“From whence shall we expect the approach of danger? Shall some trans-Atlantic military giant step the earth and crush us at a blow? Never. All the armies of Europe and Asia...could not by force take a drink from the Ohio River or make a track on the Blue Ridge in the trial of a thousand years. No, if destruction be our lot we must ourse…
“From whence shall we expect the approach of danger? Shall some trans-Atlantic military giant step the earth and crush us at a blow? Never. All the armies of Europe and Asia...could not by force take a drink from the Ohio River or make a track on the Blue Ridge in the trial of a thousand years. No, if destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men we will live forever or die by suicide.” - Abraham Lincoln
Unfortunately we seem to be slowly dying by suicide that is apparent more and more each day. Mediocre, intellectually and morally challenged Republicans elected a felon and continue to fully support him.
RE our dying by suicide brings to mind the people dying of Covid because they weren't vaccinated who refused to acknowledge that their unvaccinated status caused them to be hospitalized and nearing death.
Ignorance, malevolence, narcissism, greed and cowardice were citizen traits and politician traits that grew and grew, almost hidden, and landed us here.
They were always there, the Founders actually counted on them to help make the government less dangerous to the People. It was expected that those vices would make politicians jealous of their power and status and so they would be in conflict both with each other--and by extension, the separate branches would also be jealous of their power and perogatives and work to limit each other.
We can see, today, that it did not quite actually work out that way. That Congress has, by and large for various reasons, largely abdicated its powers and responsibilities, step by step over the years... and that the Courts have become political tools in thrall to particular political movements.
Balance and branch competition was always a problem. It was a problem in that people often wanted government to do something and government was either unable or did half-assed, largely non-functional things in order to LOOK like things were being done.
And people have gotten tired of stuff not getting done, hence the move towards authoritarianism.
Really? What’s not done? The price of eggs has plummeted as promised? Equality for all too complex? Un achievable? Better in the “old days” when certain people knew their place? Thinking - and doing - for oneself too onerous?
Yes, we need an ignorant man and his bigoted buddy to tall how to behave, dress, pray, obey.
The Founders knew factions/parties were, and are, the greatest threat to any Republic. They, as you point out, devised their best mousetrap to defend against it.
Its fascinating to note that by the end of Washington's second term, the danger that parties could pose was already recognized -- by Washington himself. I've always wondered if he got an inkling of it based on the fierce battles between Hamilton and Jefferson in his own cabinet...
"" However political parties may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion. " - George Washington, Farewell Address, September 17th, 1796.
"Cunning, ambitions, and unprincipled men"....gee, has that particular chicken come home to roost, or what...
One of the "problems" with our system is that the Presidency has become a partisan office. This happened very quickly because there was no safeguard against it.
It is not only a partisan office, but the President usually is or becomes the leader or head of his party (especially true in Trump's case), essentially gaining greater or lesser control of it and its finances. This is a more recent phenomena and has occurred largely in the era of mass communications and the weakening of party discipline and structure.
The danger is, as always, in the concentration of power. The partisanship of the Presidency and its leadership position vis-a-vis his party has essentially negated many of the checks of the Legislature on the Executive (like, oh, imp[eachment), has negated (increasingly as time passes) the contention between the branches of government, devolving into
The role of the President in appointing judges and justices works the same magic in the direction of the courts, though they tried hard in the past to not be so blatant about it.
Ideally, the President would be barred from being a partisan politician, from holding an official or unofficial position in a party, of using party funds and party manpower in elections.
This would be difficult to do starting from a blank slate (it would need to be in the Constitution) and effectively impossible from where we stand today.
SCotUS should also be selected and structured differently.
Education was different then. Formal, academic education was basically reserved for the well-to-do. It was both a mark of status and a prerequisite for entry into polite society and the upper echelons of society.
It was also what we would call a Classical Liberal education, in the old sense of liberal (as in the liberal arts). It focused primarily on rhetoric, some math, and philosophy/theology. The "practical" arts were learned through apprenticeship, reading, trial and error, and experience.
Character education and the assimilation of norms and proper behavior was part of the process.
It was a general education that was supposed to prepare a person for their station in life (usually managing property, the law or the clergy).
Expertise was recognized and valued.
There was also less to learn, the core of the liberal education went back to the medieval university system.
Our current breadth and depth of knowledge is so vast that you cannot learn most of it. Most educated people are narrow experts in particular areas, because you almost have to be.
That means that knowledge is often disconnected or not seen in its entirety or in how things interrelate.
There are few, if any, "Reniassance Men" these days.
We neglect character (to teach character is frowned upon). We no longer recognize or respect expertise. We think making lots of money is a sign of genius.
“From whence shall we expect the approach of danger? Shall some trans-Atlantic military giant step the earth and crush us at a blow? Never. All the armies of Europe and Asia...could not by force take a drink from the Ohio River or make a track on the Blue Ridge in the trial of a thousand years. No, if destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men we will live forever or die by suicide.” - Abraham Lincoln
Unfortunately we seem to be slowly dying by suicide that is apparent more and more each day. Mediocre, intellectually and morally challenged Republicans elected a felon and continue to fully support him.
RE our dying by suicide brings to mind the people dying of Covid because they weren't vaccinated who refused to acknowledge that their unvaccinated status caused them to be hospitalized and nearing death.
They have no control over purse strings which is a constitutional requirement.
They are allowing us to be railroaded.
And Donald Trump holds the gun to our heads.
I so agree. That also is exactly 💯 how it feels.
This quote also used to great effect on the Titus Andronicus album The Monitor.
Lincoln is revered for a reason.
Ignorance, malevolence, narcissism, greed and cowardice were citizen traits and politician traits that grew and grew, almost hidden, and landed us here.
They were always there, the Founders actually counted on them to help make the government less dangerous to the People. It was expected that those vices would make politicians jealous of their power and status and so they would be in conflict both with each other--and by extension, the separate branches would also be jealous of their power and perogatives and work to limit each other.
We can see, today, that it did not quite actually work out that way. That Congress has, by and large for various reasons, largely abdicated its powers and responsibilities, step by step over the years... and that the Courts have become political tools in thrall to particular political movements.
Balance and branch competition was always a problem. It was a problem in that people often wanted government to do something and government was either unable or did half-assed, largely non-functional things in order to LOOK like things were being done.
And people have gotten tired of stuff not getting done, hence the move towards authoritarianism.
Really? What’s not done? The price of eggs has plummeted as promised? Equality for all too complex? Un achievable? Better in the “old days” when certain people knew their place? Thinking - and doing - for oneself too onerous?
Yes, we need an ignorant man and his bigoted buddy to tall how to behave, dress, pray, obey.
The Founders knew factions/parties were, and are, the greatest threat to any Republic. They, as you point out, devised their best mousetrap to defend against it.
Its fascinating to note that by the end of Washington's second term, the danger that parties could pose was already recognized -- by Washington himself. I've always wondered if he got an inkling of it based on the fierce battles between Hamilton and Jefferson in his own cabinet...
"" However political parties may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion. " - George Washington, Farewell Address, September 17th, 1796.
"Cunning, ambitions, and unprincipled men"....gee, has that particular chicken come home to roost, or what...
One of the "problems" with our system is that the Presidency has become a partisan office. This happened very quickly because there was no safeguard against it.
It is not only a partisan office, but the President usually is or becomes the leader or head of his party (especially true in Trump's case), essentially gaining greater or lesser control of it and its finances. This is a more recent phenomena and has occurred largely in the era of mass communications and the weakening of party discipline and structure.
The danger is, as always, in the concentration of power. The partisanship of the Presidency and its leadership position vis-a-vis his party has essentially negated many of the checks of the Legislature on the Executive (like, oh, imp[eachment), has negated (increasingly as time passes) the contention between the branches of government, devolving into
The role of the President in appointing judges and justices works the same magic in the direction of the courts, though they tried hard in the past to not be so blatant about it.
Ideally, the President would be barred from being a partisan politician, from holding an official or unofficial position in a party, of using party funds and party manpower in elections.
This would be difficult to do starting from a blank slate (it would need to be in the Constitution) and effectively impossible from where we stand today.
SCotUS should also be selected and structured differently.
Amazing that in the technology-rich 21st Century, America willfully has become more ignorant than the 18th Century framers.
Education was different then. Formal, academic education was basically reserved for the well-to-do. It was both a mark of status and a prerequisite for entry into polite society and the upper echelons of society.
It was also what we would call a Classical Liberal education, in the old sense of liberal (as in the liberal arts). It focused primarily on rhetoric, some math, and philosophy/theology. The "practical" arts were learned through apprenticeship, reading, trial and error, and experience.
Character education and the assimilation of norms and proper behavior was part of the process.
It was a general education that was supposed to prepare a person for their station in life (usually managing property, the law or the clergy).
Expertise was recognized and valued.
There was also less to learn, the core of the liberal education went back to the medieval university system.
Our current breadth and depth of knowledge is so vast that you cannot learn most of it. Most educated people are narrow experts in particular areas, because you almost have to be.
That means that knowledge is often disconnected or not seen in its entirety or in how things interrelate.
There are few, if any, "Reniassance Men" these days.
We neglect character (to teach character is frowned upon). We no longer recognize or respect expertise. We think making lots of money is a sign of genius.
No wonder things are as they are.
That Abe Lincoln was a pretty bright guy!
Impressively, that quote is not from 1863 or 1860 or even 1850. Its from January 27, 1838. 1838! Talk about seeing around corners.
https://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/lyceum.htm
Amazing what you can do in a black frock coat … as opposed to black jackboots.