Peter_Puget Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 …or the true story of how capitalism helped to create this wonderful holiday. From the memoirs of William Bradford governor of the Plymouth Bay Colony. "One of the traditions the Pilgrims had brought with them from England was a practice known as 'farming in common.' Everything they produced was put into a common pool, and the harvest was rationed among them according to need. "They had thought 'that the taking away of property, and bringing in community into a common wealth, would make them happy and flourishing,' Bradford recounts. "They were wrong. 'For this community (so far as it was) was found to breed much confusion and discontent, and retard much imployment that would have been to their benefite and comforte,' Bradford writes. Young, able-bodied men resented working for others without compensation. Incentives were lacking. "After the Pilgrims had endured near-starvation for three winters, Bradford decided to experiment when it came time to plant in the spring of 1623. He set aside a plot of land for each family, that 'they should set corne every man for his owne particular, and in that regard trust to themselves.' "The results were nothing short of miraculous. Bradford writes: 'This had very good success; for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corne was planted than other ways would have been by any means the Govr or any other could use, and saved him a great deall of trouble, and gave far better content.'' "...Given appropriate incentives, the Pilgrims produced and enjoyed a bountiful harvest in the fall of 1623 and set aside 'a day of thanksgiving' to thank God for their good fortune." Happy Thanksgiving all! PP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurthicks Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 from the sound of it, thanksgiving prevented mass communism in america. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catbirdseat Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 My Dad likes to tell the story of his visit to communist East Germany. They visited a farm. It was early evening and the workers had gone home for the day. The tools were all laying about in the field. The tractor was parked where it was at quitting time instead of being put in the barn. No one owned their own tools so they had no incentive to take care of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlpineK Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 I like my turkey without parables. Happy Thanksgiving Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 And of course no mention of the natives who saved their starving asses in the first place. Great fable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lummox Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 squanto kicks ass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allthumbs Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter_Puget Posted November 28, 2003 Author Share Posted November 28, 2003 TTT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chucK Posted November 28, 2003 Share Posted November 28, 2003 No way! You're telling me our founding forefathers were....(gasp)... COMMIES!!!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter_Puget Posted November 28, 2003 Author Share Posted November 28, 2003 I do not think they could be considered commies as they did not have an utterly bogus theory of exploitation developed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairweather Posted November 28, 2003 Share Posted November 28, 2003 chucK said: No way! You're telling me our founding forefathers were....(gasp)... COMMIES!!!? Actually, our "founding fathers" weren't to show up on the scene for another 100-150 years. Some were religious, some were agnostic... But NONE were commies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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