Okay, so it’s not a deep philosophical statement; but it’s Monday, and I’m not ready for depth. Unless of course Mr. Franklin was being serious when he observed:
“Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
Another Franklin attribution, substituting “wine” for “beer” also exists, which broadens the context [...]
Before Poor Richard’s Almanack, before the newspaper “business” was really born, when handbills, flyers, broadsides and treatises, printed and distributed by hand provided the “news” of the day, Ben Franklin made his case for “freedom of the press.”
While still a young “man of letters,” in 1730, Franklin stated:
“If all printers were determined not [...]
Ever since the 9/11 attacks, the United States has pursued, often secretly, frequently with little or no oversight, and occasionally in apparent violation of the Constitution, policies intended to protect Americans from another such attack. Foreshadowing a core precept of the country he would help establish, in a letter dated, November 11, 1755, to the [...]
Ben Franklin lived the American Dream before there was an America. Through hard work, study, industriousness and ingenuity, he became well-respected and quite well-to-do. Until his later years, Franklin was eager to join the aristocracy, which seemed so rich and powerful, only to realize for himself:
“Money has never made man happy, nor will it, [...]
Lawyers have gotten bad press since, well, since there have been lawyers. Neither Shakespeare nor Franklin was first to disparage attorneys, but since we can’t really “kill all the lawyers,” and honestly, sometimes we do need them, perhaps it’s simply best to keep in mind Poor Richard’s observation back in 1737:
“A countryman between two [...]
Often it’s easy to see through the superficial temperaments of others. Whether engaged in serious or light conversation, we recognize and forgive fawning excesses because flattery works. It soothes our egos and makes us feel good
There is, of course, another side to flattery, a “flip” side, which Franklin pointed out to a friend in 1735:
“She [...]
Although most people today would consider Ben Franklin and his contemporaries to have lived in a more “primitive” time, he himself frequently made note of the improvements progress made available during his lifetime. As he aged, Franklin gradually became what might generously be referred to as “plump.”
Reflecting on his condition, he aimed to keep his [...]
People, on average, are living far longer now than ever before in all of recorded human history. Ben Franklin’s life spanned nearly the entire 18th century, from 1706 to 1790, and exemplified what some today call a dedication to lifelong learning. While early retirement is still a dream of many these days, he was always [...]
Throughout its history, the U.S. has regularly prohibited, and continues to criminalize, a laundry list of vices, including prostitution. Perhaps the most expensive and least effective is its “War” on Drugs, which statistics show has done little to combat the myriad societal woes associated with the illicit drug trade, including addiction, incarceration, underclass poverty and [...]
For a period of many months following the 9/11 attacks, the United States enjoyed near unprecedented support from nations around the world. Even traditional “foes” supported our attempts to “bring the culprits to justice.” Following the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq, it seems almost all of that good will has evaporated.
Later in his life, [...]