..AND FIND MANY OTHER POSTERS HERE
Posted on 11/07/2010 10:22:15 AM PST by loveliberty2
Part of the dilemma Obama and his merry band of so-called "progressives" face (ideologues who are, in fact, regressive in their Mao/Marx/Keynesian philosophy) is their underestimation of the powerful circulation of ideas available to ordinary citizens today through modern technology.
Just think, the "progressive" movement has been working, like termites, since the early 1900's to subvert and eliminate the Founders' ideas of individual liberty from textbooks, libraries, public discourse, and by every means of print media, as well as by judicial fiat. "A Nation at Risk" warned during the Reagan years that their efforts in education were endangering America; or, as Lynn Cheney put it, they were effectively "erasing" America's noble history of liberty from the American mind.
Remember, Thomas Jefferson said that the Declaration of Independence he wrote reflected "the American mind" of 1776.
Through the Progressive religion's "believers' networks" in academia, in the media, in politics, in bureaucracies, in law schools, and high school classrooms, and various other Leftist "think tanks," they thought they had won enough minds the "battle of ideas" to "change" America from a constitutional Republic of "We, the People" to the utopian socialist society of their dreams.
What they didn't count on was the impact of technology on their ability to extinguish the flame of liberty!
Twenty-five years ago, a citizen wanting to read the writings and speeches of America's Founders had to travel to a library, perhaps in some distant city, search among dusty stacks where such books had been hidden, or search through old and rare book stores.
Today, through the miracle of technology, in the 21st Century, one can access and study the Founders' ideas at home. A 2010 voter can read the great literature from which the Founders' derived their philosophy of self-government as well.
When such self-educated voters set the ideas of Mao, Marx and Keynes beside those of Jefferson, Madison, and Adam Smith, and factor in the history of America's remarkable first 200 years, it is easy to see why they choose the ideas of their Declaration of Independence and Constitution over the history of every nation which has tried the competing philosophies Obama and his clueless band of followers are trying to impose.
The clear choice is between liberty and tyranny!
Valerie Jarrett remarked before the 2008 election that Obama would be "ready to rule" from day one--a telling difference between President Washington's understanding of the role of a President in a Constitutional Republic and that of the current office holder and his associates.
The enemies of liberty have been blindsided by a knowledgeable electorate, and they don't understand the depth of passion for liberty that is stirring among an informed public. New devotees of liberty are being attracted to the Founders' ideas daily, as they are being exposed for the first time to the light of liberty. They are being drawn, like moths to a flame, and all it takes is the click of a mouse to the wonderful, enduring ideas of liberty, as articulated by the geniuses of 1776 and 1787.
George Weigel observed:
". . . the challenge we face today is to recognize, with John Paul II and Cardinal Lustiger, that Europe (and indeed the entire West) is suffering from a false story about itself, and about the relationship of biblical religion to its formation and its history.”
Amen!!
America, in particular, has allowed the progressive movement to effectively erase from its collective memory the remarkable foundation of ideas which produced the season of liberty it enjoyed for over 200 years. It, too, has embraced a "false story about itself," because of that censorship.
Technology has now outpaced these censors, however, and what has been erased can be instantly restored, with the click of a mouse.
Is Divine Providence at work to outwit the enemies of liberty? The collection of thinkers and liberty lovers who appeared at the same time on the same relatively small area of land in America in the late 1700's were able to write and speak the ideas of liberty, derived from centuries of wisdom literature, and to capsulize those ideas in documents which, if relied upon today, could continue to expand liberty and prosperity.
Their ideas are just as revolutionary today as they were then, and they are accessible in a way never possible before.
John Quincy Adams enumerated the nation's noble history in his "Jubilee" and concluded that address with these words:
"Fellow-citizens, the ark of your covenant is the Declaration of independence. Your Mount Ebal, is the confederacy of separate state sovereignties, and your Mount Gerizim is the Constitution of the United States. In that scene of tremendous and awful solemnity, narrated in the Holy Scriptures, there is not a curse pronounced against the people, upon Mount Ebal, not a blessing promised them upon Mount Gerizim, which your posterity may not suffer or enjoy, from your and their adherence to, or departure from, the principles of the Declaration of Independence, practically interwoven in the Constitution of the United States. Lay up these principles, then, in your hearts, and in your souls - bind them for signs upon your hands, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes - teach them to your children, speaking of them when sitting in your houses, when walking by the way, when lying down and when rising up - write them upon the doorplates of your houses, and upon your gates - cling to them as to the issues of life - adhere to them as to the cords of your eternal salvation. So may your children's children at the next return of this day of jubilee, after a full century of experience under your national Constitution, celebrate it again in the full enjoyment of all the blessings recognized by you in the commemoration of this day, and of all the blessings promised to the children of Israel upon Mount Gerizim, as the reward of obedience to the law of God." here
What President, Senator, or Congressman today has the courage to declare what this man who served under that Constitution in many capacities, including as President and, until his death, as Congressman declared in New York City on that day in 1839?
Finally, from that same address:
"Every change of a President of the United States, has exhibited some variety of policy from that of his predecessor. In more than one case, the change has extended to political and even to moral principle; but the policy of the country has been fashioned far more by the influences of public opinion, and the prevailing humors in the two Houses of Congress, than by the judgment, the will, or the principles of the President of the United States. The President himself is no more than a representative of public opinion at the time of his election; and as public opinion is subject to great and frequent fluctuations, he must accommodate his policy to them; or the people will speedily give him a successor; or either House of Congress will effectually control his power. It is thus, and in no other sense that the Constitution of the United States is democratic - for the government of our country, instead of a Democracy the most simple, is the most complicated government on the face of the globe. From the immense extent of our territory, the difference of manners, habits, opinions, and above all, the clashing interests of the North, South, East, and West, public opinion formed by the combination of numerous aggregates, becomes itself a problem of compound arithmetic, which nothing but the result of the popular elections can solve."
"Power always thinks it has a great soul, and vast views, beyond the comprehension of the weak; and that it is doing God service, when it is violating all His laws. Our passions, ambition, avarice, love, resentment, etc., possess so much metaphysical subtlety, and so much overpowering eloquence, that they insinuate themselves into the understanding and the conscience, and convert both to their party."
Does Adams' statement have any relationship to what happened in 2008 in America?
On the other hand, are the following questions pertinent to our examination of the competing philosophies mentioned in this thread:
Is liberty of imperfect individuals in a society more compatible with the philosophy underlying our Declaration of Independence? - OR
Is coercive control by imperfect individuals in government over all other imperfect individuals in a society more compatible with its underlying philosophy?
Its foundational principles encourage individual benevolence, meekness, etc. Where in those teachings is use of coercive power over the lives of others encouraged?
Do imperfect individuals who gain coercive power by election to posts in government somehow become more virtuous and wise than likewise imperfect individuals in the society?
Search for truth about our Constitution's underlying principles.
"Progressives" have no weapon that can defeat truth, once it is understood by ordinary citizens.
Don't advocate violating principles. That is counterproductive.
Just as Divine Providence was claimed by the Founders to have overseen their "experiment in liberty," so may today's efforts be consistent with "the Blessing of Liberty" they sought to protect.
Excellent post.
Many ancient and medieval texts, treatises of the philosphers who influenced our Framers, memoirs of our Founders/Framers, colonial charters, debates, long out of print 19th century political science texts . . . all online.
Taken together they show how our Declaration and Constitution represent the apogee of Western political thought and practice.
‘F the memory of Howard Zinn.
Thanks. If you think it might be helpful, please pass on, especially to bring the quotations from John Adams and John Q. Adams to a new generation of citizens.
Constitution ping!
Thanks for ping! good post. keeper.
A great composition; thanks.
Excellent Post.. Thank you!
Bookmark.
Every school library needs to be provided with some of the books which carry the Founders' ideas, and they need to be monitored to be sure that students have access to them and are using them.
Every public library should be provided with the same, and they, too, should be monitored to assure that the books are not relegated to a back shelf or "taken" by our "progressive" censors.
Taxed Enough Already organizations or businesses dedicated to the free enterprise principles might consider paying for full-page illustrated messages constructed around the Founders' principles of the Declaration to be placed in local newspapers on a regular basis.
For examples of such a principles-centered messages, consult the 292-page book, "Our Ageless Constitution," now available here. The editors of that work are happy to grant permission for reprints, provided appropriate citation is provided. Individual samples of some of these messages can be viewed here by clicking on the box headed "Our Ageless Constitution."
Each of the 25 principles identified in Part III of the book originally were full-page magazine messages in each of the 25 months leading up to the 1987 Bicentennial Celebration of the Constitution of the U. S. They were sponsored by a North Carolina textile company whose Chairman was dedicated to the preservation of the Founders' ideas of liberty. He is also Co-Editor of the book which later published them.
There are all sorts of ways for ordinary liberty-loving citizens to inform and educate both youth and adults who have been deprived of exposure to the Founding philosophy by their education system and public officials.
Thanks for the ping!
.
High schoolers and college students can be trained here: The Leadership Institute
The classes are cheap and the information first class - youth leadership, media relations, campaigning, internships. Start them young and let them evangelize the Constitution to their friends.
There is an enormous opportunity to peel away blacks, hispanics, women and gays using the Right to Self-Defense. Blacks and Hispanics by solid majorities are against abortion and homosexual marriage.
We have a chance to recenter the country by just moving a few Dem plantation slaves over to our column and the sweet taste of liberty.
The degree to which the so-called progressives have removed the Founders' ideas from our public square is astounding. Everywhere we see evidence of that.
Now is the time to follow through on what was begun on Election Day 2010. Stick to the words of the Founders themselves. They are unmistakeably clear.
As the inscription on the Liberty Bell goes, "Proclaim liberty throughout the land." Those who see their freedom being swallowed up by big government are ready to hear that message. What happens in 2012 will, in large part, be determined by how quickly Tea Partiers and others spread the Founders' ideas among the masses.
Thanks for the ping!
Between now and the next election cycle are many national holidays:
New Years Day (off with the old - tyranny, on to the new - liberty & a great time for remembrances)
Martin Luther King, Jr. (Content of Character, not color of skin) Freedom of Association, 2nd Amendment & blacks/slaves, etc.
Lincoln’s Birthday - Union & Constitution, Federal Powers, etc.
Washington’s Birthday (Pres. Day) - Discuss this Founding Father and his views of America
Memorial Day - what’s it all about?, Why We Fight & die?
Independence Day - obvious
Labor Day - Right to Work or earn a living, plus discuss labor in other countries & compare to America - great day to discuss the natural need for labor unions (Freedom of Association) v. government fiat giving unions powers by law.
Columbus Day - celebrate this great man and refute the lies about him - America, a God founded land.
Veterans Day - Again our great legacy of fighting not only for our own freedom, but the liberty of free men & women everywhere.
Thanksgiving Day - a unique American holiday - God, Country & Liberty
Christmas - obvious
Our family takes the US Citizenship Test every year. We read the Declaration of Independence at 4th of July. Coolidge has an excellent speech on Thanksgiving here:
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=72449
So do other Presidents - Washington: http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=20
All the above are neutral enough that any liberal/progressive will stay silent or better yet expose themselves as radicals & anti-Americans.
Children need to hear this, but even more so adults who’ve forgotten our liberties and our greatness. The mushy middle that votes like a whipsaw.
Conservatives have no excuse when it comes to getting the message out.
The Leadership Institute looks like a program made for our times.
Perhaps it is worth the effort of a vanity post(?)
A local company incorporated these ideas into each full-ppage Holiday ad in the local paper for a number of years. United Technologies did that many years ago, as did companies like Amway (Jay DeVoss), the Western Company (Eddie Chiles), Stedman Corporation (W. David Stedman), and others during the Reagan years.
If free enterprise advocates can see that it's in their best interest to promote the founding principles among their various publics, then a whole new generation could be educated through the Founders' own words.
Someone with access to such entrepreneurial individuals today needs to get a nationwide movement going to bypass the mainstream media, the bureaucracies, and the so-called "public education" bureaucracy.
Go directly to the public. Bombard them with the ideas of liberty, pointing out the discrepancies between those ideas and those of the progressives who offer us "goodies" in order to enslave us.
Examples of such ads are shown below, but without the accompanying art:
What current generations may not know is that this kind of "redistribution" was tried and failed in America before!
If the American citizenry is awakened to the kinds of facts discusssed above, and if they will go back and review the philosophy of the Framers of the U. S. Constitution, they may perhaps begin to understand how America became the symbol of liberty, opportunity and prosperity for millions throughout the world. The following essay, is reprinted with permission.
from
axes and hoes to high technology;
log cabins to air-conditioned condos;
horsedrawn wagons to autos, planes, and rockets;
scarcity to abundance; &
from tyrannical government rule to individual liberty
HOW DID IT ALL BEGIN?
Most of our history books don’t tell us that, in the beginning, the pilgrims established a communal economic system. Each was to produce according to his ability and contribute his production to a common storehouse from which each was to draw according to his need.
The assurance that they would be fed from the common store, regardless of their contribution to it, had a peculiarly disabling effect on the colonists. Taking property away from some and giving it to others bred discontent and retarded employment. Human nature was the same then as now, and before long, there were more consumers than there were producers, and the pilgrims were near starvation. Governor Bradford, his advisors, and the colonists agreed that in order to increase their crops, each family would be allowed to do as it pleased with whatever it produced. In other words, a free market system was established. In Governor Bradford’s own words:
“This had very good success; for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corne was planted than other waise would have bene by any means ye Governor or any other could use, and saved him a great deall of trouble, and gave farr better contente. The women now wente willingly into ye field, and tooke their little-ons with them to set corne, which before would aledg weaknes, and inabilitie; whom to have compelled would have bene though great tiranie and oppression. . . . By this time harvest was come, and instead of famine, now God gave them plenty, and the face of things was changed. . . . and some of ye abler sort and more industrious had to spare, and sell to others, so as any generall wante or famine hath not been amongst them since this day . . . .” (Wm. Bradford, “Of Plimoth Plantation,” original manuscript, Wright & Potter, Boston, 1901)
Those who, today, favor central government planning, common ownership and redistribution of the earnings of others are advocating a system that Americans tried and rejected over 350 years ago. Their wisdom gave birth to the great American miracle! (This message originally published in the mid-1980’s by Stedman Corporation’s Government Affairs & Free Enterprise Education Program – a former NC textile firm. For more essays in this series, visit www.ouragelessconstitution.com) Ane, another one:
Our Constitution embodied a UNIQUE IDEA. Nothing like it had ever been done before. The power of the idea was in the recognition that people's rights are granted directly by the Creator - not by the state - and that the people, then, and only then, grant rights to government. The concept is so simple, yet so very fundamental and far-reaching. CREATOR People America's founders embraced a previously unheard-of political philosophy which held that people are "...endowed BY THEIR CREATOR with certain unalienable rights.." This was the statement of guiding principle for the new nation, and, as such, had to be translated into a concrete charter for government. The Constitution of The United States of America became that charter. Other forms of government, past and present, rely on the state as the grantor of human rights. America's founders, however, believed that a government made up of imperfect people exercising power over other people should possess limited powers. Through their Constitution, they wished to "secure the blessings of liberty" for themselves and for posterity by limiting the powers of government. Through it, they delegated to government only those rights they wanted it to have, holding to themselves all powers not delegated by the Constitution. They even provided the means for controlling those powers they had granted to government. This was the unique American idea. Many problems we face today result from a departure from this basic concept. Gradually, other "ideas" have influenced legislation which has reversed the roles and given government greater and greater power over individuals. Early generations of Americans pledged their lives to the cause of individual freedom and limited government and warned, over and over again, that eternal vigilance would be required to preserve that freedom for posterity. Footnote: Our Ageless Constitution, W. David Stedman & La Vaughn G. Lewis, Editors (Asheboro, NC, W. David Stedman Associates, 1987) Part III: ISBN 0-937047-01-5
Government
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