Abraham Lincoln Quote - 12/22/07

Good morning Julie - you'll always be first with me!

How do you like the new group photo?

Welcome Michele

Great quote... I love Abraham Lincoln.

Oops...Since you're reading this directly from my Gather page and not the Abraham Lincoln Quote of the Day group page, I guess my question would be a bit cryptic.

I meant the new Lincoln photo associated with the article/quote (though by now you've guessed this and you wonder why I'm rambling on so much...)

Unless of course you had some other group photo op in mind...

War, itself, is a product of the kind of money we use. Isn't that strange? How could using a money which is or represents a tangible, physical object result in war? Yet every society which uses such a money (and that's all societies that have any kind of government) has, from time to time, gone to war. Europe's most peaceful nations, which did not participate in WWII, the Swiss and the Sweedes, were in their day among the most resolute of warriors. The Swiss to this day provide the soldiers of the Vatican.

If we used some other kind of money, a money that came into existence when earned and ceased to exist when spent, a money that could only be earned by actions which resulted in a net benefit to others, there would be no war because no one would be paid for such actions.

To see how such a money is possible read my novel "Invisible Hand" and see what kind of life we could be leading with no war, no poverty, no taxes, no government regulation of business, no organized crime, no unemployment, and 25% more production of goods and services (with less polution). I have published the complete novel here on Gather so you can read the whole thing free (my Christmas present to you all) and if you don't like those ads you can read it all at:

http://www.unc.edu/~mason/hand.html

If you get tired of the Christmas stress, take a while to contemplate the better life we could be enjoying in a few years if the word gets out.

Good morning Erin

Actually Larry, I would suggest war is more about power...money is merely a mechanism in the power struggle that consumes governments, individuals, and organizations.

Oh Julie...whatever did you mean? :)

Michelle, I was thinking the same thing

Great quote. Sounds so familiar to our latest example. Too bad Congress didn't step up to the plate and put a halt to things when they had the chance.

Amazing he knew the personalities of some would go way overboard, and he must have imbedded his thoughts so deep back then, as they really went all out to adhere to those very inciteful words. This is not however, and sadly so, the case almost everywhere in the world. Nice quote, Ellen B

Excellent quote.....too bad so many haven't followed suit!

It does amaze me that so much of what Lincoln said still makes sense in today's context. Perhaps even more sense.

I so wish I could find a way to get current politicians to study Lincoln and the trials he went through. I believe that they could learn so much from him.

pretending
That is the key word in that statement. And so politics speak with a forked tongue.

That's a very compact little history lesson a la Lincoln! He was a man with a great knowledge of history, which gave him the foresight that makes his quotes so relevant for today. If only we could all learn from history as much as he did.

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Alta - unfortunately I believe you are right...but then we reward pandering by constantly reelecting the same people and forcing them into a position where anything real they say is parsed to the point of lunacy.

Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind. And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded by patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader and gladly so. How do I know? For this is what I have done. And I am Caesar."
Not from Caeser, nor from Shakespeare, unknown actually but appropriate for today.

James - very prophetic...reminds me of the aftermath of 9/11

thank you

Great quote

Thanks Heather and Debby

You're welcome Cindy

Great quote!

A wonderful quote for our moment in history, David. Lincoln was a wise man.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Interesting quote. Abe Lincoln was a very intelligent man!

Thanks Risa, James, Gerri, Becky

must share this one with my husband :)

Susan - please do :)