Henry David Thoreau Quote

"If a thousand men were not to pay their tax-bills this year, that would not be a violent and bloody measure, as it would be to pay them, and enable the State to commit violence and shed innocent blood. This is, in fact, the definition of a peaceable revolution, if any such is possible."

by:	Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) American author, poet, philosopher, polymath, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and transcendentalist
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Categories:	Conviction, Dissent, Integrity, Peace, Revolution, Tax, Violence
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If the general population understood that we're being taxed to line the pockets of foreign bankers (foreign criminals) there would be a revolution by morning.  -- J Carlton, Calgary      4 1
I'm not sure exactly how to rate this or comment with stars. The overall thought is admirable kind of but, based on false premises and miss-information. If the master (government) demands 2 days labor out of 5 from its slaves (citizen), that which is here called a tax-bill is infarct a slave's mandate. In the States united, the system of funny money means the enslaved labor extraction goes, in most part, to pay interest to loans from foreigners (the fed) If you consider all the taxes that were collected in 1998 (including income tax), that would be less than all the taxes collected in 2008 (excluding income tax). Home Land Security's (a Nazi'e term) budget is larger than Johnson's entire budget.  -- Mike, Norwalk      3
Opps, should have been: "a Nazi's term". And, to end the thought, income tax is a communist enslavement technique not a principle of liberty, freedom, individual sovereignty, a representative republic, or the de jure Constitution..  -- Mike, Norwalk      3
This quote [1846] was in response the the Mexican War. He went to jail for a day but was bailed out [and his taxes paid] by friends including Ralph Waldo Emerson. It inspired him to write "Civil Disobedience" printed in 1848. "It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right."  -- Popeye, Wichita Kansas      3 1
The term 'tax' is a little broad. What tax and for what in return? Income taxes are not a republican government's way of paying for government administration -- excise taxes are. There were no property taxes either -- that is a monarchical practice as all land was owned by the crown and people were given 'title' to it in exchange for paying taxes on it -- taxes that the 'titled' holder would get from the commoners living on the land. It is no accident that income tax was introduced once 'legal tender' was introduced in America in exchange for all the gold in the nation -- i.e. every single person's money! The legal tender 'notes' were/are in fact interest-bearing promissory notes -- they are IOUs, debts. The IRS was formed to guarantee the interest payments were made to the private Federal Reserve -- and eventually the system was set up to automatically send those taxes to the Fed directly before the worker even got it into their hands. A deeper study into 'progressive taxation' reveals that this is one of Marx's communist planks. The income tax is in fact not even necessary with legal tender as the government could simply print up its own money interest-free. No, income taxes are designed to keep the people down, to protect the monopolies of those to whom the taxes ultimately go. YES, if the people could refuse to pay their taxes in protest of what their servant government wase doing, it would be revolutionary, but they have set it up to be almost impossible. One more point, before legal tender, the federal government would offer saving bonds (treasury bills, or T-bills) to the public to raise money. But they could not be forced upon people. So if the public was supportive of what the government was doing, it would buy bonds, if not, they wouldn't. The Federal Reserve and legal tender was introduced so that the government could raise as much money as it wanted without any check from the people. The result? A huge unpayable debt, 99% inflation since 1913, the loss of every gold dollar (real money) to the Fed, and today, Obama's budget is double last year's totaling over 3 trillion dollars, almost all of which is new debt. Do the math -- this is tantamont to slavery.  -- E Archer, NYC      4
-- RBESRQ
I thought Hamilton set up a National Bank. The Fed did not come into existence until 1913. While I agree foreign banks were involved over the years, the thrust of Hamilton's was to connect the wealthy to the central government by selling them interest bearing bonds. These were not backed by gold as the central government was 50 million in debt with no specie at the time except the foreign gold and silver collected for the bonds. Since Hamilton kept printing money the worth of the bonds collapsed just as the dollar has since 1913. Worthless paper money which quickly inflated "as good as a Continental" as I recall. It was worthless until Hamilton and his minions decided to pay them off at full value which was done after his minions ran around the states buying them for pennies on the dollar mostly from poor military men. Still in the end there was never enough gold and silver to back the paper money. This was also exacerbate by banking policy to lend out 10 times more than any bank held in specie. So the point is our "Country" was set up as a debt structured "credit worthy" (as Hamilton thought) government. I hear so much about going back to the gold standard, but the fact remains that the government whether by inflation or a run on the banks would Never be able to pay off.  -- G Barnes, Bethel, CT      2 1
Popeye, great insight, thanks.  -- Mike, Norwalk
G Barnes, President Thomas Jefferson did not renew the charter of Hamilton's bank after it wreaked havoc for 20 years on the American economy. Another central bank was established a few years later only to be killed by Andrew Jackson who called them a 'den of vipers.' We are stuck again with a private central bank, and this monstrous debt and run-away inflation is the result. It MUST be stopped before the People lose everything.  -- E Archer, NYC      3
http://www.2ndamendmenttv.com/videos/history-1/australia-protests-gun-ban.html Fist they came and took our silver then they came and stole our gold but if they come for your guns give them your led Remember (Eternity ) now they know how to grow organs and transplant them .they can do that with everything including plants that produce veggies so keep in mind Population Reduction act by bill gatez sr.  -- Joe L'Amarca, University Place Wa.      3
It is always nice when the smoke clears from the darkened room of corrupt governing. As the financial element and the philosophical foundation of our Founding Fathers becomes exposed. Sound knowledge expands and grows within the like minded individuals in a natural manner, hence natures natural ability to enlighten those in darkness. Thoreau's peaceful revolt, is an honorable approach, practiced by True Patriots sense the siege started and continues today. Just as much property is held in contempt by the IRS, prohibiting sale. As Archer states " it must be stopped". Communication and its many forms of codification are extremely old. But connecting the dots globally with like minded associations draws the line in the sand.  -- Ronw13, Oregon      2
Makes no Sense. He died in 1862. During his lifetime, there was no "tax bill" to speak of. No income tax, no sale tax. The feds lived on tariffs. What is he talking about?  -- Scott, Hoboken
Stop paying for your servitude!  ;-)  -- E Archer, NYC
-- jim k, Austin
I think Henry Ford said something very similar   -- Peter Ferdinando, London      1

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