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When the Pilgrims first settled the Plymouth Colony, they organized their farm economy along communal lines and acted as a collective. The goal was to share everything equally, work and produce.
They nearly all starved.
Why?
When people can get the same return with a small amount of effort as with a large amount, most people will make little effort.
So if you can learn anything from Thanksgiving, remember Socialism Sucks.
And tomorrow if you're in the Plymouth area, Plymouth Rock monument to be precise, you can go see the descendants of the local indians protest the arrival of the white man as they mark their annual day or mourning. (Yes, I'm laughing at that one). Fortunately I won't be anywhere near Plymouth rock.
Bunch of basket cases, actually. Always dependent on the generosity of Native Americans and the arrival of the next supply ship. Which they put on the old credit card, of course...
When the Pilgrims first settled the Plymouth Colony, they organized their farm economy along communal lines and acted as a collective. The goal was to share everything equally, work and produce.
They nearly all starved.
Why?
When people can get the same return with a small amount of effort as with a large amount, most people will make little effort.
So if you can learn anything from Thanksgiving, remember Socialism Sucks.
And here all these years I thought Thanksgiving taught us about sharing and and being thankful for family and friends---i.e. the Wampanogy Indians who shared their bounty with the Pilgrims. And considering the county that grew out of the Plymouth Colony, I'd say they did pretty darn good. I honesty don't think you can label any of them slackers because they lived along communal lines. That's just bull.
WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houfes of Congress have, by their joint committee, requefted me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to eftablifh a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and affign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of thefe States to the fervice of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our fincere and humble thanksfor His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the fignal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpofitions of His providence in the courfe and conclufion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have fince enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to eftablish Conftitutions of government for our fafety and happinefs, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are bleffed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffufing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleafed to confer upon us.
And also, that we may then unite in moft humbly offering our prayers and fupplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and befeech Him to pardon our national and other tranfgreffions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private ftations, to perform our feveral and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a bleffing to all the people by conftantly being a Government of wife, juft, and conftitutional laws, difcreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all fovereigns and nations (especially fuch as have shewn kindnefs unto us); and to blefs them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increafe of fcience among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind fuch a degree of temporal profperity as he alone knows to be beft.
GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand feven hundred and eighty-nine.
(signed) G. Washington
I honesty don't think you can label any of them slackers because they lived along communal lines. That's just bull.
I didn't go into the details of the story. Apologies.
The pilgrims were a socialist collective for their first three years or so. 2/3 of the colony died of malnutrition/starvation. The Indians shared their crop because the socialist collective failed.
Eventually, Governor Bradford ended the Pilgrims distasterous socialist experiment and changed to system of free enterprise. That harvest Bradford commented, "By this time harvest was come, and instead of famine, now God gave them plentie, and the face of things was changed, to the rejoysing of the harts of many, for which they blessed God."
This little known failed experiment in American socialism isn't taught in today's schools. And it should, that's the underlying reason the Indians shared their crops with us.
William Bradford wrote about his "experiment" with socialism then in his journal, "Of Plymouth Plantation". Check it out sometime in a library or get it on Amazon.
William Bradford wrote about his "experiment" with socialism then in his journal, "Of Plymouth Plantation". Check it out sometime in a library or get it on Amazon.
I just might do that. I have descendants that lived in Plymouth Colony. Thanks for the recommendation.
There is a lot of knowledge on this thread. I learned things I didn't know and I worked in the library 28 years. And Saganista, you know what she meant.
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