Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Tapu Misa embraces Thomas Jefferson?

NZ Herald columnist Tapu Misa often uses quotes from, or about people, that are intended to support her latest fad. But sometimes the people she chooses to exploit are, or were, exponents of a philosophy or ideas that are the polar opposite of hers.

America's founders reckoned "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" to be inalienable human rights.

It seems Thomas Jefferson had in mind a less selfish idea of happiness than the winner-take-all pursuit we've seen in the last few decades.

In his book Inventing America: Jefferson's Declaration of Independence, journalist and historian Gary Willis wrote: "When Jefferson spoke of pursuing happiness, he had nothing vague or private in mind. He meant a public happiness which is measurable; which is, indeed, the test and justification of any government."



Here is a direct quote from Thomas Jefferson:

A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government.
Thomas Jefferson


Unless she has experienced some sort of sea-change in thinking Tapu Misa would never aspire to the type of "wise and frugal" government Jefferson envisaged. Can you imagine the day when she writes a column calling for the abolition of income tax?

(And there is something scatterbrained about a column on the subject of public happiness that berates the "winner-take-all pursuit we've seen in the last few decades" but uncomplainingly accepts that happiness is currently hinging on whether NZ triumphs in the Rugby World Cup.)

6 comments:

Redbaiter said...

Scatterbrained? You're far too kind.

These are Marxists and they want to sit themselves in the halls of power and control us.

Everything they say and do is designed to achieve this objective.

It disgusts me that these scum would pervert the words of Thomas Jefferson to their big government cause.

They get away with it because there is just not enough outrage at their constant deceit.

Tapu Misa might be scatterbrained, but before that, she is a lying Marxist scumbag.

The media won't tell us who she or the rest of the Watermelons really are, because they're largely part of the same criminal conspiracy.

Truth is up to the bloggers, and we should not hold back.

Paulus said...

Why bother to bother with Tapu Misa. If ever there was a consistant moaning whiner it is her. Often she is on the same full page between them with former failed UK Labour MP Bryan Gould.
I avoid bothering as wasted paper.

Kiwiwit said...

The text you quote from Jefferson was from his first inauguration speech. If there was any doubt as to what his intentions were, this boast from his second inauguration address removes it:

"The suppression of unnecessary offices, of useless establishments and expenses, enabled us to discontinue our internal taxes."

Redbaiter said...

"Why bother to bother with Tapu Misa?"

God, if only. I just wish it were possible.

The problem is that these Marxists, in the newspapers and in our TV and radio outlets, play a large part in the shaping of NZer's political views.

Through lies and misinformation and because they are so often of the same crippled perspective, they are a very effective force against any other political viewpoint.

Especially with people who are too busy earning a living to delve deeper into such things.

The political views of NZers are more shaped by the mainstream media than any other source. Its why we're in the trouble we are in.

The Tapu Misas have to be challenged and in the long term discredited. Only after this has been achieved, can we afford to ignore them.

James said...

I still chuckle at the time she quoted Ayn Rand...

Jefferson was indeed advocating the right to be selfish in the Randian sense of the term....self-interest.

Kiwi Dave said...

Given the importance of redistribution in achieving happiness, I propose that at all future RWCs the winning team in each match should give 20% of its points to the losing team.