http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/democracy-will-cease-to-exist-quotation

Status: This exact quotation has not been found in any of the writings of Thomas Jefferson. It bears a very vague resemblance to Jefferson's comment in a prospectus for his translation of Destutt de Tracy's Treatise on Political Economy: "To take from one, because it is thought that his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, —the guarantee to every one of a free exercise of his industry, & the fruits acquired by it.'"[3]

Re your username -- me, too.

The problem with today's world is that work is finite, as finite as water or oil.

The means of production were so low in Jefferson's time that they never ran up against the finite quality of work.

further, that Siegel guy has zero interest in Jefferson, the Constitution, anything else. He just wants more money.

In Jeffersons day and for quite some time the US had tariffs on goods imported that unfairly competed with products produced here. That has pretty much gone by the wayside and laws favor the free movement of capital around the world. Labor on the other hand is not free to move around the globe.

to Jefferson or not (and since this comes from a RWer I assume it is not, in fact), is "those who REFUSE to work".

Mr. Siegel is an ass. His taxes go to pay mostly for infrastructure and military (which I guarantee you he loves) and government services for the populace. Social Security and Medicare are not payments to those who refuse to work. So his only legitimate beef is AFDC and general welfare (which virtually no one can get anymore, and only for a brief time).

He needs to suck it up or move to Somalia.

Te closest thing Jefferson said to that is:

"To take from one, because it is thought that his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, —the guarantee to every one of a free exercise of his industry, & the fruits acquired by it.'"

Just reminding people of his context, a reminder of why he has a column.

Those of us in the reality-based community don't have that luxury.

He also endorsed slavery as a necessary evil and holding a tiger by its tail, so...

author the Constitution. So I'm pretty sure Mr. Siegel is an idiot.

One more thing, the Constitution, which Jefferson had nothing to do with, he was the US Ambassador in Paris, is not the Declaration, which Jefferson did indeed pen.

because selling my $16M yacht is out of the question."

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Who_said_democracy_will_cease_to_exist_when_you_take_away_from_those_who_are_willing_to_work_and_give_to_those_who_would_not

Because I don't respond well to threats.

The Right’s Library of Fake Quotes
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=4053

QUOTE:

Abraham Lincoln despised class warfare, Thomas Jefferson detested bailouts and the founders of the nation were all Bible-believing Christians. These are among the historical “facts” you’ll learn as a regular consumer of talk radio, Fox News and other conservative sources.

While non-conservatives have been known to misquote historical figures to add credibility to their own views, the right seems to have a special enthusiasm for putting words in dead people’s mouths.

Which is to say, Republican reality, where history is invented after the fact.

I thought he was in France during the convention.