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"TAXES ARE NOT MADE TO RAISE WARS, BUT WARS ARE MADE TO RAISE TAXES"

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"TAXES ARE NOT MADE TO RAISE WARS, BUT WARS ARE MADE TO RAISE TAXES"

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Paine argues that history might lead one to the conclusion that far from raising taxes in order to fund wars, much benefit can be gained by the ruling and banking elite if wars are started in order to raise the national debt and increase taxation.

The idea that wars can be driven, at least in part, by economic interests or the enrichment of powerful individuals and groups is not exclusive to Thomas Paine's time. Throughout history, various conflicts have been influenced by economic factors, access to resources, or geopolitical interests.

In the modern context, some critics argue that certain conflicts might serve economic interests, such as securing resources, supporting industries connected to the military-industrial complex.

For example, here are some conflicts where is belived that economic interests play a role:

IRAQ WAR (2003): Critics argued that the desire for control over Iraq's oil resources was a factor in the decision to invade.

LIBYA INTERVENTION(2011): Some analysts suggested that access to Libya's oil reserves played a role in the international intervention, along with concerns about regional stability.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: where control over valuable mineral resources, such as coltan and cobalt, has been a contributing factor.

ANTONIO PIO DI PALMA

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“Independence is my happiness, and I view things as they are, without regard to place or person; my country is the world, and my religion is to do good.”      ― Thomas Paine, Rights of Man        

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“Independence is my happiness, and I view things as they are, without regard to place or person; my country is the world, and my religion is to do good.”      ― Thomas Paine, Rights of Man        

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This quote made me think a lot. Paine emphasizes the importance of independence as an essential source of happiness, valuing autonomy and self-confidence; true fulfillment can only be achieved when one is free from the constraints of external influences.

Furthermore, Paine's view of seeing things without regard to place or person highlights his commitment to impartiality and objectivity, removing preconceptions and prejudices.

He considers the whole world as his country, he recognizes the shared destiny of all human beings.

Paine states that his religion is to do good. He gives priority to the concept of doing good, underlines the universal values of compassion and empathy. This idea surpasses any religious belief, highlighting the fundamental importance of kindness and altruism.

The mere thought that an 18th century man was able to see for so long excites me greatly.

In the world we live in, these principles are continually crumbling. There is no longer respect for others and for the environment. In the news, on newspapers and on social media, we see atrocious images. Wars, racism, the melting of glaciers, the extinction of animal and plant species, the change in marine currents, are the result of the lack of respect we have for our planet. I am very worried about my future. I hope for a prompt change on the part of everyone in small things, because together we can create a shred of hope for a better future!

Simona Riccio

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"Those who expect to reap the fruits of freedom,they must, as men, submit to the hardships of supporting it.”

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"Those who expect to reap the fruits of freedom,they must, as men, submit to the hardships of supporting it.”

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This phrase expresses a profound concept regarding freedom and the responsibility associated with it. The author emphasizes that those who wish to enjoy the fruits of freedom must, as individuals, accept the burdens and difficulties necessary to sustain it. The phrase reflects the concept that freedom is not an automatic gift, but requires commitment and active participation on the part of those who seek it. The combination of "reap the fruits of freedom" and "submit to the hardships of supporting it" highlights a balance between the desired benefits and the required efforts. Overall, the phrase communicates a message of awareness about the dynamic and participatory nature of freedom. Also Charles Darwin. he spoke about work, saying: “Work ennobles man”. Darwin's thought was beautiful and right, because he reminds us that man needs to work to feel useful in society and also grow from a moral point of view. Yet today we are witnessing the opposite phenomenon: a large fringe of the unemployed population that is starkly opposed to another exploited one.

Giugliano Chiara Carol

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Se non vieni reindirizzato automaticamente entro alcuni secondi, fai clic qui. Immagini Icona 3d che rappresenta il lavoro di squadra e la collaborazione ... it.freepik.com Le immagini potrebbero essere soggette a copyright.

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"It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself"

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"It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself"

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“It is necessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself”. This quote present in the homonymous work by Thomas Paine "Rights of Men" speaks: that man finds his happiness if he remains faithful to himself. I think this quote is completely right because true happiness is when we believe in ourselves; in fact in this society we tend to mask our true being in this world because society forces us to wear a mask to please everyone. We do it but sometimes we lose our true happiness; in fact, if we let ourselves be influenced by the thoughts of others we will not be faithful to ourselves; and this will lead to a total disappearance of our happiness but also of our self-esteem; furthermore, this concept is important because it allows us to have healthy relationships with others, to understand our thoughts and actions, and to make informed decisions about how to live our lives. Sometimes i too, to please others, have betrayed myself by making radical changes to myself to make sure that my class friends accepted me. I understood this in high school when I saw that my new classmates accepted me for who I am.

“You can be a master, don’t wait for luck, dedicate yourself and you can find yourself standing in the hall of fame”.

Cerciello Bianca

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"Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.”

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"Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.”

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Thomas Paine's quote beautifully encapsulates the essence of reason and ignorance. It emphasizes that reason relies on its own judgment and critical thinking, whereas ignorance surrenders to external influence. In today's world Paine's words echo louder than ever. Paine's emphasis on reason underscores the importance of self-reliance in judgment and the inherent strength in thinking for oneself.

Nowadays Italy is categorized as a highly ignorant country, in fact one of the fields in which this phenomenon manifests itself most is politics. One of the major problems of contemporary democracies concerns the poor preparation of citizens, who are not equipped to examine the content of political decisions.

In past history, periods of political ignorance have often coincided with authoritarian regimes or absolute monarchies, where limited access to education and information has kept the masses dependent on a powerful few.

Valentina Santella

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"We have it in our power to begin the world over again."

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"We have it in our power to begin the world over again."

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Thomas Paine's quote is very contemporary. Today we hear many times about us young people and how many activities we could undertake to save the world.

We have a responsibility to act now to preserve our planet, building a new beginning that puts environmental protection at its center.

It's time to turn words into concrete actions to save our Earth. Fortunately, the participation of girls and boys in environmental issues has been growing in recent years, in parallel with greater awareness of these aspects, as demonstrated by the growing membership and participation in ecological associations.

The responsibility to protect the environment lies in our hands.

Within us lies the possibility of rebirth for a healthier and more sustainable world and thanks to the awareness of our power we can give life to a future of hope and transformation.

ISABELLA IOSSA

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My country is the world and my religion is to do good.

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My country is the world and my religion is to do good.

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This photo has considerable importance for me. This is the small town where I was born and raised together with my whole family. It is a special place for me as I lived there all my childhood and currently my adolescence. Every time I look at this photo I get more and more excited because even though it is a small town all the people know each other and there is a beautiful relationship between them.

Valerio Pisano

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“i love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strenght from distress, and grow brave by reflection."

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“i love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strenght from distress, and grow brave by reflection."

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This is one of the most popular quotes attributed to Thomas Paine. I see myself a lot in what this said in a world where man has difficulty showing himself vulnerable, it is important to know how fragility and suffering are only means to become strong and courageous. As Paine, I also respect and appreciate the man who uses error and pain to grow, and who experiences these not as misfortunes but as opportunities to improve himself.

“Vivere e sorridere dei guai, proprio come non hai fatto mai, e poi pensare che domani sarà sempre meglio.”

Vasco, in the famous Vivere, reminds us to never lose heart. It doesn't matter if, sometimes, you end up surviving, struggling and dragging yourself along, you must never lose faith in tomorrow. A song, therefore, that speaks of hope and that encourages us not to give in to the fear of not making it.

Giulia Carbone

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"Any alleged "right" of one man,which necessitates the violation of the rightsof another isn't and can't be a right."

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"Any alleged "right" of one man,which necessitates the violation of the rightsof another isn't and can't be a right."

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I believe that this quote, taken from "The rights of man" by Thomas Paine, is very current. With this sentence, we understand that at the basis of men's rights there is mutual respect: a right cannot be considered a right if violates the rights of another person. We can connect the topic of this quote to the different forms of slavery that still exist today such as human trafficking, exploitation of labor for debt and exploitation of children. No man can have a right to impose an unchosen obligation, an unrewarded duty or an involuntary servitude on another man. There can be no such thing as “the right to enslave". No one’s rights can be secured by the violation of the rights of others.

Today slavery is far from being eradicated and is called "modern slavery". Most modern slaves work in industries such as agriculture, fishing, crafts, mining, services, and domestic work. Modern slavery is a huge business. According to a study by the International Labor Organization, modern slavery generates annual profits of over 150 billion dollars. There are many news events, which have happened all over the world, which feature children who are taken away from their childhood to be workers, against their will. The story of Zohra Shah, an eight-year-old girl who died after the couple for whom she worked as a maid, despite her very young age, beat and tortured her, is very widespread.

Therefore, many people, to increase their profits, choose to enslave weaker people without thinking about the rights of the latter which are denied.

Serino Aurora

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“The real man smiles in troublegather strength from anguishand takes courage by reflecting.”

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“The real man smiles in troublegather strength from anguishand takes courage by reflecting.”

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This phrase particularly struck me because throughout my life I have found myself with it several times. in fact, I think that if man doesn't take moments to reflect with himself in pain and bad situations, he will never be able to come out of them with more self-confidence and more courage to face them. it takes a lot of maturity to understand this, in fact it is an internal process that, to be accomplished, a person must really want to do. Personal growth is very important for life and for feeling good about yourself, with people and everything around us

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"Whatever is my right as a man is also the right of another; and it becomes my duty to guarantee as well as to possess".

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"Whatever is my right as a man is also the right of another; and it becomes my duty to guarantee as well as to possess".

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This phrase taken from Thomas Paine's book the Right of Men, highlights the rights of men as human beings and it is our duty to guarantee it as well as have it.

Human rights are inalienable rights that belong to every individual.

They are universal and fundamental, that is, essential to human dignity, survival and development. Human rights are indivisible and interdependent.

One of the most recognized human rights symbols of our time, is Nelson Mandela, a men whose dedication to the freedom of his people is an inspiration to human rights advocates around the world

Mandela declared: “I fought against white domination and against black domination. I have cultivated the ideal of a democratic and free society in which everyone could live united in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal that I hope to live for and that I hope to achieve. But if necessary, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

Caruso Sara

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"The most formidable weapon against errors of every kind is reason."

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"The most formidable weapon against errors of every kind is reason."

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This sentence is taken from the famous work of Thomas Paine “Rights of men” in response to Edmund Burke’s accusations against the French Revolution. The author supported the natural rights to freedom and equality, democracy and the Republic. We can see from this sentence that Paine entrusted everything to reason. In fact Paine writes another work focused exclusively on reason “The Age of Reason: Being an Investigation of True and Fabulous Theology”. Man could solve problems of any kind only by reason. Paine defends reason instead of revelation, in fact he considers the Bible as a simple literary work and not a sacred text as had happened until then. The reason has been a discussed topic over the years, we can refer to the famous age of Enlightenment in England, up to the present day. The theme of rationality can be expressed in many ways, through literature, images, songs.

Like the lyrics of a Max Gazze song: “Ti sembra normale”

Ti sembra normale che resti sveglio a corteggiarti per ore

e tu non provi affatto a considerare

che sarei degno di uno sguardo, un contatto distratto,

mi sento inadatto e banale

accanto a chi è sempre così razionale.

A desperate man seeks attention from his partner who seems so rational and therefore attempts an attack on animal instinct. So in the text we have a clash between rationality and irrationality. In fact, the author says that reason must rely on the knowledge of the heart. We must reflect on any choices we make to achieve balance between heart and reason.

Romano Carolina

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My country is the world and my religion is to do good;

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My country is the world and my religion is to do good;

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A problem that humanity has unfortunately only recently become aware of is the degradation of the environment, which puts at risk the very survival of our species on this hospitable planet.
Acting to safeguard the environment is very complex, because the environment is something that works together, an organism, in which a single  intervention has consequences on the entire system, since the various elements are connected to each other by a close network of relationships . I find myself in these words because I love our planet and I am grateful every day to life for what it gives me. in particular I love my country which has a thousand problems, but I think that by being socially active and helping others we can start to improve.
Aurora Lippiello

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"When it becomes necessary to do anything, the whole heart and soul should go into the measure, or not attempt it.” 

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"When it becomes necessary to do anything, the whole heart and soul should go into the measure, or not attempt it.” 

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I believe that when making choices, we don't always match the heart with the soul. We often try to make both fight, so that the most difficult situations that happen to us in the path of our life, we face them better, evaluating how difficult they are to overcome.

But we know how to make the soul coincide with the heart, or one or the other is enough alone to overcome the various situations of every day. If we can't make the two things coincide, would it be better not to attempt an action? Or trial and error because we didn't use the two together? Most people prefer the soul to the heart so as not to suffer, but I prefer to put the heart at stake rather than the soul. Trying something, even if a certain situation does not lead to what we aspire to, and even through suffering we manage to improve every time and not repeat the same mistakes. The soul, the rational part of man, could also avoid situations that make us feel bad, it makes us reflect on important decisions but will it allow us to express ourselves at our best?

Napolitano Caterina

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"Virtù e la Legge", painting by Raffaello Sanzio

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“When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary.”

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“When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary.”

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This quote means that good moral qualities or virtues are not automatically passed down from parent to child through genetics. Instead, virtues are developed through one's actions and experiences. The author is criticizing the fact that people usually give importance to someone, that they approve, but then his or hers posterity isn’t as good as him or her. At that time in many countries only the aristocracy had rights and didn’t pay taxes, and it was privileged, because people thought that a person borned with or without virtue, and it depended from his family. In the history frequently happened that a good king reigned a country, but then his son took the power and he made bad things, because he wasn’t as full of virtues as his father.

This sentence is also related to the fact that if someone establish something thinking of doing good, maybe someone later will use it badly, and this happened and still happens today, for example, with the politic: in the history, the human being has made a lot of laws and measures that should have been good for for everyone, but after a period of peace and happiness, then a man or a group of men come to power, and they used the same good laws to do bad things.

This happens also with the relationship between parents and children. In fact, it is common that parents tell to their children what to do in their life, which school they should choose, which job they should do, because they think that it is good for them, or because they are good at something, and they think that their children are good at it too. However, they are wrong: everyone is different, and nobody can establish what someone must do in his/her life. At the same time, sometimes we judge other people by their relatives, but this isn’t right.

Donatella Pezone

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"My country is the world, and my religion is to do good."

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"My country is the world, and my religion is to do good."

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This is one of the most important quotes by Thomas Paine.
I agree because the country we live in is our land and if we damage it we also damage ourselves. It is important to always maintain good behavior. I think the world would be a place better if every citizen behaved well but now there are few people who do good, unfortunately even today I hear heartbreaking news on television, we can refer to the people who live in unfavorable conditions precisely due to wars and this should not happen today because they die a lots of innocent people and countries are destroyed, many people lose their homes and jobs due to wars and are scattered on the streets or killed for no real reason. Many people are forced to leave their country and migrate to another with the hope of finding a better life. The world we live in is our future, and if we do good it is only for ourselves. In particular, I think that we must always act by doing good for others. Everyone should transform bad actions into good actions, this is my religion and this means that I am the first to practice and implement good actions, from the simplest to the most complex things.

Cristina Fortino

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"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."

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"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."

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Paine conveys in this quote that those who are going through a hard time must not fret because from hardships come victory.  Through Paine’s perspective, he is emboldening people to believe that hard times are not permanent, they are merely just obstacles that must be crossed in order to enjoy the best parts of life. Many agree with Paine, they believe that there are no good times without going through the hard times first. Through the perspective of those who disagree, it is as though hard times never go away.
Nowadays we can also understand this quote in the simple statement that hard work pays off.
As Paine states, it is admirable that a man can always see the bright side, even in the darkest moments.
But men are not always able of withstanding the problems they encounter during the course of their lives, many men become dejected, fall into depression.

Lippiello Giovanni