I thought I knew Ben Franklin, but I was wrong.

The documentary told 2 stories that were in conflict the entire time.

I really had to watch parts of it twice, before I could accept him. In many ways, he is no more than an selfish opportunist, in other ways a pragmatist who tries to do the right thing.

He wants to do the right thing, tell the right story, at the right time, to the right person. That was his greatest skill.

The documentary paints a picture, that keeps his head in the light, sure he had his foibles, but he was the right man, the good man.

However, there was the correspondence stealing, the family abandonment, the self serving trips to England. The financial dealings that made him wealthy. There was also his love of science, his friendly and affable ways. His inventions, his efforts at being a better human being, but always failing just a little.

Fortunately for us he perfectly coincided with the times.

Thankfully.

(he is a 51/49, on the HT scale)