Restoring the Sacred

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Lessons For Liberals From 1916


In 1916, William J. H. Boetcker, an American religious leader, penned a pamphlet entitled "The Ten Cannots," the authorship of which is often misattributed to Abraham Lincoln.

The most commonly-accepted version of the pamphlet is below.

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

You cannot help little men by tearing down big men.

You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.

You cannot build character and courage by destroying men's initiative and independence.

And you cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they can and should do for themselves.

Today's LIberals, or Progressives, either don't understand or choose to ignore the obvious, to the detriment of those they say they represent.

H/T: rmck1