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.

Thomas Paine on Ideas

"Let but a single idea begin and a thousand will soon follow." Thomas Paine, Dissertation on First Principles of Government, 1795.

Thomas Paine on nature.

"He who takes nature for his guide is not easily beaten out of his argument." Thomas Paine -- Common Sense, 1776.

Glenn Beck -- Avatard

Glenn Beck is the avatard of the Right.

Thomas Paine on writing and writers

"Universal empire is the prerogative of a writer. His concerns are with all mankind, and though he cannot command their obedience, he can assign them their duty." Thomas Paine, The American Crisis, 1777.

Tea-Party, Tea-baggers, tea-pee

Glenn Beck and his tea-bagger brigade continue to invoke Thomas Paine, but Paine would have loathed their hateful, discourteous demeanor, spitting, name-calling and ignorance. Most of Beck's assumptions about Paine are the result of his having never read more perhaps than Common Sense. The fact is that Paine's ideology evolved over time -- he started out a strong Federalist (something the tea-bagging crowd would hate) and ended up a staunch anti-Federalist with a strong social welfare component (see Agrarian Justice).

http://kenburchell.blogspot.com/2009/07/glenn-beck-no-thomas-paine-no-common.html
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-11-17/palins-unlikely-hero/
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/10/16/beck-thomas-paine/ 

Collection of "undiscovered" works by Thomas Paine

A new collection of "unknown" works of Thomas Paine edited by Hazel Burgess turns out to be a dud. Complete book review will publish first in the Journal of Radical History (UK) -- stand by for details and later posting to this blog.