"Science, the partisan of no country ..." Thomas Paine.

"Letters, the tongue of the world, have in some measure brought all mankind acquainted, and by an extension of their uses are everyday  promoting new friendship. Through them, distant nations become capable of conversation, and losing by degrees the awkwardness of strangers, and the moroseness of suspicion, they learn to know and understand each other. Science, the partisan of no country, but  the beneficent patroness of all, has liberally opened a temple where all may meet. Her influence on the mind, like the sun on the chilled earth, has long been preparing it for higher cultivation and further improvement. The philosopher in one country sees not an enemy in the philosopher of another; he takes his seat in the temple of science, and asks not who sits beside him ..."

Thomas Paine
Letter to the Abbé Raynal

One wishes that Mort Zuckerman and Benjamin Netanyahu would take Paine's words to heart.

American Crisis at Swann Galleries auction

http://catalogue.swanngalleries.com/asp/fullCatalogue.asp?salelot=2368++++++23+&refno=++692152&saletype=

Harvey J. Kaye -- August 14: Time to Reinvigorate the Fight for the Four Freedoms

 Any real Paineites out there will already know that the star hitter on the Tom Paine batting roster is Prof. Kaye. Here he is at his best on the Fight for the Four Freedoms. Do you remember them? “FREEDOM FROM FEAR AND WANT – FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND RELIGION.”

http://ourfuture.org/20140813/14-august-time-to-reinvigorate-the-fight-for-the-four-freedoms#.U-vOzcDDeWk.mailto

Harvey J. Kaye on Thomas Paine and "general revolution"

 Perhaps no one presently does more to bring the name of Thomas Paine before the public that Prof. Harvey J. Kaye. Here is yet another on the real meaning of American exceptionalism and the "general revolution" of the world:

http://ourfuture.org/20140725/a-dangerous-idea-the-progressive-vision-of-of-american-exceptionalism#.U9KhdQwFxt0.twitter

Thomas Paine biography recommendation

Several individuals have asked recently for a recommendation of a Paine biography. Much the best of the recent and more accessible biographies is Harvey Kaye's. I'll be posting more info on this and related subjects in the near future and will probably create a recommendations page, but in the meantime:

Thomas Paine on war.

"War involves in its progress such a train of unforeseen and unsupposed circumstances ... that no human wisdom can calculate the end."

Thomas Paine -- Prospects on the Rubicon (1787)

Petition for Paine Street

Kudos to Dylan DePice for starting this initiative. Sign it and share it, people.

https://www.change.org/petitions/corey-johnson-reclaim-a-street-name-for-thomas-paine

(note: Dylan, nice work. Would love to be in touch at my direct email -- paineite at gmail dot com)