Colin Powell: Poverty Assault on Dignity
on Friday, August 10, 2018Colin Powell Money Quote saying poverty is normal where corruption is routine and free enterprise is lacking and law is disrespected. Colin Powell said:
“Poverty arises and persists where corruption is endemic and enterprise is stifled, where basic fairness provided by the rule of law is absent. In such circumstances, poverty is an assault against human dignity, and in that assault lies the natural seed of human anger” — Colin Powell
In this quote, former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell seems to be explaining some of the root causes of persistent poverty. He suggests that poverty often arises and continues in places that lack basic rule of law and fairness, where corruption is rampant and business/entrepreneurship is suppressed. Powell describes poverty existing in such circumstances as “an assault against human dignity”.
The interpretation is that Powell believes poverty flourishes when governments and societies fail to provide an even playing field, allow corruption to dominate, and stifle economic opportunity through overregulation or lack of property rights/contract enforcement. He indicates this type of poverty breeds resentment and “human anger”, as it denies people the ability to better their conditions through lawful and industrious means.
Overall, Powell appears to be attributing poverty in part to failures of governance and economics according to his view expressed in this quote.