Obama in Oregon

Thoughts on Thomas Paine

I wish everyone would read Thomas Paine.
Paine was as responsible as anyone for the success of the American Revolution. In a period when enthusiasm and support for the cause was in serious jeopardy, Paine,at the urging of George Washington wrote The American Crisis. The resulting surge in support for the revolution was instrumental in the ultimate success of the colonies drive for independence and Paine deserves to be remembered as one of the founding fathers along with Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams and all the rest.
Thomas Paine was democracy's greatest promoter, He challenged the concept of the aristocracy and the divine right of kings and promoted -We The People- in a form of language accessible to the average reader. His words are as relevant and easily understood today as they were then. One idea he eloquently opposed was the importance of tradition. The democratic ideals of the newly emerging American republic were antithetical to the conservative notions of champions of the status quo. Conservatives like Edmund Burke  believed that it was essential to honor the traditions of the past and preserve the aristocracy. Paine declared that no generation should be bound by the constraints of previous generations. If such were the case we would never progress beyond the most primitive ideas of antiquity. Mr. Paine was a liberal in the original sense of the word.
As the world emerged from the dark ages into the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, thinkers like Thomas Paine made The United States possible.
After the success of the American Revolution, Thomas Paine went on to play important roles in the evolving democracies of both France and England. While imprisoned in France he wrote The Age of Reason which exposed the illogic and inconsistency of the Bible and subsequently earned him the wrath of the the Christian majorities of the day.
One of the great men in Amercan history, he died impoverished and unmourned,much to the shame of the country he revered and did so much to create.
Men like Paine who created this country would have been paraded through the streets and hung,had they failed. They were the intellectual elite of their day. Their thoughts changed the course of history. Read what they said and compare the tone and quality of their discourse to the present day offerings of The Limbaughs and Hannity's that dominate the airwaves.
Now,tell yourself there's no such thing as the dumbing of America.

John Hagee Creatively Interprets the U.S. Great Seal

This is the definitive television evagelist clip. Hagee trades bullshit for dollar bills.
Demagogue:"One who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots."- H.L. Menchen
Naturally, he's a favorite of "Dubya".