i found this quoted here: [url] http://personalwebs.myriad.net/steveb/mil.html [/url]

"patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel"
Samuel Johnson 1709 - 1784

ok, the url is bad, but i found it on: STOP the HATE.org  -  apparently some anti-militia site.

I seems to remember that Samuel Johnson was a Brit. Which explains the freedom hating part. Just seems to me like the British are born to be slaves. They love having someone tell them what to do.

However, I believe the saying is somewhat out of context. In context, I think its only SLIGHTLY less offensive.

Now I'm gonna hafta go do a web serch to see if I'm 'memberin' correctly.

here, try this -

[url]www.samueljohnson.com/[/url]

Here's some more....

[i]114. Patriotism
"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."
Boswell: Life[/i]

[b]AND CHECK THIS ONE OUT>>>>>>[/b]


[i]413. America/Americans; Patriotism; Taxation
"He that wishes to see his country robbed of its rights cannot be a patriot.

"That man, therefore, is no patriot, who justifies the ridiculous claims of American usurpation; who endeavours to deprive the nation of its natural and lawful authority over its own colonies, which were settled under English protection; were constituted by an English charter; and have been defended by English arms.

"To suppose, that by sending out a colony, the nation established an independent power; that when, by indulgence and favour, emigrants are become rich, they shall not contribute to their own defence, but at their own pleasure; and that they shall not be included, like millions of their fellow-subjects, in the general system of representation; involves such an accumulation of absurdity, as nothing but the show of patriotism could palliate.

"He that accepts protection, stipulates obedience. We have always protected the Americans; we may, therefore, subject them to government."
Johnson: The Patriot[/1]

what happened to your other post with all the other quotes?

I edited it, as I found the one on Englands colonization of America and Johnson's perspective on it to be more enlightening with regard to the quote you showed.

However, if you want to get back to them, go to the link I posted, look under the "Quotes "section of the webpage, do a search for "scoundrel" and scroll down to the link that has the quote you gave.

Actually, Johnson had some good perspectives on "patriotism"  - IF you were happy being a British colony. Otherwise, he considered you a "scoundrel."

He felt that since england had provided armies to defend the colonies, we should all be nice little servants to teh crown.

Under that mentality, all of Europe is now one BIG US colony.


Enjoy.

i agree with your europe statement!!!
so, this guy thought that only "american" patriotism was bad, and that british patriotism (conditionally) was ok???
also, i find it disturbing that this "militia info" site decided to use this quote, kind of conditioning the sheeple into automatically discrediting the thoughts and words of ANY patriot!
the really sad part is, that this site has militias thrown in with hate groups, and tries to use their propaganda to link them together, and with a blanket quote like the first one, any argument to try and refute them would only mean that you are a patriot, which under their definition, makes you a militia-member AND a racist, right wing, ultra-religious zealot - and therefore: ANYTHING YOU SAY IS AUTOMATICALLY WRONG AND BAD FOR AMERICA!!!
scary tactics, people, scary!