Posted by Tina
Now and then an article I read is so clever and so right on the mark that I want to share it with all of you, our friends at Post Scripts.
Today William Sullivan has posted, “Ben Franklin Skewers Obama’s Jobs Proposal” at American Thinker. Using Ben Franklin’s own words he shows how the British Crown and the media were excoriating “the rich” and pressing for “rich farmers” to pay a higher tax. It’s a wonderful piece; here’s a taste:
Suffice it to say, Benjamin Franklin would have been among the vilified rich today. He was a private landowner who wanted the British government to leave him to his own successful devices. But his critics in the king’s press negatively branded him a wealthy “Farmer” (which could be considered equivalent to the term “corporate fat cat” by 18th-century standards) and was called upon to pay his “fair share,” via depressed pricing in a government-controlled market, to see that the beleaguered “Manufacturers” could be uplifted.
And as our modern-day wealthy Americans have been criticized for the lavish spending on corporate jets and the like, so too was Franklin. In response to the charges vilifying the usage of his own personal property and money, Franklin retorts:
Are we Farmers the only people to be grudged the profits of honest labour? And why? One of the late scribblers against us gives a bill of fare of the provisions at my daughter’s wedding, and proclaims to all the world that we had the insolence to eat beef and pudding! Has he never read that precept in the good book, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn; or does he think us less worthy of good living than our oxen?
Historical, educational…and priceless!
While you’re there also read, “Even Republicans Rejected Inform,ation About Obama’s Past,” by John Drew
http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/09/even_republicans_rejected_info_about_obamas_past.html
Oh, cmon, Tina, The Crown only wanted Ben “TO PAY HIS FAIR SHARE!”
People should recall that Obama’s political career was launched at function at Bill Ayers home. No coincidence there.
Great stuff Tina. I have always had great respect for The American Thinker.
Quentin…you are so full of doo doo!
Just because you assume a position superiority doesn’t make it so.
I have no point that would penetrate your duplicitous, phony mind…please don’t bother to concern yourself.
This argument is obviously ridiculous. Ben Franklin was being taxed without representation. You aren’t. There is no comparison.
Tina: Someone in here wrote — “This argument is obviously ridiculous. Ben Franklin was being taxed without representation. You aren’t. There is no comparison.”
Argument? What argument? All that was being drawn was a very interesting and poignant parallel about taxation and the vilification of some taxpayers then and now. Representative or not.
Excellent post Tina.
Chris you didn’t read the piece if you really thing there is “no comparison”:
“….as our modern-day wealthy Americans have been criticized for the lavish spending on corporate jets and the like, so too was Franklin. In response to the charges vilifying the usage of his own personal property and money, Franklin retorts:
Are we Farmers the only people to be grudged the profits of honest labour? And why? One of the late scribblers against us gives a bill of fare of the provisions at my daughter’s wedding, and proclaims to all the world that we had the insolence to eat beef and pudding!
Representation has NOTHING to do with that!
The comparison is about the sense of entitlement to anothers property…the covetous nature of those who think they have a right to decide how to spend “our” money.
This is an example of one of the experiences Ben Franklin had that helped to shape his ideas about theConstitution, PROPERTY RIGHTS…they should be respected!
For instance our friend Q procleimed in haughty tones that corporations “have cash to actually DO something about it”…I have no idea what he expects them to do but I do know it is NONE OF HIS BUSINESS!
FREEDOM IS A PRECIOUS THING! The freedom to spend the money you earn, YOUR PROPERTY, as YOU see fit is a precious thing! It is not someone elses for the taking…I don’t care how noble the cause!
Both you and Quentin appear to be projecting your own attitudes into my purposes for posting…and doing a poor job of it.