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Who said this: Personal property is the effect of society; and it is as impossible....?
....for an individual to acquire personal property without the aid of society, as it is for him to make land originally.
Separate an individual from society, and give him an island or a continent to possess, and he cannot acquire personal property. He cannot be rich. So inseparably are the means connected with the end, in all cases, that where the former do not exist the latter cannot be obtained. All accumulation, therefore, of personal property, beyond what a man's own hands produce, is derived to him by living in society; and he owes on every principle of justice, of gratitude, and of civilization, a part of that accumulation back again to society from whence the whole came."
"Tea" party people, can you guess? Can you??
8 Answers
- 9 years agoFavorite Answer
Those lines are from Thomas Paine's pamphlet, Agrarian Justice, published in 1795.
It sounds like it contradicts the ideals of the Tea Party and supports President Obama's statement from which the "You didn't build that" remark was taken.
That's because it does. The statement is an observation that society is a the complex web and that large accumulations of wealth are made possible only by such a society. This is even more true in a complex modern society than it was in an agrarian society.
Paine and Jefferson were in favor taxing the rich to build a rich society with a thriving middle class.
Most Tea Party members have a philosophy that holds that there is something inherently "True" about private property accumulated through market activity rather than seeing it as an emergent property of the society and market.
- Whoops!Lv 49 years ago
It is a quote from "Agrarian Justice" by Thomas Paine. Perhaps it would be good to bring back the small farms and become a more agrarian based society.
- David FLv 69 years ago
The quote is a from a well known soliloquy by Thomas Paine. Does your question have some kind of point? It isn't really another attempt to justify Obama's political blunder from last week is it? ...aren't you cute! He is busy walking it back with a vengeance and his muppets are out defending it. You guys need to coordinate better.
- No nameLv 79 years ago
It was Hitler as he sent his boys out to remove wealth from Jewish House holds.. People like Soros who wrote later he enjoyed that part of the War the most...
Does Barry Soetoro model his Government after these Thieves? Does Obama feel what others OWN is his? Does Obama feel without his Form of Socialism America is not Great?
Socialists like you need to answer these questions...
Source(s): Source(s): Source(s): * * * To see what others fail to see is BOTH, a curse and a blessing… §† FNS †Â§ The truth will set you free, lies will enslave you… - Anonymous9 years ago
Thomas Paine
But he was far from a socialist like Obama.
- midnyteryder1961Lv 79 years ago
No one is saying everyone should be an island, or desiring anarchy.
Let me clarify: Tea in tea party is:
Taxed
Enough
Already
Got it?
- Anonymous9 years ago
Where was there ever any sort of government where there was not first some sort of human enterprise?
By all means, show me an example, no matter how primitive you would like to make it.
- Anonymous9 years ago
It's great when Thomas Paine says it but if Obama says it, the Teabaggers cry like little girls.
