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About this quote

What does it mean?
Poverty is the root cause of many evils and crimes in society.
In plain terms
Being poor is the worst crime and the biggest evil we face.
What can you take from it?
Treat poverty as a primary societal problem.

Where it applies

  • policy making
  • social work

Putting it to work

  • address economic root causes
  • fight poverty

Questions to consider

  • How does poverty drive crime?
  • Is poverty a crime itself?

Another view

Not all crime stems directly from poverty.

More from George Bernard Shaw

  1. Kings are not born: they are made by universal hallucination.

    Permalink to quote #133
  2. The faults of the burglar are the qualities of the financier: the manners and habits of a duke would cost a city clerk his situation.

    Permalink to quote #135
  3. Every man over forty is a scoundrel.

    Permalink to quote #132

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