The left "have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins. Society is produced by our WANTS, and government by our 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.
Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in it's best state, is but a necessary evil; in it's worst state an intolerable one: for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries BY A GOVERNMENT, which we might expect in a country WITHOUT GOVERNMENT, ....
. .our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer. " Thomas Paine- Common Sense
This may be one of the most profound and truthful quotes about the nature of government and it's relationship to the people you will ever find.
This may be one of the most profound and truthful quotes about the nature of government and it's relationship to the people you will ever find.
