My "Common Sense" Excerpts:
Excerpt #1:
"Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one: for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries BY A GOVERNMENT, which we might expect in a country WITHOUT GOVERNMENT, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer."
Summary:
So basically Paine is stating here in this excerpt that society is key in every state or country, but government even in its prime time is necessary even though it can bring out the miseries of the people. He is also stating that suffering the miseries caused by a government would be expected in a state without a government which raises the tragedies or disasters by causing one to think of what they themselves have in their state compared to another making it worse.
Excerpt #2:
"....the ELECTED might never form to themselves an interest separate from the ELECTORS, prudence will point out the propriety of having elections often: because as the ELECTED might by that means return and mix again with the general body of the ELECTORS in a few months, their fidelity to the public will be secured by the prudent reflection of not making a rod for themselves. And as this frequent interchange will establish a common interest with every part of the community, they will mutually and naturally support each other, and on this, (not on the unmeaning name of king,) depends the STRENGTH OF GOVERNMENT, AND THE HAPPINESS OF THE GOVERNED."
Summary:
Here in this excerpt Paine is saying that the elected positions of a government must not separate their desires from the peoples. He is stating that the elected positions must be mixed up or re-elected to secure that the peoples desires are put first and that one man does not have too much control for a long period of time, keeping the government fresh and strong while keeping the people happy.
Excerpt #3:
" 'Tis not in numbers but in unity that our great strength lies: yet our present numbers are sufficient to repel the force of all the world. The Continent hath at this time the largest body of armed and disciplined men of any power under Heaven: and is just arrived at that pitch of strength, in which no single colony is able to support itself, and the whole, when united, is able to do any thing. Our land force is more than sufficient, and as to Naval affairs, we cannot be insensible that Britain would never suffer an American man of war to be built, while the Continent remained in her hands. "
Summary:
In this excerpt, Thomas Paine is saying that strength is not found in the size of a country or the country's population, but it in its unified system of government, military, and customs. He is telling the common people among the colonies that they must unite in order to gain their independence from Britain or else they will never have the power in one colony to defeat them in battle.
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