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It is important that we should never lose sight of this distinction. We must not confuse the peoples with their governments.

Thomas Paine

Every proprietor owes to the community a ground-rent for the land which he holds.
THOMAS PAINE

Community Himself Leadership
He who dares not offend cannot be honest.
THOMAS PAINE

Dare Himself Honesty Offend
All churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Muslim, are simply human inventions. They use fear to enslave us. They are a monopoly for power and profit.
THOMAS PAINE

Fear Human Invention Power Profit Religion
A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes more converts than reason.
THOMAS PAINE

Appearance Habit Reason Time Wrong
Beware the greedy hand of government thrusting itself into every corner and crevice of industry.
THOMAS PAINE

Government Greedy Hands Organization
Some people can be reasoned into sense, and others must be shocked into it.
THOMAS PAINE

People Reason Shock Surprise
No country can be called free which is governed by an absolute power; and it matters not whether it be an absolute royal power or an absolute legislative power, as the consequences will be the same to the people.
THOMAS PAINE

Country Freedom Government People Power Royalty
It is the madness of folly, to expect mercy from those who have refused to do justice; and even mercy, where conquest is the object, is only a trick of war; the cunning of the fox is as murderous as the violence of the wolf.
THOMAS PAINE

Expectation Justice Madness Mercy Murder Trick Violence War Wolf
Rights are not gifts from one man to another, nor from one class of men to another. It is impossible to discover any origin of rights otherwise than in the origin of man; it consequently follows that rights appertain to man in right of his existence, and must therefore be equal to every man.
THOMAS PAINE

Discover Equality Existence Gift Impossible Man Right
Every person of learning is finally his own teacher.
THOMAS PAINE

Himself Learning Person Teacher
Our greatest enemies, the ones we must fight most often, are within.
THOMAS PAINE

Enemy Fight Greatness Oneself Philosophy
Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.
THOMAS PAINE

Ignorance Obedience Reason
To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture.
THOMAS PAINE

Administration Argument Atheist Authority Humanity Man Medicine Philosophy Reason Scripture
What is it the Bible teaches us? – raping, cruelty, and murder. What is it the New Testament teaches us? – to believe that the Almighty committed debauchery with a woman engaged to be married, and the belief of this debauchery is called faith.
THOMAS PAINE

Commitment Cruelty Faith Marriage Murder Rape Teaching Woman
It is easy to see that when republican virtue fails, slavery ensues.
THOMAS PAINE

Easy Politics See Slave Virtue
The trade of governing has always been monopolized by the most ignorant and the most rascally individuals of mankind.
THOMAS PAINE

Government Ignorance Kind Man Trade

It is important that we should never lose sight of this distinction. We must not confuse the peoples with their governments.

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It is important that we should never lose sight of this distinction. We must not confuse the peoples with their governments.

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