I can’t think or sleep while the demonic mad bombers are having their annual Arsonfest, so might as well run my annual Gouvernour Morris version of the 1776 tax evasion. Rehashed from several 2018 items.
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Background: Two of the episodes in the best radio series ever, ‘Strange as it seems’, deal with the role played by the rich and powerful Morris family in the American and French revolutions. The two episodes have opposite viewpoints, which struck me as odd.
One episode is about Robert Morris, who lent his fortune to finance the revolution, then got stiffed by NYC (as usual) after it was over. The writers are clearly on Robert’s side.
The other episode shows Gouvernour Morris (Robert’s brother) betraying Tom Paine.
Paine was an evil rabble-rouser, spreading “rights” and riot and ruination across USA and France. After he stirred up the Revolution here, he moved to France and stirred up the Revolution there. Because the French were extremely serious about Paine’s concept of “rights”, they killed everyone who couldn’t quite keep up with the rapidly changing “morality” of “rights”; including Paine himself. Sounds familiar.
According to the ‘Strange’ episode, Paine was in jail awaiting the chop. Gouv was sent to investigate. Gouv decided to leave him there. Paine was saved by an error, and later released by a new emissary. Here the writers are clearly on Paine’s side.
There’s a peculiar mismatch between the two attitudes. I decided to find a history of the times written from Gouv’s view. I wanted to go back before Madman Lincoln burned down half of the country and all of the rationality, but after the events of 1775 to 1793 were finished and understood. This 1838 biography of Gouv fits the timeslot. It’s a real eye-opener, and NOT just about the Morris family.
The biography offers a tremendous archive of alternate thinking about 1776. The revolution, like the tyranny that continues today, was run by NYC for NYC. Many of the people we consider to be traitors were not anti-independence, they were just anti-NYC.
Here’s one nice item:
The NYC tyrants were short on guns, and true to NYC principles they couldn’t possibly IMAGINE paying for anything. NYC never pays. NYC always steals. So NYC sent out soldiers to steal guns from civilians in the rest of NY state. Transcribing the best part:
The people conceal all their arms, that are of any value. Many declare that they know nothing about the Congress, nor do they care anything for the orders of the Congress, and say that they would sooner lose their lives than give up their arms, and that they would blow any man’s brains out, who should attempt to take them away.
Sounds familiar.
Amazingly demon NYC decided to abandon the seizure, but the same battle between demon NYC and America has continued through the centuries.
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The main story is a perfect fable of “rights” vs duties, at the EXACT START of the conflict, featuring a perfect avatar for each side.
First the broad background:
Gouvernour was born into a wealthy and influential family, one of the founding families of the English colonies. He had a unique talent for math and engineering, and his family trained him for diplomatic work.
He HATED revolutions because he knew the historical record. Revolutions ALWAYS bring tyranny and ruin.
He used his influence to slow down the American revolution. When slowing failed, he got into a position of power where he could attempt to moderate the excesses. When he saw the French revolution coming, he was working as a trade representative for the new dysgovernment, using his math talents to deal with currencies and debts. At the moment when Paris fell to Robespierre, Morris was in France trying to negotiate repayment of our debt to the old French royal government, which had helped finance our revolution to weaken England. [Remember: England and France were at war almost constantly since the time of Jesus.]
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What was Paine doing several years BEFORE the French revolution?
He was betraying his own revolution to weaken the French king and start a revolution there.
And what happened to Paine DURING the French revolution?
He was imprisoned for being part of a losing branch of the revolution.
What part did Morris play?
He tried to get Paine released, but without much sympathy because Paine had already betrayed America, joined Robespierre, and switched citizenship. Why should Morris defend Paine from the country he had chosen?
Later, James Monroe was sent to Paris on a different mission. At that time the French were happy to get rid of Paine, who was an all-around troublemaker.
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Summing up:
Paine was the classic Chaotizer. His sole purpose in life was to create chaos and death, and he developed the murderous delusional concept of “rights” to assist in his genocide. Helped to start one revolution, got position in the revolution, got dissatisfied, used his position to help start another revolution. When he was caught, he went to France, got position in the new revolution. This time the rebels realized that he wasn’t worth defending.
Morris was the classic Order-maker. He had a strong sense of DUTY balancing his aristocratic privileges. His DUTY was to preserve and create order. He tried to halt one revolution. When it happened anyway, he got position in the revolution, tried to bring order to the new setup.
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Are there any modern equivalents?
Paine is easy. Ira Einhorn. Precise match. Used his influence to create disorder in NYC, moved to Paris, continued to ruin everything. Finally even the French got tired of him and threw him back. Remembered fondly by fuckheads as a defender of “environmental rights”.
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2026 addendum: RFK Junior is a better match than Einhorn. Much more like Paine’s talent for grabbing and using power. There’s a hint of Epstein in Paine using his fake bridge to get Morris interested. Epstein played a similar game with the tech lords.
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