The American Crisis- Thomas Paine

"Better have too much force than too little, when so great an object is at stake" (Paine).
Thomas Paine was very passionate about the fight for freedom and independence not because he believed that war was the right thing to do, but because he believed that an entire country allowing the people in it to suffer is a crime. He was right. He related the suffering brought upon America by Great Britain, to his home being burglarized:
"Not all the treasure of the world so far as I believe, could have induced me to support an offensive war, for I think it murder; but if a thief breaks into my house, burns and destroys my property, and kills or threatens to kill me, or those that are in it... am I to suffer it?" He did not believe that violence was the general solution. He believed in self-defense. Again, he was right. Who was he, or any other American, to allow his country to be abused by Great Britain? Paine did not want to cause violence. The violence had already began with the problems caused by Great Britain. These concepts still exist today, and are very controversial. The question of whether a country is beginning violence and war or simply defending itself causes many problems, regardless of the time period. Thomas Paine understood the idea of not fighting fire with fire, but of not allowing himself or his country to get burned.