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John Kennedy once said to a assembled group of scholars in the White House "I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered at the White House - with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."
The quotes below could prove his point.
His words have come to pass.................
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
Very Interesting Quote:
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.
_________________
Our God and soldiers we alike adore / Ev’n at the brink of danger; not before: / After deliverance, both alike requited, / Our God’s forgotten, and our soldiers slighted. — Francis Quarles, Emblems.
Interesting guy, that Thomas Jefferson. I always had a soft spot for the man, bless him
I've thought a lot about him, and wondered what he'd say about the U.S. today. The trouble with the man, is that people on both the right and the left can find stuff about him they agree with. Joseph Ellis wrote a book about Jefferson called "American Sphinx" that description just about sums him up, IMO
What we see in the USA today is the same thing that brought down other empires..history repeats itself. Why was American founded to being with ?
And yet we have millions crying to the government and turning to them for "help" and "protection".
And we have government creating more government on top of itself and making up or changing rules as they go to justify their actions.
John Kennedy once said to a assembled group of scholars in the White House "I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered at the White House - with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."
The quotes below could prove his point.
His words have come to pass.................
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
Very Interesting Quote:
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.
_________________
Our God and soldiers we alike adore / Ev’n at the brink of danger; not before: / After deliverance, both alike requited, / Our God’s forgotten, and our soldiers slighted. — Francis Quarles, Emblems.
After posting all that you decide banks threaten our way of life?
Thomas Jefferson spent his afternoons on his veranda cooking blunts and chasing them with a good bottle of French wine.
I wouldn't believe a word he said. He was stoned out of his gourd.
Yeah he only wrote our Declaration of Independence, what did he say that would be worth hearing?
Jefferson was the smartest person ever to lead this country, we'll likely never see again the day when someone of his intelligence sits in the White House.
"When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe ."
I guess Jefferson wasn't very gifted at seeing the future because the U.S. could not sustain itself as the agrarian society that Jefferson envisioned. Despite the great expanse of the American continent, it couldn't remain unpopulated for long.
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."
Intersting comment for a slave owner. Of course he was right and Democracy didn't begin to exist until 618,000 Americans lost their lives fighting over its birth.
"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."
It would have been nice if Reagan and Bush had taken the time to heed those words.
"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government."
Yet Jefferson presided over the Federalisation of the American republic.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."
I take that as a throw away.
Anyway, Jefferson was but one of the leaders of the emerging nation, one whose views were totally absent during the framing of the Constitution. While the concepts of Jeffersonian democracy are imporatant in shaping the American ethos, so were the divergent vies of Hamilton, Adams and others. It is only through the review of those who crafted the Constitution and those who subsequently shaped its meaning can we derived some understanding of the evolution of American democracy. Throwing up quotes withouut context is not only silly, but it demonstrates a lack of understanding the history of this country.
"When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe ."
I guess Jefferson wasn't very gifted at seeing the future because the U.S. could not sustain itself as the agrarian society that Jefferson envisioned. Despite the great expanse of the American continent, it couldn't remain unpopulated for long.
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."
Intersting comment for a slave owner. Of course he was right and Democracy didn't begin to exist until 618,000 Americans lost their lives fighting over its birth.
"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."
It would have been nice if Reagan and Bush had taken the time to heed those words.
"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government."
Yet Jefferson presided over the Federalisation of the American republic.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."
I take that as a throw away.
Anyway, Jefferson was but one of the leaders of the emerging nation, one whose views were totally absent during the framing of the Constitution. While the concepts of Jeffersonian democracy are imporatant in shaping the American ethos, so were the divergent vies of Hamilton, Adams and others. It is only through the review of those who crafted the Constitution and those who subsequently shaped its meaning can we derived some understanding of the evolution of American democracy. Throwing up quotes withouut context is not only silly, but it demonstrates a lack of understanding the history of this country.
ovcatto, could we discuss what this place might look like if Washington had listened to Jefferson during his administration instead of Hamilton? I agree that Hamilton was very important to what came of the experiment. In fact, Washington displayed his acumen for leadership by listening to Hamilton all the time which chapped Jefferson's hindend and not we have people talking about nationalization of our largest banks which will throw away Hamiltonian thinking and go to Jeffersonian.
I think that the reason so many people like Jefferson so much is that he is considered to the the father of the Democrat Party by many although the Democratic-Republicans were far from the present day Democrat Party in nearly every way.
We probably disagree on most things but I have found many posts by you these last few days that makes me think we aren't really so far apart.
I hope people who are complaining about government overrunning our lives at least accept that many of us have been fearful of government overruning our lives throughout the Bush administration.
So many people act as if liberals want big government and conservatives want small, but the neo-conservatives forced a dangerous amount of government into our households.
If we have to choose one of the other, many of us would rather have government spending on helping the poor and educating our young than on waging wars and profiteering around the globe.
I just say this because the wisdom of Jefferson lay in his ability to see beyond left and right. If we're going to thrive, we need to do the same.
ovcatto, could we discuss what this place might look like if Washington had listened to Jefferson during his administration instead of Hamilton?
Your question is unfanthomable, Whether Washington listened to Jefferson as opposed to Hamilton isn't of any import. There was nothing done during the Washington administration that was so set in stone that future administrations could not undo, in point of fact Jefferson accomplished a fair amount of undoing during his presidency. As to the heart of the question; I suspect that if Jefferson had his way, the country would look like a slightly modernized version of the antebellum South. Huge tracks of land owned by a small class of plantaion owners. In short and idlyic third world country not an industrial bemoth that the U.S. was to become.
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