i still prefer the original official motto: E Pleribus Unum - From many, one - for it speaks to the true power of our people united in common cause and the very real danger of our division.
"E pluribus unum" = “Out of many, one."
How precise is this translation?
I've also heard "From many, one", which can be taken two ways: the same celebration of the individual (presumably over other individuals), or that the many come together as one, which is a much clearer call to action.
I prefer the Voltron version.
nobody likes a pedant
I'm sure there are at least one or two who do, so I think you mean you don't like a pedant and feel like most people agree with you.
Proof: I like the above comment.
mind your business.
Of course I like one. He’s me.
I like to read the correct spelling.
It explains stuff better and makes positive connections to other things I have learnt in the past.
When enough people stop caring about the details, for long enough, the results of science shall degrade into superstition, as the underlying science will be lost. And so the cycle revolves.
Also has a secondary interpretation: out of the many countries in the world, one of them. Putting the US on equal footing with the nations of old — despite not having a king with a divine right to sovereignty.
I like this interpretation because anno 2024 it also counterweights US exceptionalism.
Not American, but here's my 0.02 euros:
The strength of the country was always in its' diversity and the fact that motivated people came together to build better lives.
Nowadays there are people who hate the former and in terms of the latter, immigration is pretty hard and the H-1B is a lottery that unfortunately favors sweatshops (and yes, I'm salty because I'm a software engineer with no formal education so y'all don't want me).
I get that there are legitimate reasons for limiting migration (your own people do want to work too, of course), but it does also limit economic growth and influx of different cultures.
Being from a small country in the EU that nobody's heard of, the EU and its' open borders are sorta doing the same to us now: Don't get me wrong, it's still primarily other white people migrating here, but at least they're people of slightly different cultures, with different experiences. It benefits everyone because we all have something to learn from one another.
The "in God we trust" slogan thing was first used during the Civil War, and only brought about as an official thing in the 1950s when we had to differentiate ourselves from "those godless Commies".
This seems like a good spot for a reminder that Thomas Jefferson edited his own copy of the bible to remove all of the magical/religious elements and left only the philosophical lessons.
And then there was Thomas Payne, who was as close to an overt atheist as you could get in the 18th century without having someone come up behind you and slit your throat.
There's also a long list of great quotes here from the founders-
Have you considered that system of holy lies and pious frauds that has raged and triumphed for 1,500 years?
-- John Adams
And he was one of the more religious ones.
There were many spicy quotes during the Enlightenment -- the founding fathers were reflecting a common sentiment among the educated classes in Europe. Anyone interested in that time period would enjoy Peter Gay's book about it. It's incredibly well-written and much less dry than a book about that subject has any right to be.
One can be part of the system and recognize its faults.
Yeah, there were some people sort of bucking the system, and probably some closeted atheists, but criticizing the church for its corruption and failures is no different than us doing the same about our government today.
The next line after the quote is:
Upon this system depends The Royalty, Loyalty, and Allegiance of Europe. The Phyal of holy Oyl, with which the Kings of France and England are anointed, is one of the most Splendid and important Events in all the Legends.
So not necessarily an anti-deity statement, but more an acknowledgement that the Church is a system by which European rulers reinforce their power and wealth. The whole letter to Taylor from Adams really rants about the church’s power and attempts to control people’s lives.
I don't disagree. Like I said, Adams was one of the more religious founders. He wasn't anywhere near as extremely anti-religion as people like Madison. But that's why I chose Adams.
If you want a good Madison quote:
What influence, in fact, have ecclesiastical establishments had on society? In some instances they have been seen to erect a spiritual tyranny on the ruins of the civil authority; on many instances they have been seen upholding the thrones of political tyranny; in no instance have they been the guardians of the liberties of the people. Rulers who wish to subvert the public liberty may have found an established clergy convenient auxiliaries. A just government, instituted to secure and perpetuate it, needs them not.
And then, going back to Franklin, was him suggesting America should be building lighthouses, not churches.
Ah yes, alternate timeline that they add "Mind your business" to the pledge of allegiance instead of fucking "under God".
one nation, mind your business, indivisible...
that shit always pissed me off so much
The pledge of allegiance (to a literal flag no less) is really weird. But, the enweirdening was enhanced in the 1950s when the government added "under god" to make the difference from the commies more clear.
And the national bird a turkey instead of an eagle.
My coin would read: GO FORTH AND FUCK THYSELF
r/NoFap is going to wage a protest!
Republicans: Clearly Benjamin Franklin was woke, and probably a communist!
(Because this would work against their efforts at book bans, their anti-trans crusade, their general anti-lgbtq+ crusade, their crusade against reproductive autonomy for women, and probably other things that aren't immediately springing to mind.)
I could be dead wrong, but I actually get the impression this wasn't really meant in the modern colloquial sense of keeping your nose out of other people's affairs, and more in the literal sense of keep on top of your business dealings. Which would make sense, since it was to be printed on money.
That's a good point and I have no doubt you are correct. Interesting wikipedia entry, thanks!
That sort of admonition would quickly be used as a mild insult though, no matter how literal. Same with something like "set your house in order" which is a biblical phrase with a very similar meaning to what Franklin was going for, as it's related to there not being much time and Franklin relates his phrase to time flying. It's too direct for English.
I think both of them have a more specific meaning of something like a combination of "you're the master of your own fate" and "seize the day."
Benjamin Franklin distributed a book containing basic first aid, which included which herbs can be used to "restore the menses."
Thats an old timey way of saying inducing an abortion. So you're not that far off from what Republicans would say about him if they were actually educated.
He was later anti-slavery so yes, many would consider him radical even by today's standards (think of how people feel about prison reform, ask people how they'd fix homelessness or mental health crises, and you'll see a shocking amount of people are 100% fine with slavery)
A motto that many people today should familiarize themselves with.
How about E PLURIBUS UNUM ? Out of many, one. A good motto for a nation of people, and federated states, working together?
Sorry but how does that help us virtue signal about how we aren't godless commies?
It means both "leave other people alone" and "focus on your business" since the US was founded by landowning businessmen.
So slightly better, but not quite as good as "Don't tread on me" would be (if it wasn't currently coopted by fascists).
what would he say about all the chuds today flying gadsden flags while trying to dictate how everyone lives their life, i wonder..
All good and all but even with something like this, what if your business was to try to rule the world and everyone in it with the billion dollar resources at your disposal?
The problem isn't the money, the religion, the systems .... it's the age old ancient idea we never seem to want to acknowledge or deal with, ever since we first stepped out of our cave thousands of years ago ... the idea that some people should rule and others should be ruled and that we should all fight and kill one another to maintain that order.
You're doing a lot of legwork not to like this penny
I've been made to feel like I had to walk through a lot of crap over the past few decades of world history only to realize that people have been walking this same path for thousands of years more to realize this.
Well I've never met an upbeat historian, to put it another way. Still, there are glimmers of light and civility in this open air abbatoir it pleases us to call life.
I'm conditionally upbeat - the world is shit, but it's less shit now than it was before.
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