Political Quotes

Thomas Paine: When, therefore, governments are at war, the attack is made upon a common stock of commerce, and the consequence is the…

On the recordJanuary 1, 1791
When, therefore, governments are at war, the attack is made upon a common stock of commerce, and the consequence is the same as if each had attacked his own.
Said by
Thomas Paine

Editor's note · Context

From "Rights of Man," this argues that when governments wage war, they harm a shared global commerce, effectively damaging their own interests.

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