US Cables

the House of Representatives passes the US$ 1.9tn Covid Relief Package - the Guardian: LINK ¤ the GUARDIAN
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- "the House of Representatives passes the huge - US$ 1.9tn Covid relief !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "and economic stimulus package - of the Biden-Harris team !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "the bill is projected to slash poverty in 2021 - tackle racial, gender, and class inequalities !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "and represents the first major legislative victory - for the team of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "the massive legislation, a broadly popular bill with the public - had received no Republican support !"
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- "it fulfills Biden-Harris team’ campaign promise to combat Covid - and revive the economy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "it also includes sweeping anti-poverty measures - and tackles racial, gender, and class inequalities !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "US$ 1,400 stimulus checks: a majority - as many as 85% of households - receives direct payments of US$ 1,400 per person !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "individuals making less than US$ 75,000 - and married couples making less than US$ 150,000 collectively will receive the checks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "unemployment benefits: the bill extends through early September - the US$ 300-a-week federal unemployment benefits !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "the legislation significantly increases - and expands eligibility - for the child tax credit !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "health insurance subsidies: the bill temporarily increases - financial assistance for health coverage !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "purchased through marketplaces established by the Obama administration’s Affordable Care Act - known as Obamacare !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "it also helps those who are unemployed - keep their health coverage !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "and it provides additional funding for health programs - for example the military veterans’ healthcare !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "vaccine distribution and testing: the bill provides tens of billions of dollars - to speed up vaccine distribution and administration !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "as well as increase testing - and enhance contact tracing and genomic sequencing !!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "the bill sends US$ 350bn to state - local - and tribal governments !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "to help offset deep budget shortfalls - as a result of the efforts !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "it also includes US$ 130bn to help schools reopen safely - by reducing class sizes and modifying classrooms !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "colleges and universities receive US$ 40bn - to help cover the cost of expenses !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "smaller businesses also get funding - including under a new program to help bars and restaurants hurt by lockdowns !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "rental, mortgage and food assistance: the legislation also provides assistance for food - and housing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "including money for low-income persons - to afford rent and pay their utilities !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "and aid to homeowners - struggling to pay their mortgages !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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leaked Trump Transcripts show his incoherent, ill-informed Narcissism - the Guardian: LINK ¤ the GUARDIAN
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- "the transcripts of the conversations of Donald Trump - with Mexican Enrique Peña Nieto and Australian Malcolm Turnbull - showed !"
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- "to be no more coherent in private - than Trump was public: !"
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- "ill-informed - and narcissistic - to the point of absurdity !"
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- ""I am the greatest person" - Trump told Turnbull !"
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- "at one point in his castigation of Turnbull - he compared him unfavourably with Putin !"
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- "perhaps the least surprising upshot of the release of the transcripts was the confirmation - that Trump deliberately misled the public about them !"
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- "as has happened repeatedly - the emergence of the facts has upheld the news reports - and shown the denials to be fake !"
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- "Trump repeatedly tried to coach Peña Nieto - on how to mislead the press !"
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- "and he argued the wall and its financing - was the least important thing that we were talking about !"
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- "and said, he was in a "political bind" - because he had "been talking about it for a two-year period" !"
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- "similar themes recurred in the Turnbull conversation - Trump was furious that abiding by the agreement could harm his image !"
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- "just after he had signed his first abortive order cutting the acceptance of refugees from Syria - and suspended travel from a list of seven countries !"
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- "this was going to kill him - Trump said !"
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- ""I am a person that does not want to let people into the country" - Trump said !"
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- "it makes me look so bad" - Trump said !"
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- "Trump was clearly in a foul temper by the end of the discussion - and broader bilateral issues are shelved !"
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- "when Turnbull asked to discuss Syria and North Korea - Trump was not interested - and ended the call !"
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Climate Plan to cut US Carbon Pollution - the Guardian: LINK ¤ the GUARDIAN
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- "Barack Obama unveils a plan - that cuts carbon pollution from power plants !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "and promotes - cap-and-trade !!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "the regulations cut carbon pollution - by as much as 25% !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "from about 1,600 power plants - in operation !!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "the plan allows electricity companies - to reduce pollution !!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "by shutting down - the oldest coal plants !!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "they can install carbon-sucking retrofits - they can expand wind and solar energy - upgrade the electrical grid !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "and encourage customers - to update to more efficient heating and cooling systems !!!!!!!!!!!!"

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nobody who works full-Time should have to live in Poverty - the Guardian: LINK ¤ the GUARDIAN
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- "Barack Obama raises the minimum wage - for federal contract workers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "to US$ 10.10 - an hour !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "nobody who works full-time - should have to live in poverty !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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- "boosting wages lowers turnover and absenteeism - and increases morale and productivity overall !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
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Obama condemns 'shameful' Failure to pass Reform - the Guardian: LINK ¤ the GUARDIAN
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- "a furious Barack Obama - accuses some members of Congress !!!"
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- "of caving to the gun lobby !!!!!!"
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- "after the best chance of reform in over a decade - fell at the first hurdle !"
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- "Republicans bowed to pressure from the "National Rifle Association" !!!"
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- "and blocked a bipartisan Senate amendment !!"
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- "that would have expanded background checks - for gun purchases to gun shows and online sales !!"
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- "as the measure fell, Patricia Maisch - a survivor of the mass shooting in Tucson, shouts !"
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- "shame on you !!!!!!"
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- "from the visitors gallery - where she was sitting near bereaved Newtown families !!"
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- "opinion polls have consistently shown - that a large majority of Americans support moderate gun control reform !!"
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- "a poll showed 92% to 7% - in favour of background checks !!!!!!"
Boeing - US cable - 2008: LINK ¤ 08MANAMA47
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- "following months of heavy lobbying - by the US ambassador !!!"
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- "the Crown Prince and King of Bahrain - rejected a Gulf Air proposal to buy Airbus !"
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- "and directed the airline - to make a deal with Boeing !!!!"
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- "Gulf Air signed an agreement - valued at US$ 6 billion with Boeing !!!"
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- "the agreement represents a significant - US embassy commercial advocacy success !!!!"
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- "the US ambassador persisted - in lobbying Gulf Air management !!!!"
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- "board members - government officials and representatives of parliament !!"
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- "the US ambassador had spoken directly - to the Crown Prince on Boeing's behalf !!!!"
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- "Boeing subsequently returned to Bahrain !!"
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- "the Crown Prince had assured him of the government's sincerity - in seeking a deal !!"
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- "this was a last-minute maneuver - to wring concessions from Airbus !!!!"
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- "Boeing responded by shaving !!!"
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- "an additional five percent - off its proposed sale price !!!!!!"
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- "the US embassy's role in Boeing's success - is noteworthy !!!!"
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- "Gulf Air relied on the embassy to communicate with Boeing !"
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- "conveying Boeing - at all levels !!!!!!"
Iraq Oil - US cable - 2008: LINK ¤ 08BAGHDAD647
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- "the Iraqi Ministry of Oil has presented - the three-part plan for oil field development !"
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- "to sign 2-year technical service agreements !"
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- "with major international oil companies, IOCs !"
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- "of five giant oil fields:"
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- "Kirkuk field - with Shell Oil !"
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- "al-Rumaila - with BP !"
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- "al-Zubair - with Exxon-Mobil !"
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- "West Khorna - with Chevron and Total !"
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- "and Mayssan - with Shell and BHP Billiton !"
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- "the contracts will be negotiated - directly with the companies !!!!!!"
United Nations - US cable - 2009: LINK ¤ 09STATE80163
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- "reporting and collection needs for US agencies - to collect information on the United Nations !!!!!!"
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- "reporting officers should include - as much of the following information as possible: !"
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- "office and organizational titles - names - position titles !!!"
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- "and other information on business cards - numbers of telephones !!!!!!"
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- "cell phones, pagers and faxes - telephone directories - and e-mail listings !!!!!!"
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- "Internet and intranet "handles" - Internet e-mail addresses - web site identification-URLs !!!!!!"
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- "credit card account numbers - frequent flyer account numbers !!!!"
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- "work schedules - and other relevant biographical information !!!!!!"
Goldstone Report - US cable - 2009: LINK ¤ 09STATE98567
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- "the United Nations Human Rights Council, HRC - held a special session on violations of human rights in the occupied territories, in Gaza !!!"
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- "and mandated - that a fact finding mission be sent !!!!!!"
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- "to investigate all violations of international human rights law - and international humanitarian law !!!!!!"
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- "by Israel - against the Palestinian people !!!!!!"
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- "we, the US - have very serious concerns about the Report !"
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- "the Report's substance, recommendations - and broader effects !"
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- "could have a strong impact - on many of our interests !!!!"
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- "these include its recommendations - including a call for this issue to be taken up in international fora !!!!"
OECD mahnt Reformen in USA ein - der Standard: LINK ¤ der STANDARD
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- "um dafür zu sorgen"
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- "dass mittlere und sozial schwächere Schichten der Gesellschaft profitieren !!!"
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- "sind Änderungen beim Steuersystem, bei Bildung und Ausbildung, Migration und auf dem Arbeitsmarkt notwendig !!!!"
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- "auch muss der Mindestlohn angehoben werden !!!"
Human Rights in the US - Wikipedia EN: LINK ¤ US HUMAN RIGHTS
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- "the human rights record of the United States of America - is a complicated matter !!!!"
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- "the US have the highest percentage of people in prison - of any nation !!!!!!"
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- "there were more than 2.2 million in prisons or jails - or roughly 1 out of every 136 Americans !!!!"
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- "and the US government had categorized a large number of people as "unlawful combatants" - a classification used mainly as an excuse to bypass international law !"
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Federalist No. 10 - James Madison - 1787: LINK ¤ FEDERALIST NO. 10
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- "the federalist papers are written by James Madison !"
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- "No. 10 addresses the question - of how to guard against "factions" !!!!"
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- "or groups of citizens - with interests contrary to the rights of others !!!!!!"
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- "or the interests - of the whole community !!!!"
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- "a faction is a number of citizens - whether amounting to a minority or majority of the whole !"
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- "who are united, and actuated by some common impulse of passion - or of interest !!!!!!"
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- "adverse to the rights of other citizens !!!!!!"
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- "or to the permanent and aggregate interests - of the community !!!!!!!!!!!!"
Common Sense - Thomas Paine - 1776: LINK ¤ US HISTORY
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- "I draw my idea of the form of government - from a principle in nature which no art can overturn !!!"
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- "that the more simple any thing is - the less liable it is to be disordered, and the easier repaired when disordered !"
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- "wherefore, laying aside all national pride and prejudice in favour of modes and forms"
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- "the plain truth is that it is wholly owing - to the constitution of the people !!!!!!"
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- "and not to the constitution of the government !!!!"
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- "mankind being originally equals - in the order of creation !!!!!!"
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- "however strange it may appear to some - or however unwilling they may be to think so, matters not !"
