2012 Book 8: Common Sense

I just finished reading Common Sense by Thomas Paine. It is his political treatise to sway Americans to fight for their independence from the British. It is a great read and takes you back to why and how our country came to be.

It was very interesting to read after finishing The Hunger Games trilogy. A lot of the reasoning for American independence can be seen in the reasons the 13 districts must rise up against the Capital in order to gain their own independence. 

Excerpts from the book:

Society is produced by our wants, and government by wickedness, the former promotes our happiness POSITIVELY by uniting our affections, the latter NEGATIVELY by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher.

 

...consenting to leave the legislative part to be managed by a select number chosen from the whole body, who are supposed to have the same concerns at stake which those have who appointed them, and who will act in the same manner as the whole body would act were they present. 

 

Oppression is often the CONSEQUENCE, but seldom or never the MEANS of riches...

 

Men who look upon themselves born to reign, and others to obey, soon grow insolent; selected from the rest of mankind their minds are early poisoned by importance; and the world they act in differs so materially from the world at large, that they have but little opportunity of knowing its true interests, and when they succeed to the government are frequently the most ignorant and unfit of any throughout the dominions.

 

Our plan is commerce, and that, well attended to, will secure us the peace and friendship of all Europe; because, it is the interest of all Europe to have America a FREE PORT. Her trade will always be a protection,

 

...as we are running the next generation into debt, we ought to do the work of it, otherwise we use them meanly and pitifully.

 

...in America THE LAW IS KING. For as in absolute governments the King is law, so in free countries the law OUGHT to be King; and there ought to be no other.

 

Tar, timber, iron, and cordage are her natural produce. We need go abroad for nothing.

  

The more men have to lose, the less willing are they to venture. The rich are in general slaves to fear, and submit to courtly power with the trembling duplicity of a Spaniel.

 

...we have every opportunity and every encouragement before us, to form the noblest purest constitution on the face of the earth. We have it in our power to begin the world over again. A situation, similar to the present, hath not happened since the days of Noah until now.