"I place economy among the first and most important virtues and public debt as the greatest dangers to be feared ... We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our choice between economy and liberty or profusion and servitude ... The same prudence which in private life would forbid our paying money for unexplained projects, forbids it in the disposition of public money. We are endeavoring to reduce the government to the practice of rigid economy to avoid burdening the people ..."
by:
Thomas Jefferson
(1743-1826), US Founding Father, drafted the Declaration of Independence, 3rd US President
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Constitutionally unexplained projects like an alphabet soup of agencies, pork bellies, imperialism, socialism's servitude, etc., etc., etc. have proven Jefferson's here quote absolute.
 -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    Jefferson wouldn't believe what the hacks in Washington are up to now.
     -- jim k, Austin,Tx     
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    Who said our modern day school graduates are our greatest ever. Old quill pen and paper scholars like our founding fathers governed far better than our Ivy League graduates today.
     -- cal, lewisville, tx     
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    Jefferson would be ashamed of what we have allowed our government to become. I doubt any of us could look him in the eye, were he alive today.
     -- Justin, Elkland     
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    Capital must protect itself in every way... Debts must be collected and loans and mortgages foreclosed as soon as possible. When through a process of law the common people have lost their homes, they will be more tractable and more easily governed by the strong arm of the law applied by the central power of leading financiers. People without homes will not quarrel with their leaders. This is well known among our principle men now engaged in forming an imperialism of capitalism to govern the world. By dividing the people we can get them to expend their energies in fighting over questions of no importance to us except as teachers of the common herd. ~ J. P. Morgan
     -- J Carlton, Calgary     
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    Thought I agree, we the people are just as much to blame as we have more debt than the government.
     -- RBESRQ     
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     -- Ron, Salem      
    "We must make our choice between economy and liberty or profusion and servitude." A natural law. As you sow, so shall you reap.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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     -- Ronw13, ID      
    United States debt clock indicates 31 trillion, 443 billion and many millions as of December 19, 2022.
     -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown     
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