Wisdom of the Founding Fathers

[Akoto]

I was thinking today of how our Founding Fathers possessed, for the most part, a remarkable degree of foresight. As such, I thought that I'd share a few quotes with you all. They're strikingly relevant to our modern circumstances, I think.

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin

"All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression." -- Thomas Jefferson

"At the establishment of our constitutions, the judiciary bodies were supposed to be the most helpless and harmless members of the government. Experience, however, soon showed in what way they were to become the most dangerous; that the insufficiency of the means provided for their removal gave them a freehold and irresponsibility in office; that their decisions, seeming to concern individual suitors only, pass silent and unheeded by the public at large; that these decisions, nevertheless, become law by precedent, sapping, by little and little, the foundations of the constitution, and working its change by construction, before any one has perceived that that invisible and helpless worm has been busily employed in consuming its substance. In truth, man is not made to be trusted for life, if secured against all liability to account." -- Thomas Jefferson

"A nation under a well regulated government, should permit none to remain uninstructed. It is monarchical and aristocratical government only that requires ignorance for its support." -- Thomas Paine

"But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever." -- John Adams

"Fear is the foundation of most governments; but it is so sordid and brutal a passion, and renders men in whose breasts it predominates so stupid and miserable, that Americans will not be likely to approve of any political institution which is founded on it." -- John Adams

"A feeble executive implies a feeble execution of the government. A feeble execution is but another phrase for a bad execution; and a government ill executed, whatever may be its theory, must be, in practice, a bad government." -- Alexander Hamilton

"Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness." -- George Washington

"Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism." -- George Washington

"Democratical States must always feel before they can see: it is this that makes their Governments slow, but the people will be right at last." -- George Washington

[Akoto]

1. A singular bump, as this went down fast! :)

[reichstag911]

2. I kinda like...

...and it may well come down to it here in AmeriKKKa:

"A little rebellion now and then is a good thing; the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."--T. Jefferson

[Akoto]

3. That's a good one, and ...

I fear you may be correct in your assessment!

[Akoto]

4. Given the relevancy to this spying news ...

One more bump for myself. :)