“I am one of those who think and say that it is possible to destroy extreme poverty. Mark you, gentlemen, I am not saying ‘reduce’,‘lessen’, ‘limit’, ‘control’, I said destroy. Poverty is a disease of society such as leprosy was a disease of the human body, and can be eliminated just as leprosy has disappeared. Yes, it is possible. Legislators and policymakers must think about it constantly, for as long as the possible is not done, our duty will never be fulfilled.
In Paris, in these suburbs of Paris where the wind of revolt once blew so easily, there are streets, houses, sewers, where families, whole families live pell-mell, men, women, girls, children, having no beds, blankets. For clothing they have stinking heaps of rags – the cities, where human beings huddle to escape the cold of winter.
Well, gentlemen, I say that these are things that should not be, I say that society must spend all its strength, all its care, its intelligence, all its will, so that such things are not! I say that such facts in a civilized country, engage the conscience of the whole society,
[For all your efforts] gentlemen, you have done nothing as long as the people suffer! As long as those in the prime of life and work are without bread, as long as those that are old and have worked are homeless! It is not only your generosity that I appeal to, it is your wisdom, I implore you to think. You have made laws against anarchy, now make laws against poverty!” Victor Hugo, Speech to Legislative Assembly, 9 July 1849
What do you think of this discourse on poverty and misery?
I think I’m kind of arriving at the conclusion that societies need to be collectivist by nature. I’m not sure you can have a properly functioning society while still promoting any ideas of individualism, or any capitalistic “sink or swim” approach. To me, making sure every last person is taken care of is the sole purpose of having a society, otherwise, we should live as individualistic wild animals, as nature likely intended. We’re breaking rules of nature by having society, so if you’re gonna break the rules, break the rules in idyllic and utopian fashion, or just bury the idea altogether and we can go back to rudimentary hut life. We don’t deserve what we have, nor are we at all entitled to it, and we’ve completely lost sight of that. Most societal problems I see can either be attributed to the overall artificial nature of our society, or this faulty idea that we can somehow walk the middle of the street and reap benefits of collectivism while maintaining our individualism. If America is a supposed shining example of this idea, buddy... I am NOT impressed.
I don't believe you can destroy poverty, there have always been poor folk and always will be. Besides some people through their own poor choices choose poverty.
The best thing we can do is teach a person to fish, rather than give them the fish each day. Once someone becomes self sufficient, they will have the tools to take care of themselves. The more we give freely to them the less incentive they have to improve themselves.
Anything that involves wealth transfer or government trying to control the free market is doomed to fail.
My friend this man suffered more than you will probably never suffer, he saw misery as certainly as you have never seen it, besides it was a speech. But his works speak well enough of the cruelty of man, as in the wretched for example, and it is just one example of his immense work.
I will accept everything you said as true, but that does not change my opinion about this speech. Am I required to accept what he said as the truth because it was the great Victor Hugo who said it?
No of course, oh I thought you didn't know Victor Hugo, but you seem to think that Victor Hugo was some kind of idiotic optimist, when he is not, he knew very well that to fight against misery was some very complicated or even impossible things, he had to deal with this misery, but he tried to fight with his means, his writings and his speeches, to challenge the politicians and say that it cannot continue like that. I think that's the way to understand this speech
Your question asked what I thought about the speech and my answer was limited to this particular speech. You overgeneralized and assumed my response was intended in a broader manner.
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How many people who have been born with rich parents end up destitute through self destructive practices? How many people ruin their lives with gambling or drugs and end up on the street? There will always be poor people. LBJ launched the War on Poverty in the 60's. This made poverty worse by creating a permanent welfare class dependent on the government.
Very little to be honest, but thanks to him, and for example his book Les Misérables for the first time the workers said we have a voice to represent us and talk about our misery
Don't look at us regular citizens. We work 5 times a week to not end up being homeless and begging for food on the streets. That's basically the governments job and almost all of them failed us as you can see.
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It’s hyperbole. We can’t destroy all of anything. There will always be a level of poverty. But these remarks are to inspire humanity to make it better for everyone and not the few.
Victor Hugo he knew very well that to fight against misery was some very complicated or even impossible things, he had to deal with this misery, but he tried to fight with his means, his writings and his speeches, to challenge the politicians and say that it cannot continue like that. I think that's the way to understand this speech
