Friday, April 23, 2010

Thomas Paine on taxes and war.

“In reviewing the history of the English Government, its wars and its taxes, a bystander, not blinded by prejudice nor warped by interest, would declare that taxes were not raised to carry on wars, but that wars were raised to carry on taxes.” Thomas Paine, Rights of Man, pt I, 1791.
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4 comments:

  1. UnknownApril 24, 2010 at 4:16 AM

    It is amazing to see how modern Paine is!I would say that he wouldn't need to change a single word if he were to live in our epoch...

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  2. Kenneth W. BurchellApril 24, 2010 at 11:17 PM

    Neither the truth nor man's character has changed in seven thousand years.

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  3. UnknownApril 24, 2010 at 11:50 PM

    It is all about human nature, isn't it my dear Ken?

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  4. Kenneth W. BurchellApril 27, 2010 at 7:50 PM

    Perhaps. Like Paine, I tend to the view that human nature is cooperative and benevolent. Paine seems to believe, as I do, that our natural state is corrupted or usurped through our allegiance to erroneous ideas -- notably in the realms of theology and economy.

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