Jefferson had some amazing thoughts that saw the potential of some of the problems circling our government right now. As our country recklessly careens towards a possible earthquake-type change in its reach into our lives, I will ponder these thoughts. I hope you might also.
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The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
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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.
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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.
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My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.
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To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.
Thank you for your recent visit to and nice comment on Family Fountain.
ReplyDeleteI am a big T Jefferson fan, so I love this post! I have written a series of articles on "The Middle Class" that I am going to run in our local newspaper, and will have on my blog. Even though my blog is about family, economics certainly affects family life and I think warrants consideration by Christian families.
Again, good post. Wish more Americans would read this!
Thanks Warren. Thomas Jefferson rules. I am constantly amazed at the prescience of the founding fathers to identify human nature, and the intricate construction of their system that confounds power grabs. Unfortunately, even though our democratic system is remarkable, it's only as strong as those who uphold it. Although good politicians are also present, I believe our only hope ultimately is to pray for our nation. Will look forward to your blog series! Thanks for visiting.
ReplyDeleteYou would enjoy the book by Martin Larson: "Jefferson: Magnificient Populist." It out of print now, but used couples are availabe very affordable on amazon. It is a compilation of his letters and speeches on about 23 different topics. Some of what he said about some issues would be deemed quite inappopriate today, but it was a reflection of the era in which he lived. It is one of my favorite books about Jeffereson, since it really is by him.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
ReplyDeleteI must respectfully disagree with your statement:
ReplyDelete"Unfortunately, even though our democratic system is remarkable, it's only as strong as those who uphold it."
It seems as though our system, at least so far, is *stronger* than our elected officials. The utter genius of the checks and balances that our founding fathers built into the system make it stronger than the people who run it. The lust for power of the people in one branch of our government is largely cancelled out by the lust for power of the people in another branch.
Jefferson rocks! The Declaration of Independence alone is an accomplishment that ranks him with the all-time greats.
Unfortunately, democracy requires an educated electorate. Once people realize that they can vote themselves free stuff, the end is near.
Today, ironically, any politicians who actually espouse Jeffersonian principles (such as the ones you quote above) are immediately labeled "extremist". Can anyone imagine Obama or Mitt Romney quoting any of these statements?
Dear Anonymous, I'd love to hear more of your thoughts; I am not a historian, and you sound like you may be. Thank you for stopping by. You are right that our ingenious governmental system is frustrating those who wish to put in more controls, or usurp the designated powers given to branches and especially to the people. It is brilliant to watch, in fact! But I do feel we have been slowly losing our hard-won and God-given freedoms, starting during the Civil War with the imposition of the Federal powers over States' rights. Not that I would have supported the Southern position if I'd lived at that time, but I do believe this war was over much more than slavery, and the South had legitimate points if not always a morally strong position. Slavery of course was the energy of the Southern life that allowed it to function, like oil is for us.
ReplyDeleteCurrently I have been disappointed in the non-prosecution of voter intimidation (Philadelphia 2008), the breathtaking passage of the Health Care Legislation on Christmas Eve in 2009, and the soon-upcoming ruling by the Supreme Court on whether we should be forced to purchase something in this legislation. It is things like this that worry me.