Quote by Thomas Paine
It can only be by blinding the understanding of man, and making him believe that government is some wonderful mysterious thing, that excessive revenues are obtained. Monarchy is well calculated to ensure this end. It is the popery of government; a thing kept up to amuse the ignorant, and quiet them into taxes.
Summary
This quote suggests that governments use deception and manipulation to maintain their power and acquire excessive revenues from the people. The comparison to popery (referring to deceptive practices of the Catholic Church) implies that monarchy is like a religious belief used to distract and pacify the ignorant citizens into paying taxes. In essence, the quote argues that governments rely on the illusion of mystery and the ignorance of the masses to extract financial resources from them.
Topics
Taxation
By Thomas Paine
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