is-concerned-i-want-to-help-all-of-our-allies-but-we/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The universe is simmering down, like a giant stew left to cook for four billion years. Sooner or later we won’t be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-bloch/the-universe-is-simmering-down-like-a-giant-stew-left-to-cook-for/) [Arthur Bloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-bloch/) > [Right now, the government is spending billions of dollars supporting the problem-makers in the U.S. economy - the polluters, despoilers, incarcerators, and warmongers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/right-now-the-government-is-spending-billions-of-dollars-supporting/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [If Jesus is the Son of God in human flesh, He's one of a kind of the 13 billions of people who have ever lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/if-jesus-is-the-son-of-god-in-human-flesh-he-s-one-of-a-kind-of-the/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [Here we were talking about economic development, about investing billions of dollars in various programs, and I could see it wasn't billions of dollars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-yunus/here-we-were-talking-about-economic-development-about-investing/) [Muhammad Yunus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-yunus/) > [Everyone thinks they've won the Magical Belief Lottery. Everyone thinks they more or less have a handle on things, that they, as opposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/everyone-thinks-they-ve-won-the-magical-belief-lottery-everyone/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) > [Most neuroses and some psychoses can be traced to the unnecessary and unhealthy habit of daily wallowing in the troubles and sins of five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/most-neuroses-and-some-psychoses-can-be-traced-to-the-unnecessary-and/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [The technology involved in making anything invisible is so infinitely complex that nine hundred and ninety-nine billion, nine hundred and ninety-nine million, nine hundred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-technology-involved-in-making-anything-invisible-is-so-infinitely/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [The idea of spontaneous generation of life in its present form is therefore highly improbable even to the scale of the billions of years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilya-prigogine/the-idea-of-spontaneous-generation-of-life-in-its-present-form-is/) [Ilya Prigogine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilya-prigogine/) > [To defy heredity is to defy billions of years, to defy the first cell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/to-defy-heredity-is-to-defy-billions-of-years-to-defy-the-first-cell/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) > [When I look at the human brain I'm still in awe of it. Every single time you lift off the bone and open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-carson/when-i-look-at-the-human-brain-i-m-still-in-awe-of-it-every-single/) [Benjamin Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-carson/) > [Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/every-one-of-us-is-in-the-cosmic-perspective-precious-if-a-human/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [ We have the ability to take him \[President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez\] out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-robertson/we-have-the-ability-to-take-him-president-of-venezuela-hugo-chavez/) [Pat Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-robertson/) > [The buildings that were in question, they said in the same report, which was - actually, it wasn't even a bad story, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/the-buildings-that-were-in-question-they-said-in-the-same-report/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) Browse all 1,864 Billions quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Despite the fact that there's billions of dollars sitting in the Iraqi government reserves, somehow they are incapable of getting it out to the people. There are a very large number of people here who are on the edge of starvation. For those sort of people - a sizable chunk of people - that service makes them regard Muqtada as a sort of god.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Patrick Cockburn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/despite-the-fact-that-there-s-billions-of-dollars-sitting-in-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Billions" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/despite-the-fact-that-there-s-billions-of-dollars-sitting-in-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/991/patrick-cockburn-28053_billions_despite-the-fact-that-there-s-billions-o_1512928.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/991/patrick-cockburn-28053_billions_despite-the-fact-that-there-s-billions-o_1512928.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/991/patrick-cockburn-28053_billions_despite-the-fact-that-there-s-billions-o_1512928.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Despite the fact that there's billions of dollars sitting in the Iraqi government reserves, somehow they are…” — Patrick Cockburn", "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": "Patrick Cockburn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-cockburn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Despite the fact that there's billions...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/despite-the-fact-that-there-s-billions-of-dollars-sitting-in-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-cockburn/despite-the-fact-that-there-s-billions-of-dollars-sitting-in-the/#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 } } ] } ```