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Thursday, November 26, 2015

The Pigrims' experiment in communal living was a failure - excerpt from November 2013 - by Jeffrey Lord (On Rush Limbaugh's book)

Here is an excerpt from Bradford’s History of Plymouth Plantation, quoted here in the original English, spellings and all: 
The experience that was had in this commone course and condition, tried sundrie years, and that amongst godly and sober men, may well evince the vanitie of that conceite of Platos and other ancients, applauded by some of later times; - that the taking away of propertie, and bringing in communite into a common wealth, would make them happy and flourishing; as if they were wiser than God. For this comunite (so farr as it was) was found to breed much confusion and discontent, and retard much imployment that would have been to their benefite and comforte. For the young-men that were most able and fitte for labour and service did repine that they should spend their time and streingth to worke for other mens wives and children, without any recompense. The strong, or man of parts, had no more in devission and cloaths, then he that was weak and not able to doe a quarter the other could; this was thought injustice…..And for mens wives to be commanded to doe servise for other men, as dressing their meate, washing their cloaths, etc., they deemed it a kind of slaverie, neither could many husbands brooke it…..God, in his wisdom saw another course fiter for them.” 
Bradford writes that once the Pilgrims headed out on that “another course fiter for them”…aka capitalism, private property rights, with each reaping the reward of their own labor:
This had very good success; for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corne was planted then other waise would have bene by any means the Gov-r or any other could use, and saved him a great deall of trouble, and gave farr better contente. The women now wente willingly into the field, and tooke their little-ons with them to set corne, which before would aledg weaknes, and inabilite; whom to have compelled would have bene thought great tiranic and oppression.
Thus William Bradford in his own words. Spelling out in detail a lesson the Left is determined not to teach America’s children. Resulting in the astonished kids Paul Kengor details as he teaches those very kids come-of-college-age.