Remarkable, Dave. And timely. I'm having some debates w/ conservatives who are talking down Trump b/c he as a corporate CEO he can't seem to get anything done anymore. Well, much of Trump's genius and mgmnt skills are in the dark now, but that does not mean he does have a sophisticated team operatin today, in the dark, w/ a plan that will restore America to its greatness by canceling much of it bureaucratic waste.
Now Paine was much younger, and small potatoes compared to the inner circle of the Founders... still, he knew "how things were supposed to work", including "Natural Law", perhaps even intuitively, making his insights 175 yrs ago very new and fresh, today.
I've often had the same thoughts about Oliver Cromwell who "cancelled Parliament" for about 5 years, thus allowing it to be restored w/o waiting the two or three centuries the rest of Europe has had to wait, all just to protect the system of rank they'd invented 1000 years earlier; first estate, Church, 2nd-Royals, and the Third Estate, the dirty-to-the-elbow common people, making up about 90%. All that has changed is that the First Estate is the Bureaucracy.
Tom Paine knew all these things w/o benefit of clergy or formal education, or even tenure in government work. Duh! In like manner, Trump became wealthy w/o having to kiss one single government patoot.
So there is much to learn from his ability to observe, and think and put that thinking into action.
Thanks, Vassar- of the many things about Paine that I learned during this exercise, what struck me most was his grasp of history even beyond his country of origin. His pragmatism, along with his grasp of natural law, is very impressive for someone who was not extensively educated. I am off to the early phase of getting in the heads of the founders... Next up? First Continental Congress- wish me luck :)
All the sane conservatives I know are talking down Trump because he’s a sociopathic liar, a malignant narcissistic charlatan, a nearly illiterate buffoon, and a hateful selfish seriously sick person who puts himself and his own interests above every other concern.
In modern America, Jonathan, what you say here is true of all current elected officials, liberal and conservative. The behavior of modern leaders holds Thomas Paine's vision for America in great disdain and anathema to everything they believe in and everything they have been doing for this country since the 1960s. The collective push for a socialist-like Global World management system stands in complete contradiction to what the founders had in mind when they put this place together... That's my take, at least.
Yes. He’s an infinitely small mind wading in very broad oceans of international trade, mistaking bullies for leaders knowledgeable about anything beyond their immediate and personal interests.
Remarkable, Dave. And timely. I'm having some debates w/ conservatives who are talking down Trump b/c he as a corporate CEO he can't seem to get anything done anymore. Well, much of Trump's genius and mgmnt skills are in the dark now, but that does not mean he does have a sophisticated team operatin today, in the dark, w/ a plan that will restore America to its greatness by canceling much of it bureaucratic waste.
Now Paine was much younger, and small potatoes compared to the inner circle of the Founders... still, he knew "how things were supposed to work", including "Natural Law", perhaps even intuitively, making his insights 175 yrs ago very new and fresh, today.
I've often had the same thoughts about Oliver Cromwell who "cancelled Parliament" for about 5 years, thus allowing it to be restored w/o waiting the two or three centuries the rest of Europe has had to wait, all just to protect the system of rank they'd invented 1000 years earlier; first estate, Church, 2nd-Royals, and the Third Estate, the dirty-to-the-elbow common people, making up about 90%. All that has changed is that the First Estate is the Bureaucracy.
Tom Paine knew all these things w/o benefit of clergy or formal education, or even tenure in government work. Duh! In like manner, Trump became wealthy w/o having to kiss one single government patoot.
So there is much to learn from his ability to observe, and think and put that thinking into action.
You may have struck the Mother Lode.
Thanks, Vassar- of the many things about Paine that I learned during this exercise, what struck me most was his grasp of history even beyond his country of origin. His pragmatism, along with his grasp of natural law, is very impressive for someone who was not extensively educated. I am off to the early phase of getting in the heads of the founders... Next up? First Continental Congress- wish me luck :)
All the sane conservatives I know are talking down Trump because he’s a sociopathic liar, a malignant narcissistic charlatan, a nearly illiterate buffoon, and a hateful selfish seriously sick person who puts himself and his own interests above every other concern.
In modern America, Jonathan, what you say here is true of all current elected officials, liberal and conservative. The behavior of modern leaders holds Thomas Paine's vision for America in great disdain and anathema to everything they believe in and everything they have been doing for this country since the 1960s. The collective push for a socialist-like Global World management system stands in complete contradiction to what the founders had in mind when they put this place together... That's my take, at least.
Yes. He’s an infinitely small mind wading in very broad oceans of international trade, mistaking bullies for leaders knowledgeable about anything beyond their immediate and personal interests.
I tried to respond, but the site denied it. Can't tell you how wrong you are, but you may also be young.