Comedian and talk show host Glenn Beck considers himself to be an avatar of Thomas Paine, of all people. Never mind that Paine was an atheist and honorary French citizen who favored estate taxes, public education, government work programs, progressive taxation to pay for a welfare state, guaranteed minimum income, opposition to slavery, liberation for women, animal rights, and was a vocal opponent of capital punishment and torture. All of which are issues which the Mormon, Beck has made a fortune opposing. Other than those minor details, Beck and Paine are pretty much the same person.
Who was Thomas Paine? Besides being what many consider the father of the American Revolution and one of the founding fathers in large part because of his rallying writings of Common Sense. He also was a player in the French Revolution against Napoleon's dictatorship calling him "the completest charlatan that ever existed". In 1802, at President Jefferson's invitation, he returned to America where he died in 1809. Only six people attended his funeral as he had been ostracized for his criticisms and ridicule of Christianity. "All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit". -Thomas Paine "I have always regarded Paine as one of the greatest of all Americans. Never have we had a sounder intelligence in this republic . . . It was my good fortune to encounter Thomas Paine's works in my boyhood . . . it was, indeed, a revelation to me to read that great thinker's views on political and theological subjects. Paine educated me, then, about many matters of which I had never before thought. I remember, very vividly, the flash of enlightenment that shone from Paine's writings, and I recall thinking, at that time, 'What a pity these works are not today the schoolbooks for all children!' My interest in Paine was not satisfied by my first reading of his works. I went back to them time and again, just as I have done since my boyhood days". -Thomas Edison So who do Conservatives equate now days with Thomas Paine? Rush Limburger, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, and Joe the Plumber. All modern charlatans, or ignorant at best. A very poor showing of intellectualism. Sad. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/01_Paine_burial_location.jpg -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
