"Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and
intelligence of the citizens. They fall, when the wise are banished
from the public councils, because they dare to be honest, and
the profligate are rewarded, because they flatter the people,
in order to betray them."
by:
Justice Joseph Story
(1779-1845) US Supreme Court Justice
Date:
1833
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Reader comments about this quote:
 -- Thomas M McGovern, Jersey City, NJ      
 -- Anonymous, Reston, VA US      
Tis the concept of virtue that has been lost in our society. Equal opportunity has been traded for equal results and envy, and liberty has been exchanged for license. With this, we cannot survive (and maybe shouldn't.)
 -- Michael , Houston, TX     
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    Well said Michael
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    When Americans are ready to start hearing painful truths and acting on them, there may yet be hope. But we thrive on fantasy, and the truth is depressing and only points to the huge mess there is to clean up. Most prefer their 'soma', in whatever form.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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     -- Joe, Rochester, MI      
     -- CHARLES L. BROY, East Peoria,Illinois      
    Objective truth is a commodity and a rare one at that. Well it is said that people prefer to gather for themselves fashionable men who tickle their itching ears rather than suffer those intolerable souls with the temerity to proclaim truths that deliver men from present danger and distress.
     -- Randall D. Dunning, Garland, TX     
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    Now that the Public Indoctrination system has reduced the collective IQ to that of a house plant...the general public has no idea what the founding principles of the nation are and have become almost completely incapable of critical thinking. Teach your children well...
     -- J Carlton, Calgary     
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    Michael, Archer, Randall, and J, you guys said it well, really well.
     -- jim k, Austin, Tx     
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    Kudos to all of you and your excellent commentaries! We've had far too many generations indoctrinated into living in the Fog Of the Unknown!
     -- Mary - MI     
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    Leaders are men of integrity. The masses ridicule them. Call them stupid and out of date. Lies and slander is all that will be printed or broadcast about them while the panderers will be hailed as "visionary", we are all responsible for allowing the "information" peddlers to fill the minds of the gullible with rot. It is time to clean out the vipers nest and be vigilant protecting our liberty from them. so that Obama can sue the state again.
     -- warren, olathe     
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    I like Archer's approach. True to the point ! Living in a fog where the shading of words cannot be seen. Do not take another pill, it will not be alright, its not ok, if you don't get it ! Wake up Patriots !! The argument for Moral Responsibility will take center stage, it is our experiment of the Free Republic, one nation under God. Knit together in Love of Liberty and Freedom for all. God's laws written in fleshly tables of the heart.
     -- Ronw13, Yachats Or     
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    The right to know? The United States debt clock indicates 31trillion 473 billion dollars and many millions on January 7, 2023. To improve this situation we must improve GDP. We must produce for human beings and not for monsters and their accessories. Repeat we must produce for human beings.
     -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown     
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    No flattery here. The United States citizenry suffers from a brain degenerative condition that displays a tremendous inability to produce to repay their lenders. 
     -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown     
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    To put it in the context of the late 1700's "Truer words were never spake." First the schools and colleges must be divested of the true history of the nation. Then the "press" must be compromised and/or bought and paid for. The biggest failure as it applies to today is the abysmal lack of vigilance of our so-called "elected officials". Sadly our citizenry has been too busy pursuing the American Dream that's now becoming a nightmare. Once upon a time in a land called America, elected officials were watched diligently. Now these so called "officials" have done back room deals, have sold America to the highest bidder, have wiped their designer loafers on our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Our present "president" who many have no doubt is merely a puppet, has so compromised this nations security and it's very existence it's probably just a matter of a short time before we become the next Cuba, Venezuela, Communist China etc.
     -- Denise, Durango     
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    Sillik, you may smile here when I tell you I agree with you. BUT, a giant caveat - The debt you reference is by nature's fiscal law, more accurately described as theft (how does one pay back thieves). Your concept is a shallow mixing of economic systems. IF ! ! ! the individual States and their united reference lawfully represented individual sovereigns' inalienable rights and liberty and were limited to constitutionally authorized duties, money (gold and silver coin — see Article I, sections 8 & 10, U.S. constitution) borrowed for constitutional reasons, could conceivably be paid back by increased production (a capitalist concept).  IF ! ! ! a socialist economic system, such as Keynesian economics, were in place, non-money debt could be produced ad infinitum with no possibility of repayment to lenders or otherwise. More debt would have to be borrowed to increase production while simultaneously lessening regulation and anti-lawful/socialist controls over religion, philosophy, creativity and the means of producing and distributing goods (a socialist’s oxymoron). By de jure economics (sanity, no mental illness illusions concerning economics), no amount of notes of credit can be borrowed to pay back the increasing debt (literally, no one can dig themselves out of a hole).
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    Mr Mike, Norwalk I don't understand what you are posting here. The vision of American is clear, someday the American socio-economic mechanism will make good on it's loans and repay every cent of its debt. The vision at this point is not realized, but the future populous of the present January 9,2023 will realize this reality.
     -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown     
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    Additionally Mike Norwalk I'm not sure what you are intimating. I care not how these creditors acquired their funds. Their way is greatly flawed, no doubt. But my way of realizing the human redemptive process is not flawed. America will demonstrate to the world. The world will pay back it's creditors and then move forward with a rejuvenating strength of the unlimited human resourcefulness ability.
     -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown     
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    Sillik, it is obvious you do not understand, that is part of a socialist's mental fog/illusion/illness. Let me try and explain by example. In a fiscal system of debt (NOT money) lets say you borrow $100 with a for ease of calculation 10% interest. Through your labor, services and products, you sell such for $120 - $10 more than you borrowed. Were does the financial where-with-all come from to pay your price. Within the socialistic system, it has to be borrowed from the same lending source. Borrowing the $120 came with interest, now making a IOU / loan / FRN (note) of $132. Instead of the original $110 to be paid back, there is now $242 to pay back. That system of GDP payback is based on the ever increasing debt load for the purchase of an increase of improved labor, service and products. Such system requires borrowing and increase of IOUs at interest to pay off old IOUs / notes. It is impossible to pay back a loan with more borrowed money to get out of debt. Doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result is insanity. Equating quantity and quality of labor, service, products into such economic system is mis-direction, off topic and a mental illness that can not perceive inalienable rights, liberty, law or prosperity.
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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