Less than a year after the Bill of Rights became part of the Constitution, cod fishermen were being paid to fish by the government. Fishing boat owners who paid only wages were ineligible for the subsidy, only those who shared their profits with workers could benefit. David Cay Johnston has another wonderful piece up explaining why the limited government and laissez-faire theories which so many claim represent the history of our founding, bear no resemblance to the historical facts. He shares quotes by many of the Founders about the dangers of inequality and the need to build a middle-class and introduces a new book by three Ivy league professors.
Here is the article:
http://mag.newsweek.com/...
Here is the book:
http://www.amazon.com/...
5:35 AM PT: Here's a sample quote:
James Madison, the Constitution's main author, described inequality as an evil, saying government should prevent "an immoderate, and especially unmerited, accumulation of riches." He favored "the silent operation of laws which, without violating the rights of property, reduce extreme wealth towards a state of mediocrity, and raise extreme indigents towards a state of comfort."