Purpose of My Blog
What would the founding fathers think of the current structure and powers of the federal government? For example, what would George Washignton think of the PATRIOT ACT? What would Ben Franklin think of the Department of Homeland Security? What rights would Alexander Hamiliton and John Adams grant to the "detainees" in Guantanamo Bay? These are the types of questions I hope to start a dialog about thorugh my blog.
I believe in being free. I believe that the founding fathers of our country were inspired men who knew how to set up a system to help keep us free. When I say free, I am talking about inalienable rights, not free to do whatever you want without suffering the consequences. I believe we can learn from the founding fathers and that what they had to say about government is relevant today. Especially what they had to say about the role of the federal government because they helped form it.
Everyone I have talked to has the objection that our society has changed so much in the last 200+ years that what the founders thought is just not relevant anymore. People often use the example of the internet. Since the founders couldn't see the impact of the internet or so many other changes in our society, what they have to say is not relevant. While I admit that George Washington didn't see the internet in the future, I believe that the founders did have a good handle on human nature and how it relates to governmental power. And that, I believe, has not changed much in over 3000+ years. From the Greeks to the Romans to the birth of our nation, to modern day, people are ambitious and seek power and will use the government to get it.
So, in this blog I intend to publish my thoughts on what the founders of our nation would handle the problems we face today with an emphasis on how they might react to the events of 9/11 and the resulting changes in our government and laws. Also, I will try to explore how a republic or a democracy turns into a tyrannical form of government using the examples of Rome, Greece, the Weimar Republic of Germany, and any other democratic republic that I happen to come across in my research. Finally, from time to time, I may give my thoughts on current issues.
My Qualifications
I am no historian. I don't have a degree in political science. I don't have any special inside sources. But I do have a law degree and I love being an American. I enjoy living where I want to, associating with who I choose, and generally living my life how I please with a minimum of government interference. I love our form of government and I feel a surge of power and pride every time I vote. I have read some books on George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and the Roman Republic. Basically, judge me by my thoughts that I publish.
I believe in being free. I believe that the founding fathers of our country were inspired men who knew how to set up a system to help keep us free. When I say free, I am talking about inalienable rights, not free to do whatever you want without suffering the consequences. I believe we can learn from the founding fathers and that what they had to say about government is relevant today. Especially what they had to say about the role of the federal government because they helped form it.
Everyone I have talked to has the objection that our society has changed so much in the last 200+ years that what the founders thought is just not relevant anymore. People often use the example of the internet. Since the founders couldn't see the impact of the internet or so many other changes in our society, what they have to say is not relevant. While I admit that George Washington didn't see the internet in the future, I believe that the founders did have a good handle on human nature and how it relates to governmental power. And that, I believe, has not changed much in over 3000+ years. From the Greeks to the Romans to the birth of our nation, to modern day, people are ambitious and seek power and will use the government to get it.
So, in this blog I intend to publish my thoughts on what the founders of our nation would handle the problems we face today with an emphasis on how they might react to the events of 9/11 and the resulting changes in our government and laws. Also, I will try to explore how a republic or a democracy turns into a tyrannical form of government using the examples of Rome, Greece, the Weimar Republic of Germany, and any other democratic republic that I happen to come across in my research. Finally, from time to time, I may give my thoughts on current issues.
My Qualifications
I am no historian. I don't have a degree in political science. I don't have any special inside sources. But I do have a law degree and I love being an American. I enjoy living where I want to, associating with who I choose, and generally living my life how I please with a minimum of government interference. I love our form of government and I feel a surge of power and pride every time I vote. I have read some books on George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and the Roman Republic. Basically, judge me by my thoughts that I publish.
posted by Idealist1776 @ 9:35 AM
9 Comments:
At 8:39 PM,
Idealist1776 said…
Wow, Antityranny, so well put. I have to
agree that what our founding fathers orginally were trying to create has
been so "stretched" from the original shape that I wonder if it ever will
bring about good for the majority of this country anymore. Is this
nation too diverse for congress and other law bodies to effectively
satisfy or even pacify the needs of most Americans?-sent to me by a friend.
At 7:21 PM,
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
At 10:07 PM,
Anonymous said…
National Security vs. Civil Liberties
In January of 1933, Hitler was made chancellor of Germany. In February the Reichstag building was burned, after which, he played upon the electorate’s fear of the communists. That led to a Nazi majority being elected to the Reichstag, in March they voted in favor of the Enabling Act which gave Hitler full dictatorial powers. Was the security Hitler promised the German people worth the liberty they gave up to get it? Americans should be asking a similar question in today. Is the national security promised by the PATRIOT ACT worth the civil liberties we have to give up to obtain it?
We are told by John Jay in, The Federalist, “Among the many objects which a wise and free people find it necessary to direct their attention, that of providing for their safety seems to be first.” Therefore, national security should be our first concern, but what is the most effective way of guaranteeing that security without at the same time destroying our civil liberties and political rights? Alexander Hamilton commented “Safety from external danger, is the most powerful director of national conduct. Even the ardent love of liberty will, after a time, give way to its dictates. The violent destruction of life and property incident to war; the continual effort and alarm attendant on a state of continual danger, will compel nations the most attached to liberty, to resort for repose and security of institutions which have a tendency to destroy their civil and political rights. To be more safe, they, at length, become willing to run the risk of being less free.”2
Could the PATRIOT ACT be one of the “institutions” about which Hamilton warned? Does it tend to destroy more than it protects our civil liberties and political rights? There is a fine balance between security and liberty, as Benjamin Franklin warned “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”3
Safety is most effectively secured when those who provide it are close to those who need it. The powers needed to provide that safety are less likely to be abused when the people providing the check on those powers are not far removed from the ones exercising those powers. When the federal government has jurisdiction over the law enforcement in my town, that means local issues can’t be handled on a local level and abuses will be harder to address since my voice is so much smaller at the federal level than it is in my local government.
The federal government should serve the local government by providing the intelligence they obtain (without violation of civil liberties) to state and local law enforcement on the dangers they perceive relative to our safety. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) is another way the Federal Government can properly provide national security, which would include securing our borders against illegal aliens. Prior to 1976 Congress had a Senate Internal Security Sub-committee and a House Internal Security Committee, through which intelligence agencies (e.g., FBI, DOD, INS) informed congress about internal and external dangers to our national security so they could make proper decisions regarding the use of our military and other federal law enforcement agencies. Had Congress not disbanded these committees we might not be in the situation we find ourselves today i.e. giving up liberty to obtain security.
If one judges by these principles, national security will not be better provided for under the PATRIOT ACT and the trade of freedoms is not worth whatever security we hope to achieve by giving them up. At the time of the crisis we didn’t realize what we were giving up. The PATRIOT ACT allows for people to be locked up indefinitely without a lawyer and without being charged, that is in direct violation of Article1 of The U.S. Constitution. By allowing searches and seizures to be made without first obtaining a warrant the PATRIOT ACT violates the fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The list could go on, but we should ask ourselves now before it is too late, whether our national security is worth the violation of civil liberties protected by the U.S. Constitution? As Benjamin Franklin warned those who trade freedom for security do not deserve nor will they ever receive either. We should not continue trading our freedom for security by extending the duration of the PATRIOT ACT or we will end up with neither.
Elizabeth Anne Paxson
At 5:15 PM,
Anonymous said…
National Security
Vs.
Civil Liberties
National security—Civil liberties. We find ourselves questioning. Is something appearing to take away freedom worth it for the sake of “ national security”?
Why is there a separation between National Security and Civil Liberties? I raise the question, isn’t our National Security about preserving Civil Liberties? When we take these liberties away from ourselves how are we protecting the nations security?
Locke, Montesquieu, Hamilton, Jefferson, Jay, Washington, Madison, and many others wrote their thoughts on law and government. Though not completely agreeing on the exact same structure for a government the consensus is that government over a confederation of states or smaller entities should be for the protection of those smaller entities. Being that freedoms are better protected the closer they are to the individual and his personal influence.
Under the Articles of Confederation the Federal Government had no strength to enforce. The Constitution of The Untied States of America separated the Federal Government into four powers (Legislative, Executive, Judicial, States) checked and balanced, with the ability to act and enforce in there given jurisdictions, each kept in place by the other branches. This was to protect powers from crossing into areas of governance where other powers could better serve.
The federalist papers tried to combat a concern about the effectiveness of so large a confederation of states uniting. The concern was that the proposed new Federal Government would become too large and take freedom away from the people by taking away the freedom of the individual states where the people had more representation in concerning their liberties.
Now, more and more areas of governance that would be best worked out on a State or County level are turned over to the Federal Government. But why is this happening? It is the people. We allow ourselves to become apathetic in our roles. The Federal Government cannot do its job well when taking care of all the problems in the Nation and the Balance of Power cannot be maintained when one or more of the powers neglects their job and ask to be taken care of.
After the terrorists acts on September 11 our nation in a state of fear accepted the PATRIOT Act for the sake of National Security, not for the National Security in preserving our Civil Liberties. The PATRIOT Act suddenly made the conflict between National Security and Civil liberties more apparent to the U.S. citizen but it was not the beginning or the cause of this widening separation.
As citizens of the United States of America and our respective States we need to contribute towards preserving Civil Liberties and the Security of the nation through becoming effective civilians. This may sound odd but what I mean is the definition used for the word civilian in the early years of our country. Back then a civilian was someone who studied or knew much about law and government. (American Dictionary of the English Language; Noah Webster, 1828) This nation needs people who will defend civil liberties and support national security in protecting theses liberties. We need to know what levels of government are most conducive for preserving our freedoms at and then share with those around us the vital importance of preserving freedom in order to have national security. We need to throw away the current meaning of civilian and become “civilians”.
National Security – Civil Liberties. Ask yourself, will there be greater protection in the long run or is it not worth the sacrifice.
Christine Brown
March 2005
At 1:51 PM,
Anonymous said…
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!
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