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To: BroJoeK

I find myself in the unenviable position sandwiched between two prevaricators. Which to choose? I think I’ll go with snopes on this one.

Fake - but inaccurate.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/abraham-lincolns-capitalism-prophecy/


613 posted on 04/28/2018 2:58:41 PM PDT by rockrr ( Everything is different now...)
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To: rockrr; DiogenesLamp; x
DiogenesLamp alleged Lincoln quote: "...I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country.
As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed..."

rockrr: "I think I’ll go with snopes on this one."

Thanks rockrr for the link, DL's quote is fake.

DiogenesLamp another alleged Lincoln quote: "These capitalists generally act harmoniously and in concert to fleece the people, and now that they have got into a quarrel with themselves, we are called upon to appropriate the people’s money to settle the quarrel."
speech to Illinois legislature, Jan. 1837."

One problem with this quote is that word "capitalists" allegedly used by Lincoln in 1837.
Well, Karl Marx is widely credited for inventing the term "capitalism", but in fact he never used it and he lived until 1883.
The first recorded uses begin in 1850 but they would not be widely known, and the word was not coined & introduced in its current sense until 1906.

See etymology of "capitalism" here, here and here.

It does seem the word "capitalist" preceded "capitalism", but its original meaning is unclear, likely only referred to wealthy people, which Lincoln in 1837 (age 28) was not.

So we can give Lincoln a lot of credit for prescience, but doubt if even he in 1837 could predict a word & meaning that was still over 50 years in the future!

By the way, I've long thought DiogenesLamp had a Marxist streak in him, but he denies that, so I'll settle for calling it his little "inner Democrat", who drives him to crazy ideas & talk.
But here note DiogenesLamp approvingly quoting the devil himself, Lincoln, when Lincoln is made to sound like DiogenesLamp's fellow Marxist, fake quote or no.

667 posted on 05/01/2018 5:47:29 AM PDT by BroJoeK ((a little historical perspective...))
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