Happy 300th

To Philadelphia's adopted son, Ben Franklin.

I grew up in a town called Bensalem, where Franklin had a country estate. In fact, Growden Mansion, where he allegedly performed his "kite and key" experiments with electricity, had a field on which I played youth soccer. Even wrote a story about one of those soccer games which ended up in Highlights for Kids magazine. Small world.

I think Franklin was the quintessential Founding Father. He was a patriot, a diplomat, a literary genius, an inventor, an abolitionist (at the end of his life), a believer in the Enlightenment ideas of liberty, power drived from the consent of the governed, and all the other bedrock national qualities we've run roughshod over all too often lately. To celebrate the life of arguably the greatest American we've yet seen, I've listed some of his more famous aphorisms, many of which have a certain amount of resonance to today's perilous times. Enjoy.

All wars are follies, very expensive and very mischievous ones.   In my opinion, there never was a good war or a bad peace.   When will mankind be convinced and agree to settle their difficulties by arbitration?

Changing Countries or Beds, cures neither a bad Manager, nor a Fever.

Well done is better than well said.

Half a truth is often a great lie.

Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.

Tricks and treachery are the practice of fools, that don't have brains enough to be honest.

The Doors of Wisdom are never shut.

Dost Thou love life? Then Do not squander time, for that's the Stuff Life is made of.

When you're finished changing, you're finished.