Excellent. I have looked up the original from Walden;

‘There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root, and it may be that he who bestows the largest amount of time and money on the needy is doing the most by his mode of life to produce that misery which he strives in vain to relieve’

It pretty much sums up fiat thinking. The intention is completely misaligned (unknowingly in some cases) and creates enormous harm. You can’t put out the fire from inside the house.