“The United States is the product of an accountability movement that was never fully realized. Thomas Paine called the country into being with Common Sense, a pamphlet that invited the beleaguered residents of 13 British colonies on the eastern shore of North America to indulge their fury at the imperial abuses of King George III. ... Rejecting the prospect of reconciliation with ‘the power that hath carried fire and sword into your land,’ Paine encouraged Americans to ask themselves pointed questions. ... This was about more than refusing to shake hands with the murderers, however. It was, Paine recognized, about forging a new mentality that would see beyond the lie of reconciliation with those who abused positions of authority to the detriment of the people. No excuses. No forgiveness. The stakes were too high for that. ...”
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