Look: I am eager to learn stuff I don't know--which requires actively courting and posting smart disagreement.

But as you will understand, I don't like to post things that mischaracterize and are aimed to mislead.

-- Brad Delong

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Thursday, February 24, 2011

Quotes of the Day from the Party of Lincoln

While at Rude's Place,  I noted this post, from which I will quote liberally - and in fact, progressively.

You lift quotes from RP at your own risk.  This is safe, though, because he was quoting old Honest Abe.

1. "I am glad to know that there is a system of labor where the laborer can strike if he wants to! I would to God that such a system prevailed all over the world." - From a speech on March 5, 1860 in Hartford, Connecticut, regarding a shoemaker's strike (which, believe it or not, involved 20,000 shoemakers who were not, apparently, elves).

2. "Inasmuch as most good things are produced by labor, it follows that all such things of right belong to those whose labor has produced them. But it has so happened, in all ages of the world, that some have labored, and others have without labor enjoyed a large proportion of the fruits. This is wrong, and should not continue. To secure to each laborer the whole product of his labor, or as nearly as possible, is a worthy object of any good government." - From his notes

3. "Labor is prior to and independent of capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration. Capital has its rights, which are as worthy of protection as any other rights. Nor is it denied that there is, and probably always will be, a relation between labor and capital producing mutual benefits." - From his 1861 State of the Union address, decrying "the effort to place capital on an equal footing with, if not above, labor in the structure of government."  about tariff policy, scribbled down on December 1, 1847.

One can state with absolute certainty that were Lincoln alive today, he would chose a different party.
.

4 comments:

squatlo said...

I wanted to give you a youtube link to a John Gorka song called "Oh Abraham", but the only version is a cover by a guy who can't play or sing any better than I can, so don't bother... but the lyrics are really to the point.
"Oh Abraham,
Was it all about the money then?
Oh Abraham,
Good night
It's your party but I'll cry if want to
I wouldn't care how much they made,
If they'd only do what's right."

Septeus7 said...

I have been a Republican for 10 years and I consider myself a conservative constitutionalist in the tradition of Lincoln and Eisenhower. However, because of the events Wisconsin, I have sent in my change of registration.

The freedom to association and bargain on the price of labor is foundational to anything like a "free market" and is a necessary human liberty for a civilization to be a free one.

I could not remain part of party which denies the right to unionize for if that principle is denied then by what authority can the nation itself claim a union of states?

Death to the Neo Confederate Party!

Jazzbumpa said...

Septeus -

Welcome, and congrats on your decision.

I will say that this is nothing new, and the Rethugs are now what they have been for decades. Ike, Abe, Goldwater, and even St. Ronnie himself would not have a place in the new Repugnicant party.

Cheers!
JzB

Jazzbumpa said...

squatlo -

Interesting lyrics. Are you old enough to get the party and crying ref?

Alas, making what they do and doing what's right are mutually exclusive sets of circumstances.

We can only hope that more people open their eyes and follow Septeus away from the dark side.

Cheers!
JzB