Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine: The First American Whistleblower
In 2013, Edward Snowden’s revelations about the invasive nature of the American surveillance state raised many questions about state secrecy, the morality of state whistleblowing, and the role of government in general. What many don’t realize, however, was that the...
Thomas Paine, Abolitionist
As many of us realize, the political establishment of 2022 never passes up an opportunity to describe liberty-oriented ideas as “extreme,” and those who espouse them as “extremists.” Well, in 1774, there was nothing more extreme than a belief in the abolition of...
Thomas Paine, Tax Collector?
What would you think if I told you that America’s banner-waver of the American Revolution – often described as a “tax revolt” – was actually a tax collector? Well, I don’t have to allege it, because it’s true. As I point out in my new book, Thomas Paine: A Lifetime of...
Thomas Paine: Fear, Government Power and Standing Armies
From the earliest days of the republic, politicians have used fear to expand government power. This was the strategy the Federalist Party used to get a standing army. Thomas Paine called them out on it. The founding generation was extremely wary of standing armies....