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Email a copy of 'Thomas Paine: Hero, Patriot ... and a Paine in the Butt!' to a friend
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davedonelson
If Thomas Paine were alive today, he’d be a blogger– penniless, reviled, and often turning to drink like the rest of us.
stilledlife
Does not matter, I still love this guy. Read Common Sense if you get the change, it is worth it.
Glad you posted this! I love seeing some real patriotism on the web!
Ali S.
It’s sad to think idealistic people today do not have the chance nor ability to help influence the World for better. It’s usually those cranky crazies who get to do so and make for the rest of us a little bit more ornery.
C. Sykes
David McCullough, in his wonderful book 1776, credits the publication of Paine’s pamphlet, The Crises, with being one of two events that held Washington’s army together through the terrible winter of that year, the other being Washington’s victory at Trenton.
so if it wasn’t for Paine, we might all be singing
“God Save the Queen.”
Edward
I love this man for what he said and the skill with witch he said it. If the USA did not exist, I would not exist. Paine has as much to do with my country’s creation as Washington or Franklin.
On the other hand: governments cannot stop ignorance, eliminate crime or cure anyone of wanting. What would he have written if our founding government had rewarded him commensurate with his importance? Would the bitterness of his later works instead been soaring histories of his patrons?
jm4848
That was a very good read. I don’t share some of the stuff he believed in (socialism) but I can respect him non the less.
teb
the Age of Reason is a great book. i was in the middle of finding what religion i should belong to and it is really enlightening. i can definitely see though how Adams and others would say that Paine “did harm” because he attacks religions. he makes some great factual statements in his book, though, i encourage you all to read it
freqeist1
I live in Lewes Sussex UK we love Thomas Paine, there is much in this town to remember him by, murals, his house! etc
glad to let you borrow him, shame he didnt come back!
Dom Ramos
I also live in his old town Lewes, and a lot of people forget that a large proportion of the town burnt him in effigy, a shoemaker even put ‘T’ & ‘P’ shaped hobnails on the underside of the boots he made so people could sybolically tread on the ‘traitor’s initials’!
It seems that in the rush to brand the town with his name and identity, people forget what revolution meant- a lot of blood spilt, in-fighting, wrong imprisonment,and a liberty the revolutionary then decries (such as the carrying of arms which Paine did not believe militias should do).
I’ve been commissioned to paint a mural of him alongside thirteen other famous sons and daughters of the town which will come out as a book in the autumn, entitled ‘They Lived Here’- in the book I hope to reflect the dichotomy of this figure.
Larfin Jackarse
Rainbow
ted
