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Thursday, December 30, 2010

Our Inheritance

Here in America we are descended in blood and in spirit from revolutionists and rebels—men and women who dare to dissent from accepted doctrine.  As their heirs, we may never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion.
Dwight D Eisenhower
These are great words and I wish I had stumbled across them sooner.

Regards  —  Cliff

6 comments:

Jack Mitchell said...

"honest" is the word that trips up the Teabaggers.

C R Krieger said...

Does your Mother know you talk that way about her contemporaries?

In other news, over at MSNBC, Political Wonk Ezra Klein says the problem with the [US] Constitution is it is over 100 years old and thus people don't understand it.  My conclusion from that is that since Tea Party folks tend to be older, there is a better chance of them understanding it that some young Whipper Snappers, like Mr Klein, or News Reader Nora O'Donnell.

Regards  —  Cliff

Jack Mitchell said...

You aren't suggesting that Klein feels the Constitution is outdated, are you?

Because he is not.

He IS saying that it is old, and we forgot what it truly means. Also, we today, have a tendency to cherrypick the context we like to frame the bits will cull out.

It's a slam to zipperhead "Constitutionalist," but it jabs at the Left, as well.

The Constitution is the only game in town. So, you say potatoe and I say potato. ;v)

C R Krieger said...

Ever since Dan Qualye I have been suspicious of the spud in any form, including analogy.

But, the Constitution is the only game in town, but beneath it is the Declaration of Independence, holding it up, our most recent SCOTUS member's comments during her hearings notwithstanding.

Regards  —  Cliff

Jack Mitchell said...

"solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one of another, Covenant and Combine ourselves together into a Civil Body Politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience."
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/17th_century/mayflower.asp

and

"The end of the institution, maintenance, and administration of government, is to secure the existence of the body politic, to protect it, and to furnish the individuals who compose it with the power of enjoying in safety and tranquility their natural rights, and the blessings of life: and whenever these great objects are not obtained, the people have a right to alter the government, and to take measures necessary for their safety, prosperity and happiness.

The body politic is formed by a voluntary association of individuals: it is a social compact, by which the whole people covenants with each citizen, and each citizen with the whole people, that all shall be governed by certain laws for the common good. It is the duty of the people, therefore, in framing a constitution of government, to provide for an equitable mode of making laws, as well as for an impartial interpretation, and a faithful execution of them; that every man may, at all times, find his security in them."
http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/Constitution#cp00s00.htm

I really like the parts where we affirm it is not "dog eat dog" in America.

Speaking of contemporaries. Could you remind yours, especially the free marketeers, of this pillar of American political faith?

I find biased blather about "deregulation" to be patently absurd and borderline unamerican.

C R Krieger said...

But, regulations come in all flavors.  Some are great, like the ones that keep our water clean.  Some are bad, like the one from about a century ago that said if you couldn't get married in your home state you can't get married in Massachusetts.

Then there are regulations that are just confusing.  My example is traffic control northbound on Gorham Street, here in Lowell, where it crosses Highland/Elm.  The street is just wide enough for two cars, when traffic is not flowing, but when it is, the drivers are wise enough to treat it as a one lane street northbound.

This brings us to the traffic lights.  On the northwest corner is a green ball, saying, go whatever way pleases you.  In the center of the street the traffic lights are the standard three, with the green being a straight ahead arrow.  The locals ignore it, but that arrow says "no left or right turn".  This is a dumb regulation, but the City is happy with it—I know, I asked.

Then, just up the street is a new red light at Union Street.  It has a white strobe embedded, like the traffic lights where the Lowell Connector terminates at Gorham Street.  Those red lights with strobes went away a long time ago and were not replaced and finally, after some inquiry and posting on this blog a "civilian" pointed out to me that the strobes were no longer part of the standards for traffic control and cited the source in some regulation.  Finally, someone in an official position told me that we would not be seeing the strobes anymore.  But, they are back.  This suggests to me that there are too many rules and thus confusion reigns.  To a degree Social Security is the same way.  And taxes.  And, I bet, the SEC.

A little pruning is in order.  Too much pruning makes an unsightly mess.

And, while I was waiting for the "Preview" to come up, I checked EMail and here was a comment on the issue of Julian Assange and his book deal and the question of his breaking laws and the place of those laws (and regulations), which "Bob" had describes as "Laws are passed by governments—in our case, by governments elected by the people—to regulate and protect society."

QUOTE
LOLOL - "to regulate and protect society"?  Seriously?  Bob, you need to examine legal history.  Consider, for example, sumptuary laws, the Jim Crow laws, and other laws that have been (or are) on the books in various places.  Laws are chrystalizations of cultural values and beliefs which, on the whole, tend to reflect what various and sundry governing classes and interest groups can get through.
UNQUOTE

But then the chap responding to "Bob" is Canadian.

All that said, Winston Churchill was right about our (collective "English") form of Government being better than all the rest.

Regards  —  Cliff