A man who murders another shortens by a few brief years the life of a human being; but he who votes to increase the burden of debts upon the people of the United States assumes a graver responsibility.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Bryan argues that increasing national debt carries a heavier moral weight than individual violence because it affects the entire population over time.
- In plain terms
- Adding debt to the people is worse than killing one person.
- What can you take from it?
- Public financial decisions have broader consequences than private crimes.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do we measure the harm of policy versus crime?
- Is debt a form of violence against future generations?
Another view
The comparison equates physical violence with economic policy in a way that may be hyperbolic.
More from William Jennings Bryan
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