A very wise man once said.....

goingbroke

Looking at all the financial and business news for today all the reports say the economy is fixed all is well. The dollar will remain solid ect. ect. I just cant figure it all out! Just last week it looked like we were falling off a cliff!. I guess we shall have to wait to see that $1000. a ounce gold we were all expecting as our government says all is well again. I found this quote today by a famous man from the past and wanted to share it with everyone here. I wonder if the present administration has ever seen it? Here it is....Thomas Jefferson wrote, “I place economy among the
first and most important republican virtues, and public
debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared. To
preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers
load us with perpetual debt.”

roadrunner

Jefferson seemed to have his fair share of insightful quotes.

It was also he who said that would should be more fearful of banks with their paper money than we should be of standing armies. The banks would be the bigger threat to the people....and we just proved it for the umpteenth time.

The spin presented to us on a daily basis is quite different from the reality. I posted this article of Jim Willie's on the main thread but it is relevant here as well.

Jim Willie on the green shoots of prosperity

roadrunner

Bear

Of course, Jefferson died absolutely bankrupt.

The estate was burdoned more with debt

then it was worth.

guitarwes

<< <i>Of course, Jefferson died absolutely bankrupt.

The estate was burdoned more with debt

then it was worth. >>






Another wise man once said, "Do as I say, not as I do." Guess this applies here.

jmski52

Of course, Jefferson died absolutely bankrupt.

There's an absolutely terrific 7-part mini-series on John Adams that HBO has out on DVD. Did you know that both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on the same day, July 4, 1826 - the 50 Anniversary of the Declaration of Independance.

Pretty cool, if ya ask me.

NumbersUsacom

He might have died just about penniless, but what he created and helped to create has payed off immensely

KentuckyJ

I've toured Monticello x3 and I respect his many fine qualities but President Jefferson wasn't an economic genius. The embargo of his second term in office was a total disaster. He would not have won re-election to a third term in office. The man did die leaving his family essentially bankrupt. There is a darker side to him than what most of us see. He wasn't completely honorable in his dealings with President Washington or John Adams. He instigated what would eventually turn into our long history of many mean spirited battles of political confrontation, rather than cooperation. Jefferson's refreshing liberty every generation with the blood of tyrants quote is way over the top. He delighted in the French revolution. Peggy Noonan has an op-ed today mentioning this very point:

Whose Side Are We On? You Have to Ask?

"The interesting question is what technology would have done after the Revolution, during the Terror. What would word of the demonic violence, the tumbrels and nonstop guillotines unleashed circa 1790-95 have done to French support for the Revolution, and world support? Would Thomas Jefferson have been able to continue his blithe indifference if reports of France grimly murdering France had been Twittered out each day?"

But, on the other hand, if Jefferson's vision of a gentleman farmer America had taken root, we would probably still have gold and silver coins in our pockets today, which most of us would much prefer over our current copper nickel clad stuff.

NumbersUsacom

I'll stick with the extremely positive force he was during the birth of our nations freedom and prosperity that came from it, and not the side bars of political in fighting that was just as real in Washingtons army and that of the Continental Congress as well as today and in Julis Ceasars day. They were forced to fight for their ideas or have them dashed under the feet of much less competent minds. Revisionist historians seem to mostly focus on the negative and then exploit any slight discrepancies with a biting type of vile vengence that seems to be hateful and completely disingenuous.... and for what........ MONEY and Recognition no matter how fleeting both can be.

Thomas Jeffersons Great Legacy will stand against hateful revisionist historians just as he prevailed in Congress and as President and as The #1 author of the Declaration of Independence.

NumbersUsacom

How did you go from "blithe indifference" to "he delighted"

What a revisionist you can be!

KentuckyJ

I'm not dissing Jefferson, or the USA. I'm simply saying T. Jefferson was not a God. He was a man with all too human characteristics. He had some extraordinary abilities but also areas of glaring weakness. I'm sure he would do some things differently, if he had it to do over again. Wouldn't you?

KentuckyJ

> How did you go from "blithe indifference" to "he delighted"


Peggy Noonan is being kind. You can easily find delight in the written words Jefferson left behind.

NumbersUsacom

I surely would. And you are absolutly correct in stating "he was no God" He defininely had short commings as we all have had at one time or another. My point is along these lines:

A well known author wrote: Finally..... , whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, if any virtue, any praise, Think on these things."

This man too has sufferd through revisions and hateful disputations, but his words will prevail agains't all.