“A government Source which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.”
Explore More About George Bernard Shaw
If you’re interested in learning more about George Bernard Shaw and their impact on history, here are some recommended resources:
- 1300+ GEORGE BERNARD SHAW QUOTES: Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw wrote more than 60 plays during his lifetime and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1925
- Bernard Shaw: The One-Volume Definitive Edition
- George Bernard Shaw
- The Collected Works of George Bernard Shaw: Plays, Novels, Articles, Letters and Essays: Plays, novels, essays, and political satire from a Nobel Prize winner
- Saint Joan (Clydesdale Classics)
- Best-Loved Bernard Shaw (Best-Loved Irish Writers)
- Bernard Shaw: a biography. A complete set of 4 volumes – The search for love, 1856-1898: The pursuit of power, 1898-1918: The lure of fantasy, 1918-1951: The last laugh, an epilogue, 1950-1991
- George Bernard Shaw Plays Collection: Pygmalion, Arms and the Man, Man and Superman, Heartbreak House, The Devil’s Disciple, Major Barbara, Androcles … Warren’s Profession, The Doctor’s Dilemma
- George Bernard Shaw’s Plays: Mrs Warren’s Profession, Pygmalion, Man and Superman, Major Barbara : Contexts and Criticism
- Major Cultural Essays (Oxford World’s Classics)
- George Bernard Shaw: with annotations (Chesterton Greatest Works)
- Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
This sharp political observation is frequently attributed to the brilliant Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw. It certainly sounds like something he would say. The quote perfectly captures a cynical view of political motivations. However, a closer look into its history reveals a more complex story. Did Shaw actually coin this famous phrase?
The short answer is almost certainly no. Source Researchers and quote investigators have scoured his extensive writings. They have looked through his plays, essays, and letters. Despite their efforts, they have found no direct evidence of Shaw ever writing or saying these exact words.
This leads to another important question. If Shaw didn’t say it, where did it come from? The core idea is much older than the playwright himself.