P.D. James: Generosity a Virtue
on Saturday, August 3, 2019P.D. James Money Quote saying that being generous is something that doesn’t apply to governments like it might to individuals. P.D. James said:
“Generosity is a virtue for individuals, not Governments. When governments are generous it is with other people’s money, other people’s safety, other people’s future” — P.D. James
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In this quote, P.D. James is expressing skepticism about government generosity and spending programs. She argues that while generosity can be virtuous for individuals using their own private resources, governments do not have that same virtue when being generous since they are spending “other people’s money” taken from taxpayers.
James also suggests government generosity can compromise “other people’s safety” and “future” through growing debt and obligations.
The quote conveys James’ view that governments lack true virtue when being open-handed with public funds, since citizens ultimately bear both the financial and indirect costs, unlike private individuals who choose to freely give only their own private resources.
Overall, she seems to be cautioning against seeing government spending programs in the same positive light as private acts of generosity.
Birthday: August 3, 1920 – November 27, 2014