George Washington: Paper Currency Like Alcohol
on Wednesday, August 20, 2014George Washington Money Quotation saying currency like booze in effect on politics ends in destruction. George Washington said:
“Paper money will invariably operate in the body of politics as spirit liquors on the human body. They prey on the vitals and ultimately destroy them” — George Washington
In this quote, George Washington is continuing to express his skepticism about paper money and comparing its societal effects to the harmful impacts of alcohol on individual health.
His interpretation is that just as consuming liquor in excess can damage the human body over time, relying on paper currency without commodity backing will inevitably “prey on the vitals” or foundations of the political/economic system and “ultimately destroy them”.
Washington seems to view paper money as a corrosive force that will undermine key institutions and functions of society in the long run, similar to the slow deterioration caused by overindulging in spirits.
The overall message is one of warning about the insidious and corrupting influence Washington believed an unchecked paper money system could unleash, and his firm conviction that it would lead to political and economic ruin if left unconstrained.
Birthday: February 22, 1732 – Death: December 14, 1799