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John Adams on "Privilege"

Posted on 05/04/2019 5:33:31 AM PDT by cotton1706

It would be easy to quote Greek and Latin, to produce a hundred authorities to show the original signification of the word aristocracy and its infinite variations and application in the history of ages.

But this would be all waste water.

Once for all, I give you notice, that whenever I use the word aristocrat, I mean a citizen who can command or govern two votes or more in society, whether by his virtues, his talents, his learning, his loquacity, his taciturnity, his frankness, his reserve, his face, figure, eloquence, grace, air, attitude, movements, wealth, birth, art, address, intrigue, good fellowship, drunkenness, debauchery, fraud, perjury, violence, treachery, pyrrhonism, deism, or atheism; for by every one of these instruments have votes been obtained and will be obtained.

- John Adams, letter V to John Taylor


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: elections
What the liberals call "privilege" is just aristocracy by another name.

Men and women will use, and have always used, whatever advantages they have.

To understand the world as it really is, read John Adams!

1 posted on 05/04/2019 5:33:31 AM PDT by cotton1706
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To: cotton1706

“Men and women will use, and have always used,
whatever advantages they have.”

How often do they use Truth, or Love, or Grace?

How about some old “New Moves” for
the Modern Army Of One, Civilian Cyber Warrior:

Something a couple of our Generals tell us could
prevent War. (Right from where we’re all sitting.)

Political Grace.
+
Intentional Unity.

Political Grace. The art of disagreeing well.
Intentional unity.
The Ultimate Countermeasure to those who would Divide!:
The Future of War and how it affects YOU Multi-Domain Operations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOTYgcdNrXE>

For your additional consideration, Michael Flynn,
talking about a civilian army of digital soldiers...
Citizen journalists...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=V2MgTd3LgB0>

And I’ll add...

Proper Meme-ing, with embedded Love and Truth.
(Something the left seems handicapped at...)

~Easy
(Of course, one must first realize, there’s a war on.)


2 posted on 05/04/2019 5:54:01 AM PDT by EasySt (Say not this is the truth, but so it seems to me to be, as I see this thing I think I see #KAG)
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To: cotton1706
Once for all, I give you notice, that whenever I use the word aristocrat, I mean a citizen who can command or govern two votes or more in society, whether by his virtues, his talents, his learning, his loquacity, his taciturnity, his frankness, his reserve, his face, figure, eloquence, grace, air, attitude, movements, wealth, birth, art, address, intrigue, good fellowship, drunkenness, debauchery, fraud, perjury, violence, treachery, pyrrhonism, deism, or atheism; for by every one of these instruments have votes been obtained and will be obtained.

You told me you were high-class,
But I could see through that.
And Daddy, I know,
You ain't no aristocrat.--
--Big Mama Thornton

3 posted on 05/04/2019 6:12:34 AM PDT by Fiji Hill
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To: cotton1706
It's about citizens who have the vote...whether two high class citizens...or two drunken citizens and their ability to garner a couple of additional votes.

We normally equate aristocrats as wealthy individuals with some kind of status.

It's NOT what Adams says at all....and that was in real time.

4 posted on 05/04/2019 6:30:47 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: cotton1706

The Aristocrats. The best, bad joke of all time. Not for feignt-hearted.


5 posted on 05/04/2019 6:37:52 AM PDT by Vermont Lt (If we get Medicare for all, will we have to show IDs for service?)
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To: cotton1706

In other words, perceived self-interest is what drives human action, and everyone of us will use whatever talent, resources, etc. we have at our disposal to protect and advance those interests.

The more talent and resources one has the more “privileged” he is.

To counter this individual advantage, the more numerous less privilegeds (less talented and with less resources) will band together and use their bigger numbers to attack the “privileged” individuals. It’s the power of the mob.

This is what we’re seeing today. Alynsky wrote a manual on how to do this.


6 posted on 05/04/2019 10:22:29 AM PDT by aquila48
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To: aquila48

“It’s the power of the mob.”

Strength in numbers - another form of “privilege”.

When boiled down to its essence privilege is simply power, a kind of softish, subtle power, but power nonetheless.


7 posted on 05/04/2019 10:28:55 AM PDT by aquila48
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...
Thanks cotton1706.

8 posted on 05/05/2019 11:07:28 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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