En anglais : ""You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich."
Abraham Lincoln n'a jamais prononcé ou écrit cette phrase.
Elle a en fait été écrite par le révérend William John Henry Boetcke dans un pamphlet ""Lincoln on private property" (1916) :
" 1. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
2. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
3. You cannot help small men up by tearing big men down.
4. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
5. You cannot lift the wage-earner up by pulling the wage-payer down.
6. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
7. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
8. You cannot establish sound social security on borrowed money.
9. You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man’s initiative and independence.
10. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves. "
