Saturday Open Thread: Franklin Edition
by PubliusToday, in 1790, Ben Franklin died. It was a substantial life.
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60 Comments
Of all the founding fathers, Franklin has the unique distinction of having signed all three of the major documents that freed the colonies from British rule and established the United States as an independent nation: the Declaration of Independence, The Treaty of Paris, and the United States Constitution.
"If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins".
*Benjamin Franklin
He wasn't much to look at, but he was one of the greatest Americans of all-time.
One of the most amazing of the Founding Fathers and in many ways personified the essence of what Americanism is, even at the birth of our nation. Hard working, self reliant, self made, brilliance tempered with real world common sense. Though not a perfect man, a critical piece in the founding of our fledgling nation. Thank God for men like Benjamin Franklin!
Franklin was a worthy soul. He is a role model for hard work, and for getting engaged with life. If you want to know reasons for getting involved with "what is going on" study Franklin. Look what being involved did for him.
A very great man indeed.
It just shows ya greatness comes in all sizes, shapes, and colors!…Ole Ben was
always one of my favorites!
AMERICA so needs leaders and men/women of values, dignity, honesty and respect for this great country. Look at the comparison of our great historical statesmen and then LOOK AT THE traitor-in-chief ! Obama makes you sick to your stomach as well as his followers and welfare class. He WILL destroy America if allowed. Destroy him FIRST ! God bless America !
VOTE ! VOTE ! VOTE !
One of my favorite quotes:
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!
Benjamin Franklin (1706 – 1790), 1759
In those wretched countries where a man cannot call his tongue his own, he can scarce call anything his own. Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.
We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.
When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.
Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.
Make yourselves sheep and the wolves will eat you.
Repeal that [welfare] law, and you will soon see a change in their manners. … Six days shalt thou labor, though one of the old commandments long treated as out of date, will again be looked upon as a respectable precept; industry will increase, and with it plenty among the lower people; their circumstances will mend, and more will be done for their happiness by inuring them to provide for themselves, than could be done by dividing all your estates among them.
Man will ultimately be governed by God or by tyrants. Ben Franklin
And a modern day comparison would be…………………. Yeah I couldn't think of one either.
Maybe the President knows.
Kind of a calm looking fellow, yet has that certain something that shouts, Ben Franklin.
There is hope for us all. Franklin was a chick magnet,balding, fat and aging. Now if only I could speak French,German,Latin and Greek!
Change is coming
Reagan is the only one that comes to my mind, not too many leaders in this world have brought down empires without firing a shot.
The original libertarian. We could use more like him… so could my wallet.
Pedrosito48,
I was going to say something about his reputation for the ladies, but I could not make it fit with what I really wanted to say, so I skipped it.
I thank you for posting this. Because he was VERY popular with the ladies, and YES it gives us all hope!
"It was a substantial life."
What a wonderful and simply put tribute to Benjamin Franklin.
It makes one wonder if in our lives we will one day look back and say "I have lived a substantial life".
No matter our level of impact- our family, local community, city, state, nation or world- we should reach towards the goal of leading a "substantial life". Our impacts reach farther than we think and in all that we do we should consider if our impact is a positive or negative one.
Cardon,
I LOVE "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately." one of the most powerful statements, yet laced with gallows humor. He would have been a hoot to hang out with.
Thank you Mr. Franklin… and we're still mostly a republic.
Cardon,
And this one, "Make yourselves sheep and the wolves will eat you." is my NEW Favorite Franklin quote.
I fear that 9/11 revealed that America had become a bit "Pollyanna-ish" thinking that we were completely safe, regardless of the risks. And now I fear that we are seeing that we have allowed the Progressives to turn us into sheep, and they are taking off their sheepskins and revealing their Wolvish innards as they prepare to devour America with "Change"…
Once again, note the gallows humor on a very serious topic.
We all need to become much less like Sheep…
Wow- very prescient. It would appear that we are getting there quickly, but hopefully we can stop this ship and turn it around for a few more years, maybe decades, before the despotism fully sets in. We are truly at a major crossroads right now.
Ben Franklin and company offered US the best life the world could offer – he warned us of the frailties of the Republic – Now it would appear it is up to US “ We The People “ to heed his words and do the reset to a Franklin modal Republic .
Did you ever ponder , how lucky we were to have such leadership in 1776 — and then think about what is going on now . the fact the states created federal government as a common agent to take care of their mutual needs , Now the wagon is pulling the horse .
Reset !
Reset !
Reset !
One of the wisest of wise. We owe a lot to this man. I were could be in his company today, I would bow with gratitude.
Thanks David,but it is hard to believe that Mike Castle( liberal from Deleware) is a direct descendent.
No single man did as much to assure the birth of a nation not by any overt action but by his ability to find common ground. He could difuse a heated argument with a well timed joke. Most of th time he appeared to sleep through those hot summer days in 1776 and many a comment was made about it by his fellow delegates. This was also part of the Franklin style. He never alienated when he could find agreement. There are very good reasons that Franklin is looked upon so kindly.
"A countryman between two lawyers is like a fish between two cats."
Benjamin Franklin
And a majority of our representatives are…………………..Lawyers.
The fish need to be sharks, and the Lawyers bait.
WoW rckmom, thx for that quote, "LEAVE UNSAID the wrong thing at the tempting moment".
I struggle with this one daily, I'll admit. Since the net is anonymous it's very easy to ignore.
I think his magnetism for the ladies came from his FREE soul, which they probably found
quite unusual in 'old Europe' in his time.
Ben Franklin would be disgusted if he could see what we have allowed to happen to the Republic.
definitely on of the greatest Americans of all time – it's easy to contend he's one of the greatest humans of all time. but about that 'not much to look at' opinion, I'm going to disagree… his accomplishments and logic abilities come to mind every time I see his image and he serves as inspiration to stand strong – and the more pictures I have of him in my wallet, the happier I am :~}
Franklin, Jefferson, Madison, Mason, Adams to Clinton, Kennedy, Durbin, Schumer, Obama….. We have come a very long way very fast. How many would say that we are on the right track?
Not that I'm unpatriotic, but I shun cash and use plastic, that way I get cash back!
cornpone, maybe but I think it was more his intellect.
Has Obama once ever mentioned the founding fathers ?
That list of the de-evolution of our national leadership would make a great political cartoon — like the evolution one of monkey to man but in reverse! I don't believe in evolution, but with these guys I think de-evolution is glaringly apparent! Too bad I can't draw
I tried being a chick magnet, but I couldn't "hide the decline."
Every time I pick up a book about this man, I find out some other great accomplishment that he made.
I loved Tom Wilkinson's portrayal of Franklin in the John Adams HBO series.
Time to stand up for liberty!
Visit The Freemen Institute and starting learning how to protect your freedoms!
http://www.freemeninstitute.com
WELL SAID!
In response to a woman on the street who asked 'Doctor what form of government do we have, a monarchy or republic?' as he left Independence Hall on the last day of deliberations of the Constitutional Convention:
"A Republic madam……..if you can keep it"
"A countryman between two lawyers is like a fish between two cats."
Benjamin Franklin
This is what our country feels like today..
"Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do."
Benjamin Franklin
Description of the Democratic Party…
"Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment"
Benjamin Franklin
Advice for Obama…
Hi David, I loved the Sheep/Wolf quote too….You put it so well….We are getting devoured…Hopefully
us tea party people have woken up in time!!
Hear what Bill Clinton said yesterday? DESPICABLE comments from a disgusting 'man'! And make no mistake: This impeached President is running point for the one in office.
Sadly, many of us are showing that we can not keep it, or do not think it is worth keeping. By the time they realize what it was that was lost, the chain will be around their legs and the yoke around their neck.
He sent their busts back to England with Churchill's.
Excellent question there TL,…………
"monkey",……….they would not see the scientific sarc beyond their racist outcries there jupaczyn,………
it is, however and excellent observation.
Just the one's for his philosophy: Saul Alinsky, Frank Marshall Davis, Bill Ayers, Jeremiah Wright, Mao, Marx, Chavez… No, wait… I forgot, he's his own founding father.
What I liked about this man was the fact that he was he was not a politician. He was never elected President, Vice-President, Senator, Representative, or Governor. Neither was he in the Cabinet or in the military. Yet he was every bit as influential in the creation of this nation as Washington, Jefferson, Adams, and Hamilton and he did it as a private citizen.
Ben Franklin is exactly the kind of politician who would be demonized by right-wingers if he were alive today. He was a widely-read intellectual who was also a prolific author. He spoke French fluently. He founded the country's first free public (funded by taxes) library and Philadelphia's first public (funded by taxes) fire department. He was a product of the Enlightenment, not of religious fundamentalism. These are the type of people we need in our government today to turn around the decline in America that has been occurring since the "Reagan Revolution."
I agree! Especially what has happened since the "Reagan Revolution."
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Thanks to President Obama, today may be the last day in our lifetimes so many astronauts were together in space.
Or as Barry would say, "Do svidaniya, Comrade!"
So many of our current office holders, at all levels, shrink in stature every time they're compared to men like Benjamin Franklin and the founders. It's shameful that people like Obama, and some of his predecessors ,make it to public office and have such influence over our lives. It's up to us to stop this and reverse the trend.
NOvember is coming.
You know, about an hour after I posted that I realized that a leftie might take that as a racist remark — since their power derives from creating a victim class. However I meant it as a purely political commentary: we have devolved from a nation of the highest ideals to a nation of the lowest common denominator — justice from the barrel of a gun or rule by the moochers and looters.
Not many know he invented the mullet.
"What I liked about this man was the fact that he was he was not a politician"
Doesn't stop both sides from trying to claim him. In truth I suspect hed probably end up a libertarian today.
when you break down the cost/benefits I think you can actually make the argument that such a move is fiscally responsible – even if it did come from obama.
A very astute comment, Thw.
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