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A comment on The U.S. government's long and shameful history of intercepting people's letters. Parent comment

Re:The U.S. government's long and shameful history of interc... by tcmart14 on Sunday August 08, 2021 @02:47AM (#28104715)
I believe Franklin said something along the lines of anyone who gives up freedom for security doesnt deserve freedom at all.
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Re:The U.S. government's long and shameful history of interc... by shadowgovt on Sunday August 08, 2021 @07:09AM (#28105871)
That's an oft-misunderstood quote.

The Penn family was trying to buy their way out of having their American land-holdings taxed by offering to pay mercenaries to protect the Colony (in a single lump sum). Franklin was arguing the Colony should assert its sovereign right to tax the family.

The "essential liberty" in question was the liberty of a government to levy tax as it saw fit to provide for a common defence.

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