“Hell hath no fury like a vested interest scorned”
“Hell hath no fury like a vested interest masquerading as a moral principle” is a popular saying. Barber Conable (1922-2003), a U.S. Congressman from New York and former President of the World Bank Group, frequently said it.
“Norman Birnbaum said, ‘Hell hath no fury like a vested interest scorned’” was printed in The Journal of Higher Education in 1967 and the book Alternative to Irrelevance: A Strategy for Reform in Higher Education (1968) by Warren Bryan Martin. Norman Birnbaum (1926-2019) was an American sociologist.
“Hell hath no fury like a vested interest masquerading as a moral principle” was printed in the Sunday World-Herald (Omaha, NE) on February 13, 1972, which continued, “He (Rep. John McCollister—ed.) said the ‘nugget’ had been mined earlier on the House floor from his friend, Rep. Barber Conable of New York, who heard it at a committee meeting that morning.”
“Masquerading” is sometimes replaced with “parading.” “Hell hath no fury like a vested interest parading as a moral principle” was printed in the Proceedings of Tax Foundation’s National Conference (1975). “Hell hath no fury like a vested interest parading as a moral principle” was printed in the Quad City Times (Quad Cities, Iowa and Illinois) on June 7, 1978. “Hell hath no fury like a vested interest parading as a moral concern” was posted on Twitter by Lee Edgerley on September 6, 2021.
Wikipedia: Barber Conable
Barber Benjamin Conable Jr. (November 2, 1922 – November 30, 2003) was a U.S. Congressman from New York and former President of the World Bank Group.
Wikipedia: Norman Birnbaum
Norman Birnbaum (July 21, 1926 – January 4, 2019) was an American sociologist. He was an emeritus professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, and a member of the editorial board of The Nation.
Google Books
The Journal of Higher Education
Volume 38
1967
Pg. 369:
Norman Birnbaum said, “Hell hath no fury like a vested interest scorned.”
Google Books
Alternative to Irrelevance:
A Strategy for Reform in Higher Education
By Warren Bryan Martin
Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press
1968
Pg. 73:
Norman Birnbaum said, “Hell hath no fury like a vested interest scorned.”
Newspapers.com
13 February 1972, Sunday World-Herald (Omaha, NE), “A Day With McCollister” by Randy Moody, pg. 16-A, col. 1:
“Hell hath no fury like a vested interest masquerading as a moral principle.”
That bit of congressional philosophy from Rep. John McCollister of Omaha brought a round of laughter from several staff members gathered in McCollister’s office one rainy afternoon in early February.
“There’s always one gold nugget to be found in a day, and that was today’s,” McCollister said.
He said the “nugget” had been mined earlier on the House floor from his friend, Rep. Barber Conable of New York, who heard it at a committee meeting that morning.
Google Books
Proceedings of Tax Foundation’s National Conference
Volume 26
Tax Foundation. National Conference
1975
Pg. 21:
Remember: “Hell hath no fury like a vested interest parading as a moral principle.”
Newspapers.com
2 June 1978, The Herald-Palladium (Benton Harbor-St. Joseph, MI), “Editor’s Mailbag,” pg. 2, col. 5:
I urge readers to remember that “Hell hath no fury like a vested interest parading in a moral principle.”
(...)
James Barrett
President
Michigan State
Chamber of Commerce
501 S. Capitol
Lansing
Newspapers.com
7 June 1978, Quad City Times (Quad Cities, Iowa and Illinois), “Illinois May Feel Impact” by James Ritter, pg. 4, cols. 1-2:
“Hell hath no fury like a vested interest parading as a moral principle.”
(Spoken by Rep. Donald Totten, R- Schaumburg.—ed.)
Newspapers.com
17 February 1983, Statesman-Journal (Salem, OR), “Per-hour rate proposed on worker comp premium” by George Rede, pg. 4B, col. 3:
Numerous union contractors complained about the discrepancy during a three-hour hearing before the House Labor Committee. Said one: “Hell hath no fury like a vested interest masquerading as a moral principle.”
12 September 1985, San Diego (CA) Union, “Senate OKs change in unitary tax | Bill would help multinationals, but battle looms” by Daniel C. Carson, pg. A-1:
...a quip by Rep. Barber Conable, D-N.Y., that “hell hath no fury like a vested interest masquerading as a moral principle.”
14 March 1989, New York (NY) Times, “Letters,” pg. A28, col.5:
Those New Jerseyans outraged by New York’s treating someone with $55,000 of income ($50,000 plus $5,000) differently from someone with $5,000 of incomes illustrates the old saw that ‘Hell hath no fury like a vested interest masquerading as a moral principle.”
(...)
RICHARD D. POMP
Hartford, Feb. 23, 1989
Twitter
jimflowers
@jimflowers
“Hell hath no fury like a vested interest masquerading as a moral principle.” Hon. Barber Conable
4:40 PM · Nov 5, 2009
Twitter
Dr. Michael L. Brown
@DrMichaelLBrown
Dr. Paul McHugh: “Hell hath no fury like a vested interest masquerading as a moral principle.” http://thepublicdiscourse.com/2015/06/15145/
3:07 PM · Jun 10, 2015
Twitter
Phil Cooke
@PhilCooke
Hell hath no fury like a vested interest masquerading as a moral principle. - Paul McHugh, Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins
10:27 AM · Jun 14, 2015
Twitter
The Sales Heretic™
@DonCooper
“Hell hath no fury like a vested interest masquerading as a moral principle.” —Barber Conable #quote #quotes
7:50 PM · Mar 6, 2019
Twitter
Lee Edgerley
@LeeH1955
Replying to @MayorFunkytown and @bdk1521
My favourite saying in response to stories like this is; “Hell hath no fury like a vested interest parading as a moral concern.” Business has only one purpose; to make a profit. Take any of their public utterances with a large pinch of salt.
11:10 AM · Sep 6, 2021
Facebook
Tim George
June 14, 2022 at 12:04 PM ·
(The following text is shown on an image.—ed.)
Hell hath
no fury like a
vested interest
masquerading as
a moral principle.
Paul McHugh
Facebook
Olajide Abiola
August 24, 2022 at 12:23 PM ·
Gbuyaka!
(The following text is shown on an image.—ed.)
“Hell hath no fury like a
vested interest
masquerading as a moral
principle.”
—Ryan T. Anderson
Twitter
Rothmus 🏴
@Rothmus
(The following text is shown on an image.—ed.)
“Hell hath no fury like a
vested interest masquerading
as a moral principle.”
8:02 PM · Mar 30, 2023