QuoteProject
Let us never forget this fundamental truth: the State has no source of money other than money which people earn themselves. If the State wishes to spend more it can do so only by borrowing your savings or by taxing you more. It is no good thinking that someone else will pay - that 'someone else' is you. There is no such thing as public money; there is only taxpayers' money.
Margaret Thatcher
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

Government finances are ultimately funded by the earnings of individuals and taxpayers, not by an external source.

Margaret Thatcher emphasizes that the money used by the State originates from its citizens through taxes and personal earnings. She highlights the misconception that government spending is independent of individual contributions, making it clear that any financial expenditure by the government directly affects taxpayers.

Themes

GovernmentTaxesSpendingEconomicsTaxpayer

In practice

Example use cases

In a financial planning seminar discussing government budgets and taxation.

More from Margaret Thatcher

When will Labour learn that you cannot build Jerusalem in Brussels.
Margaret ThatcherRead
Never in the history of human credit has so much been owed.
Margaret ThatcherRead
The battle for women's rights has been largely won.
Margaret ThatcherRead
Ought we not to ask the media to agree among themselves a voluntary code of conduct, under which they would not say or show anything which could assist the terrorists' morale or their cause while the hijack lasted.
Margaret ThatcherRead
Israel must never be expected to jeopardize her security: if she was ever foolish enough to do so, and then suffered for it, the backlash against both honest brokers and Palestinians would be immense - 'land for peace' must also bring peace.
Margaret ThatcherRead
If it's me against 48, I feel sorry for the 48.
Margaret ThatcherRead

Similar quotes

Unless we understand what it is that leads to economic and financial instability, we cannot prescribe -- make policy -- to modify or eliminate it. Identifying a phenomenon is not enough; we need a theory that makes instability a normal result in our economy and gives us handles to control it.
Hyman MinskyRead
We plutocrats need to get this trickle-down economics thing behind us: this idea that the better we do, the better everyone else will do. It's not true. How could it be? I earn 1,000 times the median wage, but I do not buy 1,000 times as much stuff, do I?
Nick HanauerRead
Economic systems are not value-free columns of numbers based on rules of reason, but ways of expressing what varying societies believe is important.
Gloria SteinemRead
The laws and conditions of the production of wealth partake of the character of physical truths. There is nothing optional or arbitrary in them ... It is not so with the Distribution of Wealth. That is a matter of human institution solely. The things once there, mankind, individually or collectively, can do with them as they like.
John Stuart MillRead
On the market, all is harmony. But as soon as intervention appears and is established, conflict is created, for each may participate in a scramble to be a net gainer rather than a net loser - to be part of the invading team instead of one of the victims.
Murray RothbardRead
Wall Street has turned the economy into a giant asset-stripping scheme, one whose purpose is to suck the last bits of meat from the carcass of the middle class.
Matt TaibbiRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.