Thomas Paine

You know what is great about Thomas Paine. Lots. His tracts are found in the Declaration of Independence; Jefferson glyphed them from him. After he helped keep our revolution going overthrowing the British chains, he went to France and helped them with their revolution for a Republic. Naturally, the rest of Europe, Prussia and Austria, declared war on France for wanting human progress. The British indicted him for treason for publishing such unreasonable pamphlets as "Common Sense", "The Rights of Man" and the "The Age of Reason". No wonder they were upset, the truth, (any truth) could hurt their influence over their populace, with being foresworn to lying, the truth of individual conceptions on events could be dangerous. Not at all unlike our indoctrinating society and opportunistic, self-serving politicians today.

His premise, I believe, and no one speaks for Thomas Paine, is that I have an opinion on the best possible way to live my life under the systems we have created. Common sense dictates that we are given the greatest gift from God in our "gift of reason." Nobody needs to divine my opinion, I have based it upon reasonable thought, with sound evidence that is retrievable, repeatable and, if true, immutable.(Theoretical quantum physicists have agreed that information cannot be destroyed, and there is indication that every jot and tittle of events is at all times present-that's God.) If we are said a democracy, I have a voice. If I do not have a voice, it is not a democracy. Nothing supersedes the individual; not Kings, not corporations, not armies. The scoundrels will not succeed in enslaving mankind.  Somewhere. somehow, an instance of the common man's revolution will always be around, with people ready to grab their freedom, if need be, from the shackles of falsehood. The bigger they are the harder they fall, just ask King George and King Louis. Thank you, Thomas Paine, citizen of the world, man of reason.