--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that whether you're on the right…" description: "\"I think that whether you're on the right or on the left as an economist or as a policy maker, every serious analyst I know agrees that at some point yo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a19/peter-blair-henry-30696_agree_i-think-that-whether-you-re-on-the-right_815710.png" --- # I think that whether you're on the right or on the left as… ![“I think that whether you're on the right or on the left as an economist or as a policy maker, every serious analyst I know agrees that at some point you have to deal with entitlements.” quote by Peter Blair Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a19/peter-blair-henry-30696_agree_i-think-that-whether-you-re-on-the-right_815710.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a19/peter-blair-henry-30696_agree_i-think-that-whether-you-re-on-the-right_815710.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a19/peter-blair-henry-30696_agree_i-think-that-whether-you-re-on-the-right_815710.png) > “I think that whether you're on the right or on the left as an economist or as a policy maker, every serious analyst I know agrees that at some point you have to deal with entitlements.” [Peter Blair Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Economists and policymakers must eventually confront entitlement issues, regardless of political stance, as they are central to serious analysis. **In simple terms:** Entitlements must be addressed by all analysts. Key Takeaway Deal with entitlement challenges directly. Themes economics policy entitlements Mood analytical critical Type economic policy-oriented When to use this quote - budgeting - legislative reform - social programs Key Concepts public finance social welfare political ideology Questions to Reflect On - What are the trade‑offs of entitlement reform? - How do political biases affect entitlement analysis? A Different Perspective Entitlement reforms can be politically contentious. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agree/) [Analyst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/analyst/) [Analysts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/analysts/) [Deal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deal/) [Deal Entitlements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deal-entitlements-317455/) [Deals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deals/) [Economist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economist/) [Economist Policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economist-policy-317454/) [Entitlement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entitlement/) [Entitlements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entitlements/) [Every](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Left](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left/) [Left Economist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/left-economist-317453/) [Maker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maker/) [Makers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/makers/) [Point](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/point/) [Policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/policy/) [Policy makers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/policy-makers/) [Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right/) [Serious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serious/) [Some](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/some/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Whether](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whether/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [Stiglitz is not a Left economist. Indeed, it would be difficult to find a more authentic insider and establishment figure than Stiglitz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prashant-bhushan/stiglitz-is-not-a-left-economist-indeed-it-would-be-difficult-to-find/) [Prashant Bhushan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prashant-bhushan/) > [Since FDR's New Deal, corporations and wealthy families have been non-stop finding new ways to get tax breaks, deregulation and entitlements from the government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-mckay/since-fdr-s-new-deal-corporations-and-wealthy-families-have-been-non/) [Adam McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-mckay/) > [We Nigerians must reclaim our sovereignty, our civic entitlements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/we-nigerians-must-reclaim-our-sovereignty-our-civic-entitlements/) [Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/) > [I respect every mother and I believe people are entitled to use whatever benefits, claims and entitlements, if you like, that are available to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-bowen/i-respect-every-mother-and-i-believe-people-are-entitled-to-use/) [Chris Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-bowen/) > [One thing that I'm predicting is that there will be a vigorous and futile defense of suburbia and all its entitlements, no matter what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/one-thing-that-i-m-predicting-is-that-there-will-be-a-vigorous-and/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [Marriage equality - I think that it's a constitutionally guaranteed right. Let's end the drug wars. Let's balance the federal budget, and that means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-johnson/marriage-equality-i-think-that-it-s-a-constitutionally-guaranteed/) [Gary Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-johnson/) > [Promoting dependency is the Democratic Party's vocation. It knows that almost all entitlements are forever, and those that are not - e.g., the lifetime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-will/promoting-dependency-is-the-democratic-party-s-vocation-it-knows-that/) [George Will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-will/) > [“Naturally there was the notion of private property as a pragmatic concept, for individuals or groups have a proclivity to tend to their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashim-shanker/naturally-there-was-the-notion-of-private-property-as-a-pragmatic/) [Ashim Shanker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashim-shanker/) > [The Democrats generally recoil from the subject of entitlements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-keller/the-democrats-generally-recoil-from-the-subject-of-entitlements/) [Bill Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-keller/) > [I know that there are many excellent arguments for a universal form of basic income. Since everyone would get it, it would remove the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/i-know-that-there-are-many-excellent-arguments-for-a-universal-form/) [Rutger Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-bregman/) > [When President George W. Bush attempted to reform Social Security, that proposal was more unpopular with Americans than the Iraq war. People love their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/when-president-george-w-bush-attempted-to-reform-social-security-that/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [Childhood ought to have at least a few entitlements that aren't entangled with utilitarian considerations. One of them should be the right to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/childhood-ought-to-have-at-least-a-few-entitlements-that-aren-t/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [I'm the guy that has written at great length about exactly how we should profoundly reform Social Security. If I were afraid of going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-toomey/i-m-the-guy-that-has-written-at-great-length-about-exactly-how-we/) [Pat Toomey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-toomey/) > [GOP candidates routinely sign a pledge never, ever to raise taxes. Democratic candidates aren't even asked to sign a parallel pledge never, ever to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-noah/gop-candidates-routinely-sign-a-pledge-never-ever-to-raise-taxes/) [Timothy Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-noah/) > [We don't have entitlements as part of our family heritage. If you want nice things in life, if you want to get ahead, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-france/we-don-t-have-entitlements-as-part-of-our-family-heritage-if-you-want/) [Brian France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-france/) ## More by Peter Blair Henry > [Good economic policy requires not so much the bravado to implement drastic change as the strength and wisdom to make reasonable trade-offs over the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/good-economic-policy-requires-not-so-much-the-bravado-to-implement/) [Peter Blair Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/) > [Economic growth creates jobs, and countries grow when they educate their people and pursue policies that encourage households to save, existing businesses to invest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/economic-growth-creates-jobs-and-countries-grow-when-they-educate/) [Peter Blair Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/) > [Just as an individual's ability to delay gratification at a young age is a powerful predictor of future academic and professional achievement, discipline is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/just-as-an-individual-s-ability-to-delay-gratification-at-a-young-age/) [Peter Blair Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/) > [I think my wife would take objection to any characterization of me as perfect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/i-think-my-wife-would-take-objection-to-any-characterization-of-me-as/) [Peter Blair Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/) > [You can actually make a lot of money and do a lot of good in the world. I don't see those things as being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/you-can-actually-make-a-lot-of-money-and-do-a-lot-of-good-in-the/) [Peter Blair Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/) > [I was born in Jamaica but was educated by, and now serve, prestigious First World institutions, so I believe that I have a unique,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/i-was-born-in-jamaica-but-was-educated-by-and-now-serve-prestigious/) [Peter Blair Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/) > [Business is one of the most powerful institutions on Earth for creating wealth and opportunity and helping to lift people out of poverty. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/business-is-one-of-the-most-powerful-institutions-on-earth-for/) [Peter Blair Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/) > [I'm generally slow to anger, quick to forgive, and I take in information before making decisions. So no matter how controversial the decision, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/i-m-generally-slow-to-anger-quick-to-forgive-and-i-take-in/) [Peter Blair Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/) > [Because I come from a place like Jamaica, which is a small, open economy, I viscerally get the importance of the global economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/because-i-come-from-a-place-like-jamaica-which-is-a-small-open/) [Peter Blair Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/) > [As an economist, I'm aware that life is full of trade offs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/as-an-economist-i-m-aware-that-life-is-full-of-trade-offs/) [Peter Blair Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/) > [It's probably indicative that I was destined for an academic career that I'm 6-5 and I lost the slam-dunk championship to somebody 5-8. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/it-s-probably-indicative-that-i-was-destined-for-an-academic-career/) [Peter Blair Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/) > [A government decision that slashes spending at the wrong time and sends a weak economy into a tailspin can be just as undisciplined as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/a-government-decision-that-slashes-spending-at-the-wrong-time-and/) [Peter Blair Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/) > [Disciplined governments do not engage in the economic equivalent of binge eating followed by crash dieting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/disciplined-governments-do-not-engage-in-the-economic-equivalent-of/) [Peter Blair Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/) > [In Jamaica, you're never very far away from people who don't have very much, and in Wilmette, pretty much everybody had a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/in-jamaica-you-re-never-very-far-away-from-people-who-don-t-have-very/) [Peter Blair Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/) > [Between 2001 and 2011, Brazil lifted 20 million people out of poverty and into its growing middle class, and in the last quarter of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/between-2001-and-2011-brazil-lifted-20-million-people-out-of-poverty/) [Peter Blair Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/) [Explore all 17 Peter Blair Henry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/) ## More Agree quotes > [Any comprehensive doctrine, religious or secular, can be introduced into any political argument at any time, but I argue that people who do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rawls/any-comprehensive-doctrine-religious-or-secular-can-be-introduced/) [John Rawls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rawls/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [“All these creatures spend their time explaining, realizing happily that they agree with each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/all-these-creatures-spend-their-time-explaining-realizing-happily/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [I talk to fashion designers and say I want some money to save the rainforest, and they say, 'Oh, I agree with you completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/i-talk-to-fashion-designers-and-say-i-want-some-money-to-save-the/) [Vivienne Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-westwood/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Climate change poses clear, catastrophic threats. We may not agree on the extent, but we certainly can't afford the risk of inaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/climate-change-poses-clear-catastrophic-threats-we-may-not-agree-on/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [Never be afraid of doing the thing you know in your heart is right, even if others don't agree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-berg/never-be-afraid-of-doing-the-thing-you-know-in-your-heart-is-right/) [Elizabeth Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-berg/) > [It's fine to talk about politics with people you agree with. But it is rude to argue about politics with people you disagree with.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/it-s-fine-to-talk-about-politics-with-people-you-agree-with-but-it-is/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [ I will not agree to have this bill \[to repeal DADT \] go forward, because our economy is in the tank. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-will-not-agree-to-have-this-bill-to-repeal-dadt-go-forward-because/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [“I tend to agree with that little devil more and more these days.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-casey/i-tend-to-agree-with-that-little-devil-more-and-more-these-days/) [Elle Casey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-casey/) > [People might not agree with me, but I think a woman should have a feminine shape, something you can get your hands on. You,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/people-might-not-agree-with-me-but-i-think-a-woman-should-have-a/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [On 9-11, we discovered that we cannot escape from the world. To me personally, this was a life-changing experience, and I realized, as did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/on-9-11-we-discovered-that-we-cannot-escape-from-the-world-to-me/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [But I would say if the Security Council is only relevant if it agrees with the United States, then we have come a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-blix/but-i-would-say-if-the-security-council-is-only-relevant-if-it-agrees/) [Hans Blix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-blix/) > [We're never all going to agree with each other. We have to learn to value the diversity. It's one of the presumable principles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/we-re-never-all-going-to-agree-with-each-other-we-have-to-learn-to/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [A contract is an ask game, and if it asks for an hour, and I submit to an hour, then it's an hour. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-berry/a-contract-is-an-ask-game-and-if-it-asks-for-an-hour-and-i-submit-to/) [Chuck Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-berry/) [Browse all 3,079 Agree quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agree/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think that whether you're on the right or on the left as an economist or as a policy maker, every serious analyst I know agrees that at some point you have to deal with entitlements.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Blair Henry" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/i-think-that-whether-you-re-on-the-right-or-on-the-left-as-an/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Agree" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/i-think-that-whether-you-re-on-the-right-or-on-the-left-as-an/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a19/peter-blair-henry-30696_agree_i-think-that-whether-you-re-on-the-right_815710.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a19/peter-blair-henry-30696_agree_i-think-that-whether-you-re-on-the-right_815710.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a19/peter-blair-henry-30696_agree_i-think-that-whether-you-re-on-the-right_815710.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think that whether you're on the right or on the left as an economist or as a policy maker, every serious…” — Peter Blair Henry", "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": "Peter Blair Henry", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-blair-henry/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think that whether you're on...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/i-think-that-whether-you-re-on-the-right-or-on-the-left-as-an/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-blair-henry/i-think-that-whether-you-re-on-the-right-or-on-the-left-as-an/#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 } } ] } ```