I guess the Founding Fathers Were "A Bunch Of Commies"?!?

[kpete]

James Madison:

There is an evil which ought to be guarded against in the indefinite accumulation of property from the capacity of holding it in perpetuity by … corporations. The power of all corporations ought to be limited in this respect. The growing wealth acquired by them never fails to be a source of abuses."

Benjamin Franklin:

All the property that is necessary to a Man, for the Conservation of the Individual and the Propagation of the Species, is his natural Right, which none can justly deprive him of: But all Property superfluous to such purposes is the Property of the Publick, who, by their Laws, have created it, and who may therefore by other laws dispose of it, whenever the Welfare of the Publick shall demand such Disposition. He that does not like civil Society on these Terms, let him retire and live among Savages. He can have no right to the benefits of Society, who will not pay his Club towards the Support of it.

Benjamin Franklin again:

Finally, there seem to be but three Ways for a Nation to acquire Wealth. The first is by War as the Romans did in plundering their conquered Neighbours. This is Robbery. The second by Commerce which is generally Cheating...

And finally, a better-known quote from Thomas Jefferson:

"I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations which dare already to challenge our government in a trial of strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country."

Bunch of commies.

Enjoy your 4th of July!

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2012/07/founding-fathers-quotes-you-probably.html

[randr]

1. Such talk was "Pure American Ideology"

Until the word "Communism" came into use with the reemergence of the Holy Roman Empire which used it to beat anyone who opposed their accumulation of wealth and exploitation of the Earth's natural resources.

[xchrom]

2. du rec. nt

[Avalux]

3. I'd love to see protests with people holding signs with quotes such as these.

They are explicit and leave no room for argument. It would be something....red white and blue, flags everywhere, signs with the faces of Jefferson, Franklin, Madison and others and their words.

The visual of such a thing would have impact and would be difficult to attack.

[DCKit]

4. From your keyboard to my Republic sister's ears. Damn commies. nt

[surrealAmerican]

5. k & r ...

... but I have to ask, what's Franklin's third "Way for a Nation to acquire Wealth"?

[SoutherDem]

6. By todays standards of the Republicans

Yes! They would be called traders not patriots.