Thomas Paine – The First American Blogger
His Words in Today's Context
“The mind, in discovering truth, acts in the same manner as it acts through the eye in discovering objects; when once any object has been seen, it is impossible to put the mind back to the same condition it was in before it saw it.”-Thomas Paine, Rights of Man Once we venture out onto the …
Continue reading “On Seeking Truth and the Life of the Mind”
“Character is to us, in our present circumstances, of more importance than interest.”-Thomas Paine, the American Crisis If our reasons for going to war are to protect and extend freedom and the ideals of our own founding, then it is in our interest to preserve the character of our nation. Radical attempts to alter that …
Continue reading “On Going to War for the Wrong Reasons, Fear, and Giving Up Our Character”
“If I do not believe as you believe, it proves that you do not believe as I believe, and this is all that it proves.” Despite all wars, hatreds, antagonisms, intolerance and abuse engendered to cure the “non-believers”, such action only serves to weaken the belief for which it is purported to serve. Tags: Thomas+Paine, Thomas+Paine+quotes, quotes+interpreted, intolerence, …
Continue reading “On Differing Beliefs, Intolerance, and What it Proves”
“Why do men continue to practise on themselves the absurdities they despise in others?”-Thomas Paine Or perhaps “me thinks thou doth protest too much”. There are many ways to look at the same idea. Often, what we despise the most in others is what we despise the most in ourselves. Tags: thomas+paine, thomas+paine+quotes, pot+calling+the+kettle+black, hypocrisy, interpreting+quotes
“Serious argument and sound reasoning are preferable to ridicule.”-Thomas Paine And if you don’t agree with me, you’re an idiot… Tags: thomas+paine, thomas+paine+quotes, blogosphere, political+debate, debate+in+the+blogosphere, political+blogs
“Could the wolf bleat like the lamb the flock would soon be enticed into ruin.”-Thomas Paine If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, take a closer look. It might not be a duck. Wit and diligence are not the sole domain of the wolf. Tags: thomas+paine, thomas+paine+quotes, quotes+interpreted, wolf+in+sheeps+clothing
“A narrow system of politics, like a narrow system of religion, is calculated only to sour the temper, and be at variance with mankind.”-Thomas Paine, The Crisis For all that might separate and divide us, politics and religion can be the most insidious when, on their face, they claim inclusion and in reality they sow …
“Among ridiculous things nothing is more ridiculous than ridiculous rage”-Thomas Paine Bluster and swagger, such as the type practiced daily by the likes of Rush Limbaugh, are not the domain of any prescient wisdom or truly moral indignation. It merely calls attention to itself and, more often than not, shows itself for what it is: a cheap and cynical …
“A Constitution is the property of a Nation, and not those who exercise the Government.”-Thomas Paine, the Rights of Man George Bush barely hides his near contempt for the Constitution, apparently seeing it as something of an obstacle to his total grip on power. Several sources have confirmed his angry retort at a staff meeting …
Continue reading “On the Constitution vs. the Bush Administration”
“Those who abuse liberty when they possess it would abuse power could they obtain it”-Thomas Paine The genius of the Constitution is in the assurance of liberty for the many and balance of power away from the one, or the few. In theory at least. How does that theory hold up in 2007? Tags: thomas+paine, thomas+paine+quotes, abuse+power, …
Continue reading “On the Use and Abuse of Power and Liberty”