For me the marking of Independence with our Declaration is a day to revere not only the Declaration, but the Constitution that followed. The Constitution set forth the republic. Now we see the wisdom of not setting forth a Democracy.Every representative in the Continental Congress prior to the hot war, those men who we look to for having declared independence and call our Founders, were not single citizens standing in a hall and deciding the direction of the path ahead for themselves. It is important to remember that these men were genuine Representatives (unlike our modern sort), and each had hundreds or thousands of people back in their home districts who supported their moves toward independence.
The People had their backs. Not all people, to be sure. But more than you or I have backing our play. You'd better count on that fact.
We are not living in a Socialist nation. We are not enduring Communism, or Fascism.
Yes, we have Socialists and Communists and Fascists in elected offices, and they all strive to reach their ideological goals. But more importantly, we have many thousands of elected officials from all levels of Government who simply choose to put their own good (re-election and setting up post-office gigs) ahead of the good of their constituents. How do they keep getting elected?
Democracy.
Simple democracy has murdered the republic. One Man, One Vote. Majority rules.
Small 'd' democracy.
Mob Rule.
That is where we are today. And in that elected mix from coast to coast we have every political flavor of the rainbow in office. Most of them are simple me-first politicians. They are willing to ignore republicanism and embrace democracy (Mob Rule) as a means to being re-elected.
The dangerous side of democracy is best illustrated by Benjamin Franklin: Two wolves and a sheep voting to decide what is for dinner. Look to Egypt: Democracy was installed and the people of Egypt voted into power the Muslim Brotherhood.
Democracy is not fair, though anyone in the larger group will demand it is so.
Today we have citizens voting themselves goodies from the trough, and self-interested politicians obliging in return for a small piece of the action.
Today, America is a functional Democracy. But our legal foundation is that of a republic.
In your Independence Day travels this year consider the task before us: Return the republic by killing Democracy. It seems tough. It is tough. A Democracy is no less able to impose a police-state to protect itself than is any Fascist.
But our predicament could be much worse. The Police State is gelling, but it is not yet in place. And we have only a small step to travel along the political spectrum from democracy to republic. Worse will be trying to return to a republic from a Police State or a genuine shift in Government to genuine Fascism or Communism.
The work before us is hard. It is monumental in scope. It will be brutal upon the body and the Soul. There will be Hard Things between us and the republic.
But it could be worse. Much worse.
We do have the advantage that our ruling elite must still cling to the notion of the Constitution for their legitimacy. That is a powerful advantage for us. We also have the advantage that a very large percentage of the population still considers the Constitution as the bedrock of legitimacy, even if their understanding or definition of the document is corrupted.
Any successful fight for returning to a republic, which will return us to the highest state of Liberty realistically possible, will require the winner to keep the golden hue of the Constitution shining upon them, even if Bad People only want the illusion of Constitutionality.
Remember this weekend as you grind your teeth over ObamaCare and SCOTUS that we are here today because we (collectively, we who desire Liberty, all of us from 1789 to those still alive) failed to put in the effort to maintain the republic.
A republic, if you can keep it...
Every Framer knew, as did the people in the Colonies who ratified the new Constitution, that Federalism would forever be an encroaching Evil. They knew that if the People ever failed to beat the Beast back into its domain, the republic would fail...as it has today.
That is why they wrote in Impeachment and Treason. That is why they wrote in the Tenth. That is why they wrote the Ninth, which gives authorization for 2A as a maintenance procedure.
Keeping a republic is serous, hard work. No Citizen can ever rely on another Citizen to carry his weight in this matter.
You and I are responsible for ensuring that the people who want democracy are not permitted to kill the republic. And in the instance when we realize they have succeeded, it is your responsibility and mine to pick up the tools of Liberty and restore the republic. There are many tools: Impeachment, Treason, Tenth, Ninth, and the ultimate recourse as articulated in our Declaration and written into our Supreme Law of the Land, force of arms.
Yes, Patriots - the right to force of arms is written into our DoI and codified in the Constitution. If you don't see it, write me and I'll help connect the dots.
There is no Liberty in a democracy. There is Freedom only if you are in the majority, and majorities shift. There are only Tyrants.
If you genuinely want Liberty, it is time to pick up the tools of Constitutional maintenance.
I will be on the steps of the Capitol on November 3rd for my personal DoI moment.
After that...
Kerodin
III
Constitutional application of treason and impeachment against soetoro-obama for his usurption of POTUS will not happen. Holder has not been arrested by the Congressional Sergeant-At-Arms. Boehner is part of the ruling elite. Pelosi the same. They are idealogues. They are not about "service". They are self-serving and will not honor there oathes of office.
ReplyDeleteThere is only ONE solution. Lead and hemp.
DAN III
Pennsylvania
Dan: Remember that "Constitutional application" does not end merely with Article III Section III as executed by Congress.
DeleteThe Framers knew Bad Men would find their way into Government and if allowed to grow too strong, they'd block Impeachement and Treason via the Congress and Courts.
That's why we have the 10th Amendment, so States can do what they think is best.
That's why we have the 9th, in case the States have been compromised.
And, ultimately, that is why we have 2A and the explicit Right to do what needs to be done as articulated in the Declaration.
The Constitution was never meant to run on Auto-Pilot. It was always meant that We the People would be "The Teeth" that so many people whine about. It has always been, and shall always be up to We the People to step in and handle business when Bad People gain a toe-hold.
But if you and I are not willing to do it, then it won't get done.
K
"The Constitution set forth the republic."
ReplyDeleteI'm not in the mood for arguing philosophy right now, but could we please at least get the history correct?
A "simple truth"---on March 1, 1781, Maryland was the final colony to ratify the Articles of Confederation. "The Style of this confederacy shall be 'The United States of America.'"
THAT'S what set forth this republic. And just like it's always been since ancient Greece, it was MONEY that caused the change. And worse, the Constitution was snookered in. Contrary to the history books that were written by the victors, there was originally no plan to do away with the Articles of Confederation. Anyone interested in the matter can check out the "Anti-Federalist" papers. Among others, Patrick Henry stood against the drafting of the Constitution, at least at first.
Either you believe in the principles, say in the Bill of Rights, or you believe in the paper. Choose one and move on. Your point continually appears to be that it's the paper that counts, not the principles. IMO this is an error---that's the choice the tyrants make too, and that's what got us here. That may or may not be anyone's particular intent, but I'm sure that's little solace to people like Jose Guerena's widow.
Again IMO, when the principles begin to count, then maybe we can get somewhere. I hope everyone has a nice holiday regardless.
Jim: Quibbling, parsing and picking nits aside as to what/when/how the republic was set forth...
DeleteEither you know damned well I am all about the principles, or you merely skim my work when reading, looking for a place to snark and object. Our "Founding Principles" are what matters, AND those principles have been very well codified in the DoI, the BoR, and whether you like it or not, in the Constitution.
Yes, we all know it was the Articles Congress that called for the Convention. We also ALL KNOW that the Articles Congress could have thrown the new proposed Constitution out the f'n window if they had chosen to do so. We also know that every person across the Congress, the Colonies, and every man with a rifle could have objected.
They didn't.
Yes, I wish Patrick Henry had waded in and slit throats if he smelt his damned rat, but he didn't. Yes, I wish Jefferson and Adams had been in the room, for the document would have been better, but they weren't.
I believe in the principles, and I believe that those principles were damned well captured in those documents, and ratified by people who could have said "No!".
You don't like the Constitution? Get over it.
Show me one government charter on the planet that is better written for a Country of Liberty. It does not f'n exist. And you can't do any better. Nor can any of the other whiners and cryers and complainers of these f'n blogs.
The Constitution is what we've got. From a philosophical perspective it is the best ever written for respecting the Rights of Man.
And from a practical perspective, there is NOT ONE OTHER COMMON POINT OF REFERENCE BETTER SUITED to use as a rally cry for a group of people who want Liberty back in America, because every single person in the Country is familiar with the Constitution, and even our enemies use it as the source of their legitimacy.
So get in the real f'n world and fight a fight that can be won - Restoration.
There will be a "Next Phase" in American governance. The fundamental document whence the next round of politicians claim their legitimacy will be either from the Constitution or from some f'n Manifesto.
You choose for you, I'll choose for me.
But I suggest everyone not choosing the Constitution get the hell out of my way.
Kerodin
III
Nice answer; let's go over a few points.
Delete[deleted for being too long]
"You don't like the Constitution? Get over it."
Who said I didn't like the Constitution? I spent the majority of my life believing that I lived in a society governed by it...[deleted for length]
"Show me one government charter on the planet that is better written for a Country of Liberty. It does not f'n exist."
I agree. That should be a clue right there. Look where we are.
[deleted for length]
"The Constitution is what we've got. From a philosophical perspective it is the best ever written for respecting the Rights of Man."
I think that's right and as I say, that should be a clue right there.
"And from a practical perspective, there is NOT ONE OTHER COMMON POINT OF REFERENCE BETTER SUITED to use as a rally cry for a group of people who want Liberty back in America,"
Obviously I think there IS a better common point of reference and that it's not a piece of paper. But we don't need to bore readers arguing about that.
"So get in the real f'n world and fight a fight that can be won - Restoration."
We disagree about that too. I think you're seeking an unachievable goal, which is never rational. Naturally, you think the same of me. This isn't the time for that argument either.
"You choose for you, I'll choose for me."
LOL...I didn't know there was any alternative! Let's get to the crux of this particular post...
"But I suggest everyone not choosing the Constitution get the hell out of my way."
That's not what you really mean. I know this because I know how you'd react to, "I suggest that anyone who doesn't believe the Koran should guide us, get the hell out of my way," or even, "I suggest that anyone who doesn't choose the teachings of Joseph Smith get the hell out of my way."
Here's what you really mean IMO and you tell me if I'm wrong---"I suggest that those who don't believe I should live my life (and form my community) in the fashion I (and all those who wish to join me) choose, get the hell out of my way."
Well, I mean the same thing, and so does every true American. Sure, that's what was intended to be codified in the Constitution, which is why it's the best document for liberty yet created.
But as you noted, we're talking about the PRINCIPLES here. So talk about the principles and more importantly, ACT them. The ACTION isn't about the piece of paper; the piece of paper is about the action.
All I'm saying is don't invert the hierarchy nor lose sight of what it's all about. You believe a Constitution is the best way to instantiate those principles? That's cool...go for it yet again. All I'm requesting is that you not switch the map for the territory. Not only is that irrational, I think you'll discover that the principle above is the REAL "common ground" that Americans share, AND that's it's more likely that individuals will choose to live that principle, than that a piece of paper--already proven to have failed--will somehow cause it to come to be.
Ugh, that wasn't very well written. All I'm saying is that the Constitution as you imagine it to be, was written to codify the protection of YOUR life, and the lives of all your countrymen. We both agree that it didn't, but you believe that it could. Alright, that's a speculation and neither of us know the future. But irrespective of whether it would work or not, it's still the case that it's OUR LIVES that it's intended to protect, not itself nor even "a country governed by the Constitution."
That's what made it such a great document in principle. It explicitly stated that it was individual lives that it was designed to protect. This was unique in history. So how about we not lose sight of that point?
Jim: Sorry, I have become unable to be bothered by or with people who continue to spew the following bunk: The Constitution failed.
DeleteI must deal with people who understand that the gun in the drawer did not fail the man when his wife was raped in the home. The man failed, because he didn't use the gun.
By your logic, society should do away with all guns, because it failed the man whose wife was raped.
We, people, have not used the Constitution. It can not fail OR succeed. It's a piece of paper.
I need to deal in the real world, with people who grasp basic concepts. No piece of paper can fail or succeed.
Anyone who spouts "The Constitution failed" silliness has already proved to be operating outside reality.
K
If that's the only thing you got out of that, then you're dealing with tunnel vision. It's a side-note that the Constitution failed, not the fundamental principle. That you turn it into the latter, tells us something.
ReplyDeleteIf that gun jammed when the guy went to use it, would you recommend that he use the same gun next time? Me, I'd say "Try a different one." You're saying he should use the same one because it was designed to work.
Maybe check that premise.