"We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty or profusion and servitude. If we run into such debt, as that we must be taxed in our meat and in our drink, in our necessaries and our comforts, in our labors and our amusements, for our calling and our creeds . . . [we will] have no time to think, no means of calling our mis-managers to account to rivet their chains on the necks of our fellow-sufferers . . . . And this is the tendency of all human governments. A departure from principle in one instance becomes a precedent for [another] till the bulk of society is reduced to be mere automotons of misery . . . . And the fore-horse of this frightful team is public debt. Taxation follows that, and in its train wretchedness and oppression."
--July 12, 1816 letter from Jefferson to Samuel Kercheval
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Hmmmm, unfortunately Jefferson was talking about taxation that only benefited the King, and not the greater body politic. For example, Nationalized health care would help everyone, so the tax that would not fall into the class of taxation Jefferson was talking about. Moreover, the taxation resulting from the financial and economic crisis might the type of tax that he was talking about, but, again, it is not for a king to enjoy, yet..
Wow, that's an awful stretch of an interpretation of a quote that was made during a presidential election...LONG AFTER THE REVOLUTION (1816 as written on the post).
I'm pretty sure Jefferson was not pro-national health care.
Anyhow, that quote was more directed toward the evils associated with public debt, which is used FOR THE PUBLIC. Taxation was simply one of the evils public debt leads to.
You don't know what Thomas Jefferson would or would not be.
No, it was directed to the concentration of power of debt due to the financiers. Read your Thomas Jefferson. You'll see he was squarely against the financiers and bankers, because he feared they would lead to a concentration of power that would lead to a new form of Kingdom.
Indeed, the Hamiltonians. . .
And yes, you are right about Thomas Jefferson, but the quote is directed toward public debt.
It is directed toward debt in CONTEXT of Jefferson's political position.
Ok
You see, Josh, context is everything. Jefferson is also quoted talking about how much debt is proper, which means he was in favor of limited public debt.
Indeed, I am aware. This quote, after all, is about perpetual debt.
Perpetual debt the result of the Hamiltonian types. People who would become like Kings if given the chance.
His point is that if the country is left in perpetual debt, it would allow Hamiltonian types flurish as well as encourage more to exist.
This is what the US is stuck with today, Hamiltonian types.
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