Hello everyone. I'm 
Context is everything.
Benjamin Franklin once wrote:
Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. [source]People really liked capitalising random words back then.
Now, wait a minute, you might be thinking. That's not the way I remember it. True; I'll wager you remember it sounding edgier, more powerful, and less... qualified:
He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither.
Yes, that's much better, right? I agree... but as I discovered today, that's not what he actually wrote. I believe that it's important not to arm ourselves with misinformation, lest we attempt to pull the trigger and hear a resounding click. It's fine to repeat the above slogan all we want; we just shouldn't attribute it to Franklin. He never said it, and we really can't be certain what his stance on the relevant modern issues might have been. He is, after all, extremely deceased at this point in time.
The real deal is that Franklin was not, as many suggest, talking about surveillance or gun registration. He was not even talking about personal liberties of any sort. He was actually talking about taxation... but not in the way most libertarians would hope.
Franklin was imploring the colonial Governor, who had been appointed by the wealthy Penn family (the namesake of Pennsylvania, as it were), to cease blocking the Pennsylvania Assembly's continued attempts to levy taxes on... surprise... the Penn family estate. That's right-- Benjamin Franklin was begging the Governor to tax the rich.
It is ironic, then, that modern libertarians so lovingly recite bastardised variations on Franklin's quote between passionate assertions that "taxation is theft."
Does the bastardised, more conveniently-worded version still hold water?
For me, the answer is: "of course it does." Just because Benjamin Franklin never created nor espoused the de facto slogan of modern libertarian anarchism does not mean it completely loses all merit. In truth, perhaps it is good thing that we are not relying on the posthumous approval of a man who actively fought for government restriction of speech (it's true; Franklin was a staunch supporter of libel law).
After all, Franklin never said "taxation is theft" either; that doesn't mean it's not true. 🍋
How to get an upvote from me today: Was your faith in Ben Franklin, or even the entire foundation of your personal interpretation of reality, shaken by this revelation? Want to hang out and grumble about taxes with me? Ooh, I know-- what if you tried asserting that taxation is necessary and just, or simply cutting straight to the part where you call me a disgusting capitalist dog? Yeah; you should do that one. All comments are welcome.
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