No society ever thrived because it had a large and growing class of parasites living off those who produce. On the contrary, the growth of a large parasitic class marked the decline and fall of the Roman Empire and the collapse of Spain from the heights of its golden age.
— Thomas Sowell, The Thomas Sowell Reader (2011)
Verified — Primary Source
Wear the words
"Read Sowell" Tee
$24.95USD
View →Related Quotes
“When you consider what an enormous windfall gain it is to be born in America, it is painful to hear some people complain bitterly that someone else got a bigger windfall gain than...”
Random Thoughts (2001)
Read →“When it comes to lifting people out of poverty, redistribution of income has a much poorer track record than the creation of wealth. In some places, such as Zimbabwe today, attempt...”
The Cure for Poverty? Wealth (2006)
Read →“Because of the neglect of history in our educational system, most people have no idea how many of the great American fortunes were created by people who were born and raised in wor...”
Controversial Essays (2002)
Read →Join thousands of Sowell fans. New quotes, new gear, and the stuff I don’t post on Facebook.
Wear the words.
Browse the collection →