My good friend, Joe Fab, recently described to me how Barack Obama could repair some of the damage Bush 43 has done to the US Constitution. Here are his thoughts:
“I'm repeatedly shocked to notice how few Americans seem to recognize the degree of destruction that the current administration has perpetrated in this regard. (If Obama would make this issue part of his campaign),Obama would also be buttressing his own image with respect to that critical factor: patriotism.
“A true patriot would understand the fundamentals on which the United States was built and would be able to explain how badly they've been broken. And, a patriot would stand up for those principles. Like those who serve this country in time of war, he would defend them with his life -- or in this case, with his presidential viability.
“I believe that a task force or some other substantial mechanism ought to be created within an Obama administration with the mission of identifying all the points of damage, and to prescribe and then manage their repair.
“When Obama spoke about the ongoing responsibility to work towards the perfection of the Union, he had one foot metaphorically on the ground I would like him to claim on behalf of us all. If he would vigorously announce his commitment to leading America in reclaiming her Constitution, I believe he would enhance his campaign and begin to organize us all around an issue that is absolutely critical to the future of this country.”
Thanks, Joe; I can’t think of any suggestion more in keeping with the thrust of this blog which is built on Ben Franklin’s description of the type of government he and the founding fathers created: “…you have a republic if you can keep it.”
1 comment:
Not just 43. The elected "leaders" of this country have for decades taken steps to reduce our understanding of the core principles of this experiment in governance that is the United States. Our military training manuals used to contain the correct definitions of Democracy and Republic. The following comes from Training Manual No. 2000-25 published by the War Department, November 30, 1928.
DEMOCRACY:
-A government of the masses.
-Authority derived through mass meeting or any other form of "direct" expression.
-Results in mobocracy.
-Attitude toward property is communistic--negating property rights. (immanent domain maybe?)
-Attitude toward law is that the will of the majority shall regulate, whether is be based upon deliberation or governed by passion, prejudice, and impulse, without restraint or regard to consequences.
-Results in demogogism, license, agitation, discontent, anarchy.
REPUBLIC:
-Authority is derived through the election by the people of public officials best fitted to represent them.
-Attitude toward law is the administration of justice in accord with fixed principles and established evidence, with a strict regard to consequences.
-A greater number of citizens and extent of territory may be brought within its compass.
-Avoids the dangerous extreme of either tyranny or mobocracy.
-Results in statesmanship, liberty, reason, justice, contentment, and progress.
-Is the "standard form" of government throughout the world.
It seems as though a patriot leader would want to promote a greater understanding of these facts among those that are fighting for this country yet this information remains absent from our military manuals just as it has been since the early 30's when it was removed by the administration of that day without explanation.
There are many examples of a blatant disregard for the founding principles of this republic throughout our short history as a nation, from all political parties and if Obama is the one that can turn this long running train around then I hope he is elected, but I believe it is going to take more than one man and more than one or two terms of service to really right this ship.
Have you noticed that a major qualification for being a US level representative, senator, or president seems to be that you must be independently wealthy? If you couple that with the apparent disregard for ensuring that the american people don't forget that we have a republic not a democracy over the last two hundred years or so and an interesting conspiracy takes shape dosen't? Yes that is farfetched and I really do not think that it is the case, but James Madison's words of warning do ring very true when you look at the trends of the day through those glasses:
"We may define a republic to be ... a government which derives all its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of the people, and is administered by persons holding their offices during pleasure for a limited period, or during good behavior. It is essential to such a government that it be derived from the great body of the society, not from an inconsiderable proportion or a favored class of it; otherwise a handful of tyrannical nobles, exercising their oppressions by a delegation of their powers, might aspire to the rank of republicans and claim for their government the honorable title of republic." James Madison, Federalist No. 10, (1787)
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