The Declaration of Independence expresses a view of international relations that has informed America’s stance toward the world for centuries. That vision is starting to blur.
George, Thanks for the excellent, timely piece. Our current leadership regime is comprised of weak, vain and ignorant men who misinterpret history at every turn. Even the so called iron laws of history that Miller pontificates are not understood. Those countries that seek to be tyrannical and oppress and persecute others for their own self-interest will inevitably fail. The real inherent nature of man is to be free. America will suffer enormous consequences for the actions of these greedy arrogant men but they will not prevail. Their evil intentions our exceeded by their ignorance, incompetence and paranoia. Their reign will be likened to a toothache once removed when it is pulled. The dream is not dead, only sleeping. Upon awakening, it will be refreshed with a new energy of purpose that will clarify the real iron law of history, man evolves and gets better.
I disagree with this conception of popular sovereignty. I believe the principle that organized nations and governing institutions of any kind must rely on the consent of the governed is corrupted in the most heinous ways by the personification of those nations in international relations. In The United States, our Constitution has too often and for too long been interpreted as bestowing that personified power of foreign relations with other personified nations on one person: The President. I believe it is this conception of nationalism that has most corrupted humanity in the modern era and likely for a great portion of history. That a nation should be thought of as a sovereign individual witt inalienable rights causes the mist destructive kind if hibris to surface in the leaders of thise nations and act against the interests of its own people as well as the inhabitants of the other nations it treats as the personified expresssions of an entire population through their representative despots. I believe this kind of personified nationalism masquerading as popular sovereignty is not new and has always been a detriment to humanity. Treating bations as persons has also been a detriment to the earth as it has been a singular organizational source and force from which nations exploit the people and natural resources of other nations. This is the worst kind of nationalism: colonialism. In The United States, the rationalization of organizations into personified bodies has also been directly responsible for the downfall of equality and fairness in our political realm and in oyr daily working lives. The Citizens United decision by our Supreme Court has bestowed this kind of personification onto businesss corprations and bestowed upon them the rights of individuals as protected through our free speech amendment. This corruptioon of the concepts of popular sovereignty and individual rights has led directly to the presidency of Donald Trump and may lead to the downfall of the nation if we don't repair it sooner rather than later.
George, Thanks for the excellent, timely piece. Our current leadership regime is comprised of weak, vain and ignorant men who misinterpret history at every turn. Even the so called iron laws of history that Miller pontificates are not understood. Those countries that seek to be tyrannical and oppress and persecute others for their own self-interest will inevitably fail. The real inherent nature of man is to be free. America will suffer enormous consequences for the actions of these greedy arrogant men but they will not prevail. Their evil intentions our exceeded by their ignorance, incompetence and paranoia. Their reign will be likened to a toothache once removed when it is pulled. The dream is not dead, only sleeping. Upon awakening, it will be refreshed with a new energy of purpose that will clarify the real iron law of history, man evolves and gets better.
I disagree with this conception of popular sovereignty. I believe the principle that organized nations and governing institutions of any kind must rely on the consent of the governed is corrupted in the most heinous ways by the personification of those nations in international relations. In The United States, our Constitution has too often and for too long been interpreted as bestowing that personified power of foreign relations with other personified nations on one person: The President. I believe it is this conception of nationalism that has most corrupted humanity in the modern era and likely for a great portion of history. That a nation should be thought of as a sovereign individual witt inalienable rights causes the mist destructive kind if hibris to surface in the leaders of thise nations and act against the interests of its own people as well as the inhabitants of the other nations it treats as the personified expresssions of an entire population through their representative despots. I believe this kind of personified nationalism masquerading as popular sovereignty is not new and has always been a detriment to humanity. Treating bations as persons has also been a detriment to the earth as it has been a singular organizational source and force from which nations exploit the people and natural resources of other nations. This is the worst kind of nationalism: colonialism. In The United States, the rationalization of organizations into personified bodies has also been directly responsible for the downfall of equality and fairness in our political realm and in oyr daily working lives. The Citizens United decision by our Supreme Court has bestowed this kind of personification onto businesss corprations and bestowed upon them the rights of individuals as protected through our free speech amendment. This corruptioon of the concepts of popular sovereignty and individual rights has led directly to the presidency of Donald Trump and may lead to the downfall of the nation if we don't repair it sooner rather than later.
Great Independence Day reading. Merges love-of-country with love of wisdom.