The Founders of the American experiment were students of the Enlightenment, Rome, European and English history, religious wars, and human behavior.
Their goal: build a system that could promote “democracy.” The Founding generations, 1760s-1800, revolted against unrepresentative government, a privileged corporation, a royal government, and a state church. The Constitution was intended to solve these problems. A weak central government – the Articles of Confederation – had been tried. It came close to losing the Revolutionary War, was largely unable to run a proper government.
The Founders had four main fears: abuse of power [corruption], slavery, religion, mobs. Unfortunately, America has witnessed these fears, 1980-2021. Alexander Hamilton said the Constitutional Convention’s number one concern was corruption. James Madison’ incomplete notes reveal the word “corruption” written 54 times during the l00 days.
The Founders sought to build a system encouraging men of “civic virtue” to seek office. They recognized human failings, but hoped to build a system that allowed for greed and ambition – thus “checks and balances.” They also sought to encourage “civic virtue” in the public. The hope was a virtuous country.
The Founders had faith that if people were informed and discussed issues, a democratic republic could succeed. The lesson of Rome was ever constant. They saw England a failed country: good structure, corrupted by people. A major British problem was “placemen,” who got government jobs without being “men of virtue.” These “placemen” were loyal to the King would appointed them, but not loyal to England. The rest of Europe was worse.
“Civic virtue” hopes were made possible by First Amendment freedoms: speech [to make dissent possible], press [to provide information], assembly [to encourage discussions]’ petition [to allow written protests]. The Post Office was an important institution. Eventually, free public schools and libraries
The Constitution was, is a flawed document. Compromise necessary to obtain support of all 13 colonies contained fatal cancers. The slave-holding South was the major problem [even thought northern banks and businesses prospered from slavery]. To protect slavery, the infamous “3/5 compromise was accepted. The Electoral College was supposed to be a group of ‘”wise men” who would not allow an inferior person [somebody less than George Washington] to become president. To ease the fears of “smaller” states, a Senate of 2 people per state was created – again, a supposed body of ‘wise men’ who would restrain the “passions” of the the branch closest to the people – the House.
The Electoral College and Senate now give disproportionate power to a minority of the population. Under the original Constitution, women were second class citizens for 130 years.
The American experiment continues. A major problem always – one of exclusion rather than inclusion. America is still unique; still a beacon of hope and inspiration – that intoxicating and liberating concept of personal worth and “freedom.”
At one time, America was called “the last, best hope of man.” Now, America is not the home of “the happiest people.” That honor belongs to “Scandinavia>”. The answer to “why?” Is crucial.
America faces two dangers: one, that Pogo will be proven correct [we have met the enemy, and he is us}; two.\, that she will be sabotaged by numerous “humans” who have places reserved for them in the 8th and 9th Circles of Dante’s Inferno.
The concept of the Founders remains unique, remains the highest achievement of man to responsibly govern himself. The question is the same challenge Benjamin Franklin issued to an inquisitive woman on a mid-September day in 1787 Philadelphia: “…a republic, if you can keep it.”
The other main fears – slavery, religion, mobs – will be discussed in more detail later. Slavery by race was largely an American practice. Indentured servants had been found wanting. It led to segregation after the North “won” the Civil War. The modern problem is race-based discrimination.
Religion was to be a private issue. Everyone went to their church [or none at all], worshipped their faith – and, critically – allowed others to do the same. Allowing others freedom to worship in.their own way has proven difficult to accept for some.
Mobs have created problems, death, for much American history. The most recent, dramatic, example – January 6, 2021 – rattled our foreign friends and most Americans. It threatened everything the Founders planned.
The Founders corruption concerns have been proven. Spectacular excesses occurred during the “Gilded Age’s “Robber Baron” era of 1865-1901; the 1920s, the 1980s. Few of the worst offenders were prosecuted – a major American flaw. Additional [real] reforms were attempted – but often forces of corruption succeeded in having them neutralized by corrupt Congresspeople or Supreme Court “Justices.”
The theory of a “virtuous republic” based on wide availability of valid [true] information has been continually tested. Disinformation has always existed – but has accelerated since 1945 – is now an epidemic. Entire disinformation industries and media exist to, deliberately, confuse the public.
Despite numerous flaws and corruption, the Founder’s vision of America as a land of opportunity has been realized. Generation after generation did better than their parents – until the 1970s. Americans still have more “stuff” than most of the world – they just have to work harder for that. Beginning around 1970, “the empire” [rich and corporations] struck back]. Their greed told them these “lesser’ Americans didn’t “deserve” what they – the masters of the universe – had “earned all by themselves.” So they rewrote the rules [Congress and Supreme Court].
The biggest immorality: it has become difficult for a person with “only” a high school education to support a family, and to thrive. This was not the case during “the middle class golden age” of 1947-1973. Result: for many, even those better off, have fewer children [or none at all]. This too, has consequences.
Factors and truths for the. DELIBERATE. 1970-2021 decline in quality of life for the bottom 90% will be discussed later.
As always – this site’s challenge: do responsible research – in world-wide respected mainstream sources. This does NOT. mean beginning and ending with the internet!!!!! It means doing real – gasp! – reading of unspun and NON-cherry picked data. It means asking questions. What would a “reasonable person” think? It means NOT giving credence to works written by hacks [secretly supported by greedy rogue billionaires] – who are often trying to pound square pegs into round holes; and knocking down their own “straw men.” Even the Supreme Court has been guilty of this. How plausible are their conclusions and conspiracy theories? Would a reasonable person from Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand accept this? If you accept their theories – who are the winners and losers?
Are these people trying to rewrite history. This has BEEN done already – especially on emotional topics. Both the First and Second Amendments are being twisted to say what original documents show was the intent.
Fellow Americans, democracy, America, are not guaranteed to continue. They will continue only if YOU want them to. Enemies of both – domestic and foreign – hope you won’t. You can search for truth or not. You can have “confirmation bias” – or not. You can vote for people who are interested in creating a real democracy – or you can vote for demagogues that tell you what you want to hear. The choice is yours.
With Justice For All 