Thomas Jefferson speaks
 

So many have hailed this man as the greatest of the founding fathers, so let's read what he had to say on issues relevant today:



When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe,
we shall become as corrupt as Europe.
Thomas Jefferson


The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those
who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
Thomas Jefferson


It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes.
A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.
Thomas Jefferson


I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the
government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense
of taking care of them.
Thomas Jefferson

<>

My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results
from too much government.
Thomas Jefferson


No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.
Thomas Jefferson


The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear
arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson


The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of
patriots and tyrants.
Thomas Jefferson


To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which
he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.
Thomas Jefferson

In light of the present financial crisis, it's interesting to read what Thomas
Jefferson said in
1802:

'I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than
standing armies. If the American people ever allow private banks to control
the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the
banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all
property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers
conquered.'

Re: Thomas Jefferson speaks
 

I think Thomas Jefferson was the least admirable of any of the founding fathers. He's hailed as a great one, but I don't put him in that standing.
Slavery: was a hypocrite.
Vendetta: spent millions on a grudge against Aaron Burr.
Backstabber: Stuck it to President Adams as his VP. Wrote fictitious accounts concerning Alexander Hamiltion under an anonymous name.
Possibly a murderer: a former lover's new boyfriend found dead in a gutter after a confrontation.
His legacy has become so large over the years, but as you read up on him, he's not that honorable.

Re: Thomas Jefferson speaks
 

Re: Thomas Jefferson speaks
 

TJ wasa a wildman who resisted the gentlemanly allures of being a conformist. He advocated a constant state of revolution. He could care less what everyone in "high society" thought of him. He was the embodiment of the American experiment, IMO.

Anyone who signed the Constitution and permitted slavery was a "hypocrit" - Washington included. It was the way things were at the time, however abhorent. Women couldn't vote, either.

I agree that he was a back-stabber in regards to Hamilton and Adams, in particular, but those two resolved their issues in the end. There was always a necessary tension between the two philosophically. They both were right in many ways and wrong in others. The two characters laid the foundation for the experiment early on and we still feel the effects of their relationship today.

TJ would be excoriated for his temperment and rejection of todays societal norms. He would have been outcast from the political process and relegated to lunatic status like Paul or Kucinich are. They don't play the game and neither did TJ. We owe him a lot for that.

Re: Thomas Jefferson speaks
 

Nice deflection.

Re: Thomas Jefferson speaks
 

Re: Thomas Jefferson speaks
 

What do you think Barak Obama is doing? He's the one starting the new revolution. So are you with us or against us?

Re: Thomas Jefferson speaks
 

Wasn't a deflection at all. I replied to the Fog's first sentence. I do not consider him one of the finest founding fathers, which set up the whole post, which would be a false premise.

Re: Thomas Jefferson speaks
 

Not everyone was in favor of slavery and some of those who were, at least showed some compassion. Washington was a huge slave owner, but educated his slaves, refused to break up families, and freed them in the end. Not that I'm commending him, but a far cry from Jefferson. Adams did not own slaves. Franklin spoke out against slavery, but brokered them. At least it troubled his conscious later in life. Burr also spoke out against slavery, but like the other hypocrites, owned slaves. Hamilton (who IMO doesn't receive enough recognition) opposed slavery and did not own any (although married into a family which had slaves). There were a number of advocacy groups (Quakers) who opposed slavery, so although was abundant, it wasn't without controversy. T.J. by far, the biggest hypocrite.

Re: Thomas Jefferson speaks
 

except he voted for the bailout so that baffles me:confused: