Contributed by Nan Potts
I often wonder, when the world falls into chaos and insanity, whatever happened to common sense?
In an age where the meaning of words and phrases change on a daily basis, thus causing confusion, frustration and conflict, let’s begin by defining some. Common sense: noun, sound practical judgment that is independent of specialized knowledge, training, or the like; normal native intelligence. (www.dictionary.com)
Well, that sounds straight forward. If we all step back and get a greater understanding of what’s going on around us (whether it be World, national or local events), I think we’d agree something is happening. But what?
We see continuous riots in certain cities, murders within ethnicities, assaults of one ethnicity against another and violent crimes rising across this nation. Why?
One could blame injustices for these occurrences. Okay, injustices should be dealt with. However, does that mean it should be dealt with by inflicting another injustice? Thomas Paine would disagree.
You recall Thomas Paine’s essay - “Common Sense; Addressed To The Inhabitants Of America, On the following interesting Subjects:
I. The origin and design of government . . .
II. Of Monarchy and Hereditary Succession
III. Thoughts on the present State of American Affairs
IV. Of the present ability of America . . .”?
If you don’t, you should.
When Paine first published his 46-page essay in January of 1776, and his new edition in February (adding specific monetary value to his proposal and addressing the Quakers), he listed grievances the American colonials had with King George III. He cited examples and evidence against the Crown’s interference in American matters and argued his solution with proposals how he foresaw the government of the New Continent. Simply put, it was a call to Independence. None refuted it. Why?
At that time, Americans were British subjects, which meant they were governed by British Law. Paine debated the idea that Americans knew best what was good for them and the colonies, not the abusive ruler living over 3,000 miles away.
As far as the colonialists were concerned, King George III was a tyrant. The more the Americans resented his authority, the more Parliamentary overreach and abuse from the Crown was put upon them.
Let’s pause here and define tyrant and tyranny - Tyrant: noun, a sovereign or other ruler who uses power oppressively or unjustly. Tyranny: noun, arbitrary or unrestrained exercise of power; despotic abuse of authority. (www.dictionary.com)
King George is best known for the taxation he put upon the Americans. Yet his authority went far beyond his taxation without representation (breaking traditional English Law). Other acts included extortion by suspending the New York’s legislative assembly until it complied with quartering English troops, which was greatly resented. Now, England had a “standing army” in the Colonies which protected the King’s interests not the colonials’. The Americans’ rights, under English Law, were being denied and they no longer thought of themselves as Englishmen.
Rebellions resulted throughout the 1760s and early1770s. The most famous, the Boston Tea Party, 1774. And, as Parliament claimed legislative supremacy over its empire in response - it militarized the Massachusetts government, revamped her court system, erected a naval blockade to Boston and demanded the colonies provide for the regular troops.
Author, Thomas Wendel, Thomas Paine: A Call To Independence, states in his introduction, “The American patriots had come to believe that over the past decade there had developed in England a concerted conspiracy against liberty, a conspiracy formulated by wicked and corrupt ministers of the Crown who, through pensions and patronage, bribed a supine Parliament to do their bidding.”
What befell the Americans and the British are well archived in history. Tyranny was ousted and a new nation resulted. It promised a government for the people, by the people - life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I’ll leave that up to you to review.
Does Paine’s common sense apply to today’s events? It appears the echoes of the past carries sounds of resemblance. My common sense tells me there is tyranny at the root. Speculation can be made - monarchists, socialists, communists, fascists, anarchists, oligarchs, globalists and others. All of these have one thing in common: abuse of authority.
Paine’s following quote caught the woes of being under the rule of a monarchy and hereditary succession; England’s tyranny of the time. if one substituted any of the above-mentioned ideologies in its place, the quote would bear out truth. History has proven it so.
In short, monarchy and succession have laid (not this or that kingdom only) but the world in blood and ashes. “‘Tis a form of government which the word of God bears testimony against, and blood will retain it.” - Thomas Paine, Common Sense
Under the U.S. Constitution, “We The People” are the governing body. We select our local, state and federal representatives via votes. Why would any people wish government to intervene and takeover their lives, including their happiness? Yet this is happening. executive orders and edits may benefit society, temporarily. Too many, and just like our colonial founders, our rights (which are inalienable) are being gradually and insidiously stripped from us.
A true student of world history would agree that fear is the driving factor for authoritative control. When a people feel threatened and demand protection, they allow and tolerate a certain amount of control over themselves. And a tyrant, once in power, is in fear of losing that power. Look at Great Britain and its reason for the creation of serfdom - The Roman Empire (i.e. Britain) had been worked by gangs of slaves (of different ethnicities) and eventually broken up into peasant holds. “These peasants of the late Roman Empire, many of who were the descendant of slaves, came to depend on larger land owners and important persons for protection from state tax collectors and, later, from barbarian invaders and oppressive neighbors.” - www.britannica.com
Paine’s response to the folly of hereditary rights of kings can also be applied to corruption in any organization: “Most wise men, in their private sentiments, have ever treated hereditary right with contempt; yet it is one of those evils, which when once established is not easily removed; many submit from fear, others from superstition, and the more powerful part shares with the king the plunder of the rest.” - Thomas Paine, Common Sense
A common sense conclusion would be: If people are unwilling (to take responsibility) or unable (due to suppression and fear) to govern themselves, another person or persons will use their authority or power (suppression) over them to govern or control that population (oppression).
The current push of systemic racism and critical race theory are but distractions from government and Big Tech overreach in our pocketbooks and civil rights. The titles of proposed and passed bills in our Congress and Senate (COVID Stimulus and HR-1[The People’s Bill]) may “sound good”. However, a closer look into them (www.congress.gov and www.senate.gov) demonstrates so much pork and wasteful spending, they are on track to bankrupt this country and leave the debt for generations to come. This is not common sense.
Neither are the ideologies, created by intellectual thinkers who think their ideas are “special” and therefore they should be adopted. Ideologies based on how they feel things should be, not how they are, without practical experience of what they preach. Hence, Marx, Lenin and Hitler to name a few. Consider how those turned out?
“A government which cannot preserve the peace [or dismantles the peace], is no government at all, and in the case we pay our money for nothing…” - Thomas Paine, Common Sense
Ask yourself regarding the following if this rings of common sense:
• A leader (who is white) calls for unity in this country, then names all white people - white privileged, white supremacists and domestic terrorists?
• Penalizing law-abiding citizens by removing their rights to bear arms and protect themselves and their property, then allowing rioters, looters and lawbreakers to walk free?
• Calling for reparations regarding unjust acts, done so long ago, that have been rectified.
• One injustice being “righted” by another injustice (see the definition of revenge)?
• The First Amendment right in this country, Free Speech, currently being censored?
• Unruly and unlawful mob rule being allowed to threaten lives of fellow countrymen whose ideas differ from theirs?
• Changing laws and definitions of words arbitrarily to suit a narrative?
• To espouse false allegations and untruths, then repeating them loud and long enough that people believe they’re true? (see Saul Alinsky, Rules For Radicals)
• People want socialism over capitalism, when socialism has always brought bloodshed, death and destruction to nations (a well-documented historical fact)?
• That people must be taught and believe in unproven ideologies (i.e. Antiracism and critical race theory) because others say so?
• To claim that humans are causing the Earth’s climate to change when the climate has been changing since the time of its creation?
• Listening to biased media outlets instead of self-research to come to one’s own conclusion?
• Paying unemployment benefits for workers not to work?
• Printing money without value to stimulate the economy, leading to inflation?
• Law and order being disbanded in the name of social justice?
The list goes on.
By applying common sense and having an understanding of history and human nature, one will find peace and prosperity lies within the liberty of individuals, groups and nations, to be productive.
Paine recognized this. The American colonies were prospering with a budding economy, creative ingenuity and resources. Britain was in debt and with dwindling resources, the expenses of maintaining her Empire tugged at her manpower and purse. In her desperate attempt to survive as the ruling nation on the planet, the King and his Parliament decided to use more control and rein in the rebellious colonies. The result, a rebellion with “the shot heard around the world”. The rest is history.
Yet, there will always be those who wish to throw off any form of authority or government - enter the anarchists. Anarchist: noun, a person who seeks to overturn by violence all constituted forms and institutions of society and government, with no purpose of establishing any other system of order in the place of that destroyed. (www.dictionary.com) I shake my head at anyone who declares there lies any common sense!
Rebellion and war are last resorts when diplomacy and communication breakdown. There has always been a very high price to pay in the devastation of lives and property. Is it worth it? Freedom of any sort, and the struggle to maintain it, by definition, comes with that price tag.
Looking through U.S. History, rebellions have happened more than once. It could happen again. Too, much government control put upon a people who have known liberty and whose rights are defined by our ruling document, the U.S. Constitution, is setting up similar conditions to those of King George’s.
Rereading Thomas Paine has pulled into perspective how dear our liberty in this country is. Just ask the people who are fleeing other countries to be here! Those living here and attempting to “change” it through senseless rioting and destruction, and by more and more government control, probably should go elsewhere. Common sense would ask, “Why are you here?”
Common sense would also ask, “Are you truly applying common sense or are you going along with the rule of the mob?” Mob: noun, Sociology. a group of persons stimulating one another to excitement and losing ordinary rational control over their activity. (www.dictionary.com)
Either way, “We The People” do have commonalities: we are freedom loving people and we are all Americans. It is amazing what a people can achieve when liberties are given. Why any people would want otherwise, even in fear, is beyond my kin. Common sense dictates otherwise, as well as Thomas Paine.