Why did one of America’s greatest champions of liberty become one of its most hated figures?
To accompany our recent reading of Common Sense and my conversation with George Ford Smith, I’m pleased to share this reading of his outstanding essay, “â Tom Paine, Liberty’s Hated Torchbearer.â ”
Remembered as one of the architects of American independence, Paine’s story didn’t end with Common Sense. George traces Paine’s journey from the man whose words ignited a revolution to the political and cultural outcast who was smeared, abandoned, and largely erased from the nation’s memory.
Thomas Paine: Liberty’s Hated Torchbearer w/ George Ford Smith
Weâve all heard of Thomas Paine and think of him as instrumental in the founding of this country, but did you know he may well have been the most critical man alive at the time in fostering and shaping American independence? And what did he get for his efforts and fortitude? Listen and learn as George Ford Smith adds something of real value on the one and only semiquincentennial of our once great country.
Find George Ford Smithâs work:
https://mises.org/profile/george-ford-smith
Article Discussed:
â https://mises.org/mises-daily/thomas-paine-libertys-hated-torchbearerâ
Cognitive Dissidents: America at 250: From Republic to Technocracy
Join the Cognitive Dissidents as they once again tackle the latest news stories in an effort to understand what the powers that be are really up to and how to prepareâŚforewarned is forearmed after all! On this weekâs episode we cover: Trumpsterâs Billions, Semiquincentennial Nothingburger, Hack Attack & Big Philanthropy as World Government, SCOTUS Geofencing Privacy FakeOut, Calling the Oil Crash (h/t PM), Robot Dogbite, Datacenter Diversion, To Bitcoin or Not To Bitcoin and more!!
Deep Dive: Big Philanthropy As World Government
The AI Boom is creating an unprecedented number of billionaires and otherwise extremely wealthy people who give billions upon billions to charity–but is it charity as in a gift based on love and good will? Whether these tech nouveau riche know it or not, they are putting their windfall profits into machines built to control the world from the bottom up.
The Celtic Twilight – Myth, Fantasy and Folklore by W. B. Yeats
Join me as we continue our newest book reading for Adult Brain…it’s a short one made up of many very short ones…the poet WB Yeats recounts tales he was told in Ireland about faeries and ghosts, and it seems he believes them because he himself was a ceremonial magician and a leader in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn! The tales may not be true, but they are a delightful read & a journey back in time to old Ireland.
Step into the legend-haunted world of ancient Ireland as we begin our reading of The Celtic Twilight: Myth, Fantasy and Folklore by W. B. Yeats.
Part memoir, part folklore collection, and part spiritual exploration, The Celtic Twilight captures Yeats’s encounters with storytellers, mystics, country folk, and the lingering presence of Ireland’s old traditions at the turn of the twentieth century. Within these pages, the boundary between the natural and supernatural grows thin, revealing a world inhabited by fairies, spirits, omens, dreams, and mysteries that refuse to yield to the certainties of modern rationalism.
Drawing from conversations, local legends, and firsthand experiences, Yeats preserves a fading folk tradition while inviting readers into a landscape where myth and reality coexist. His reflections offer a rare glimpse into the beliefs, customs, and imagination of a people for whom the unseen world was never far away.
Whether you’re interested in Celtic mythology, folklore, mysticism, literature, or the rich cultural heritage of Ireland, join us as we begin this timeless journey into the twilight realm between imagination and reality.
News Flash: Trump’s Hotel Goes to Dell in a Handbasket
Since day one I suspected winning a bid on the old post office in DC would generate a windfall for the Donald âŚmany twists and turns later, it has indeed – and for his friends too!
News Flash: Somalia In the Crosshairs? Let’s Look at the Map…
Did you know the US is currently engaged in a periodic bombing campaign on Somalia, a country in crisis? Why would the US want to bomb Somalia? What does it have to do with Trump’s threatening words to Oman? Let’s discuss the map and how those two countries are connected and why they are important.
Cognitive Dissidents: Idiocracy USA & AI Replacement of Humanity
Join the Cognitive Dissidents once again as they survey the ever-shifting landscape of current events, peeling back the layers of narrative to uncover the forces at work and the agendas driving them. This week, the Dissidents discuss data centers and human implants, RFK Jr.âs apparent embrace of a vaccine agenda, the seemingly staged feud between Trump and Bibi, the SpaceX IPO hype machine, the era of dumb money and even dumber data, and the uncanny parallels between Presidents Trump and Camacho.
The Pope Ignores the AI Elephant in the Room
The Popeâs first encyclical addresses AI and the threat it poses to humanity. The encyclical discusses the issues surrounding AI and recommends ways to deal with it going forward, but there is no mention whatsoever of the true origins of AI much less its purpose. Today I expose the origins of AI largely using its own wordsâitâs very simple where it came from and whence it continues to grow, but no mention of the that from the Vatican. Coming up in the next episode in this series, the purpose of AI and then the agenda revealed through the words of the Popeâs encyclical itself.
The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine
Written in the late 18th century, The Age of Reason remains as provocative and relevant as everâchallenging institutions, questioning authority, and encouraging individuals to think for themselves.
Whether youâre revisiting a classic or hearing it for the first time, this reading strips away the noise and lets Paineâs words speak directlyâclear, bold, and unfiltered.



