A few people out there know me in person, and partly because it is far too personal and partly because I fall so embarrassingly short of who I really aspire to be –these words will remain closed in my date book.
I also have a number of quotes penned by far greater minds than mine, that each year are rewritten, by hand from one diary to the next.
The following quote by Abraham Lincoln is one such quote:
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
You cannot establish security on borrowed money.
You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away man’s initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.
Tonight, the line – “You cannot establish security on borrowed money” – really stands out.
In the wake of the Tsunami tragedy we as nations have a chance to correct what may amounts to a great transgression of usury – and declare a Jubilee and forgive these poor nations their foreign debt.
On one hand I am proud to be Australian based on the proportional amount of aid given to the relief of this tragedy. But, on the other hand, I cannot feel a little ashamed that our Leadership does not seem willing to explore such an option.
These devastated nations have little hope of establishing any real level of security with a spiraling economic burden hanging over their heads.
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