July 6, 2011

A quick thought on Thomas Paine.

In his introduction to the book Common Sense, Thomas Paine wrote "Time makes more converts than reason." in defense of his ideas that had not yet taken absolute hold in the colonies. The sentence in itself explains the evolution of ideas like socialism. Once an idea is put out there, I've said before that genie can never go back in the bottle. Thomas Paine's line means it's worse, much worse, than that when it comes to socialism. What it means is that socialism has had a long time to get a foothold in people's thoughts. It will continue to get converts just as will the idea of 'liberty and justice for all'.

It's not a matter of hoping that the latter idea (liberty) gains a foothold faster than the former (socialism). It's a more universally appealing idea, isn't it? Even if it is however, it's the duty of everyone who values freedom to proclaim it's virtue and it's importance. Freedom neglected, is freedom foregone.

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