Recently, I encountered a post among a deluge of scam-spam that I remember seeing before, but never noticed the Thomas Jefferson quote. I'm certain that I have posted it on my blog before, but here it is in full. (And yes, RJ now repeats himself twice in a single post. It's quite pathetic.)
I'm tired of paying for things and services I use everyday! Fucking society, how does it work?
A Disease called "ENTITLEMENTS" (Deemed Socialist)
Date: 2011-08-20, 8:55AM EDT
Reply to: comm-kv43p-2556475382@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
A Disease called "ENTITLEMENTS" (deemed to be socialist)PostingID: 2556475382
Are you Tired of the government and its endless giveaway programs?
Well, you MUST READ the latest PAC E Letter presentation, A Disease called Entitlements...
Things that are controlled by "The State" are deemed to be socialist. In a sense, the government acts as a henchman to impose things on people that would otherwise be unlawful. A thing called private law is how this is accomplished.
Long before our time Thomas Jefferson stated this about the socialist state . . . "I predict future happiness for American if they can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people under the pretense of taking care of them"
To the socialist mind, it matters not that the system is destined to fail. The socialist will keep contracting with government and those who expect the free ride will keep taking until there is nothing left. People who get funding from government, be they employees, corporation, or welfare recipients matters not. There is little or no cause to do the right thing in the eyes of these people. It is all about "me" with these types. They will take until there is nothing left to take.
After All, such people are "entitled" are they not?
Continue . . . .
http://www.pacgroups.us:80/eletter/post/NL_0511.php
__________________________________
A Disease called "ENTITLEMENTS" (deemed to be socialist)
Are you Tired of the government and its endless giveaway programs?
Well, you MUST READ the latest PAC E Letter presentation, A Disease called Entitlements...
Things that are controlled by "The State" are deemed to be socialist. In a sense, the government acts as a henchman to impose things on people that would otherwise be unlawful. A thing called private law is how this is accomplished.
Long before our time Thomas Jefferson stated this about the socialist state . . . "I predict future happiness for American if they can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people under the pretense of taking care of them"
To the socialist mind, it matters not that the system is destined to fail. The socialist will keep contracting with government and those who expect the free ride will keep taking until there is nothing left. People who get funding from government, be they employees, corporation, or welfare recipients matters not. There is little or no cause to do the right thing in the eyes of these people. It is all about "me" with these types. They will take until there is nothing left to take.
After All, such people are "entitled" are they not?
Continue . . . .
http://www.pacgroups.us:80/eletter/post/NL_0511.php
- Location: Deemed Socialist
- it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
Now, let's take a look at this sentence and throw it into Google:
Long before our time Thomas Jefferson stated this about the socialist state . . . "I predict future happiness for American if they can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people under the pretense of taking care of them"Firstly, it's Americans, not "American". Second, this is one of Jefferson's oft paraphrased quotes. If one were to blindly Google the above, it would pull up a gigantic mess of right-wing blogs, forum signatures, and quote collections, all of which contain some variation of this phrase with no citations whatsoever. So, to set the record straight, I have the original quote and source right here - underlined and bolded for emphasis:
"A NOISELESS COURSE"
To Thomas Cooper
Washington, Nov. 29, 1802
1802112
private correspondences abroad, as the King of Prussia did much, his grandmother sometimes, I know not; but certainly such a correspondence would be very interesting to those who are sincerely anxious to see mankind raised from their present abject condition. It delights me to find that there are persons who still think that all is not lost in France: that their retrogradation from a limited to an unlimited despotism, is but to give themselves a new impulse. But I see not how or when. The press, the only tocsin of a nation, is compleatly silenced there, and all means of a general effort taken away. However, am willing to hope, as long as anybody will hope with me; and am entirely persuaded that the agitations of the public mind advance its powers, and that at every vibration between the points of liberty and despotism, something will be gained for the former. As men become better informed, their rulers must respect them the more. I think you will be sensible that our citizens are fast returning, from the panic into which they were artfully thrown to the dictates of their own reason; and I believe the delusions they have seen themselves hurried into will be useful as a lesson under similar attempts on them in future. The good effects of our late fiscal arrangements will certainly tend to unite them in opinion, and in a confidence as to the views of their public functionaries, legislative & executive. The path we have to pursue is so quiet that we have nothing scarcely to propose to our Legislature. A noiseless course, not meddling with the affairs of others, unattractive of notice, is a mark that society is going on in happiness. If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretence of taking care of them, they must become happy. Their finances are now under such a course of application as nothing could derange but war or federalism. The gripe of the latter has shown itself as deadly as the jaws of the former. Our adversaries say we are indebted to their providence for the means of paying the public debt. We never charged them with the want of foresight in providing money, but with the misapplication of it after they have levied it. We say they raised not only enough, but too much; and that after giving back the surplus we do more with a part than they did with the whole.
Your letter of Nov 18 is also received. The places of midshipman
are so much sought that (being limited) there is never a vacancy. Your son shall be set down for the 2d, which shall happen; the 1st being anticipated. We are not long generally without vacancies happening. As soon as he can be appointed you shall know it. I pray you to accept assurances of my great attachment and respect.
If you want more, it is listed three times in The Jeffersonian Cyclopedia, under the topics:
- 2358. ECONOMY, Happiness and. (p. 271)
- 2847. EXTRAVAGANCE, Governmental. (p. 320)
- 4315. LABOR, Protecting. (p. 459)
Feel free to read his other quotes and fact check quotes you have encountered in the wild.
Putting the alleged quote and the original quote together...
Alleged:
I predict future happiness for American if they can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people under the pretense of taking care of them
Original:...we can see the difference. The alleged quote appears to be derived from the original, but rearranged and with "predict future happiness" and "American" where it didn't exist before, "labor" instead of labors, and "they" instead of we. It is almost as if the original quote was translated into another language, and translated back into English.
If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretence of taking care of them, they must become happy.
It's hard to attribute this bastardization to malice - it's everywhere, and remarkably not the only variation around. My bet is that the quote came from a political chain mail and nobody ever bothered to check it's accuracy. Certainly not LB Bork. (Hey, I can use this and skip basic research!)
The meaning of the quote is best ascertained from context. In Jefferson's letter, he is not talking about the problems of socialism and the welfare state. He's talking about debt, foreign policy, and the economy. The US was deeply in debt at the time and Jefferson believed that taking a silent approach (meaning little to no congressional activity on the topic) would be easier on the economy, as the people were too afraid to participate due to their fears of some country attempting to collect.
Also remember Thomas Jefferson's stance on education. He's not against public programs, and while he never lived to see the modern welfare state, I don't think he would have a problem with it.
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