a Paine in Burke's Butt

(These cheesy titles will probably continue, consider yourself warned)

First off, Thomas Paine has been my favorite author thus far. He is direct and to the point, as opposed to Burke, whom coated all his statements with eloquence. Paine's style could be perceived as a little untactful at times, but regardless, I find his blatent honesty refreshing. Like Wollstonecroft, Paine wrote a response to Burke's Perspectives.
Burke was a firm believer in the body politic that lived on after the physical life of the king ended. Basically, the king's laws and ideals were to be immortalized. Paine's viewpoint is precisely the opposite and I am in agreement with him: "It is the living, and not the dead, that are to be accommodated. When man ceases to be, his power and his wants cease with him; and having no longer any participation in the concerns of this world..." (65) Paine flat out says that he does not advocate any particular government, but he is focused on the rights of the living. Great leadership cares about all the subjects below him and thus; someone that values human life and liberty, like Paine, would be an excellent leader. Burke was more concerned with preservation of body politic than the living citizens. I believe this preference is the root of many of Burke's inconsistencies. Paine suggests that the concept of body politic is unnatural. Obviously, all humans will die and Paine argues that Adam was never given the privilege to control beyond the grave. Burke's view is in direct defiance to nature and the original humans, which based upon his principles, should be dictating beyond their mortal lives, since they preempt all others.
Paine's main idea is principles versus people. Burke is obsessed with royalty and the power that should be attached to them. Thomas says: "When in becomes necessary to do a thing, the whole heart and soul should go into the measure, or not attempt it." (66) This statement clearly supports the revolution because the rebels wholeheartedly sought justice. The commitment to the lower class that Burke had was half-hearted at best and one could assume that this disgusted Paine.
My favorite comparison that Paine made was Burke with Don Quixote. I have actually seen the play and thus, the stage show is currently running through my head. This insult is pretty intense, but truthful. Don Quixote creates his own reality where he finds himself more important and everything is run based upon his ludicrous ideals.
Favorite metaphor: "He is not affected by the reality of distress touching his heart, but by the showy resemblance of it striking his imagination. He pities the plumage, but forgets the dying bird." (68-69) Paine credits Burke with a decent heart, but his sympathies are simply misplaced.
In an attempt to help Burke clear up his inconsistencies, Paine tries to rationalize how Burke's theory would work if the first humans' authority had been immortal, but since that had not been so, Burke's views are completely skewed.
Democracy was a preposterous concept in the days of the revolution. Paine was an advocate for equal rights because he believed that they were given by God to every human. His logic was that that each human's existence was determined by God and each child entered the world with the same newness and natural right as the next.
Principles should dictate our lifestyles. If our principles require us to not follow certain people, defiance may indeed be the only course of action.