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Did the Founding Fathers Screw Up?
prospect.org ^ | September 26, 2011 | Harold Meyerson

Posted on 09/28/2011 7:19:50 PM PDT by MontaniSemperLiberi

The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation," Franklin Roosevelt declared as he campaigned for the presidency in the spring of 1932. "It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something."

Most of the experiments Roosevelt tried to rebuild the economy once he took office encountered fierce opposition. But his closing admonition -- try something -- transcends our political particularities. It's an affirmation of a specifically American common sense, a statement of our national inclination to action, an affirmation of the pragmatism that remains the country's signal contribution to philosophy. In times of trouble, try something. Who could be against that?

Yet, three years into the worst recession since Roosevelt's time, a countercurrent, every bit as American as our bias for action, has swept over us. Twenty-five million Americans are either unemployed or underemployed, and the average duration of joblessness stands at record highs. Consumers are too deep in debt to consume; our producers produce and our investors invest abroad. To remedy all this, the federal government today tries ... nothing.

(Excerpt) Read more at prospect.org ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government
KEYWORDS: constitution; madison
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Well a Liberal Progressive (but I repeat myself) gets it. At least partially.

Our system government was not created to do great things in the midst of controversy. It was designed to stop legislation unless there was general agreement. When we disagree, it (should) becomes a government Patrick Henry would be happy with.

It was designed to do big things when there was general agreement, i.e. fight wars, settle the West, etc. When we agree it (should) becomes a government Hamilton would be happy with.

Also, it was meant to thwart an executive who wanted to do things on his own. Unfortunately our founders never though congress would willingly give up it's power to the executive.

1 posted on 09/28/2011 7:19:51 PM PDT by MontaniSemperLiberi
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To: MontaniSemperLiberi
“Most of the experiments Roosevelt tried to rebuild the economy once he took office encountered fierce opposition. But his closing admonition — try something — transcends our political particularities. It's an affirmation of a specifically American common sense, a statement of our national inclination to action, an affirmation of the pragmatism that remains the country's signal contribution to philosophy. In times of trouble, try something. Who could be against that?”

I am.

A great number of problems we face today are BECAUSE of that imbecile FDR, and his “let's push this button and see what it does” mentality. Today we know what most of those buttons did.

2 posted on 09/28/2011 7:26:16 PM PDT by I cannot think of a name
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To: MontaniSemperLiberi

Can’t really blame the founders for the idiots of today. The people themselves hold the bulk of the blame.


3 posted on 09/28/2011 7:29:32 PM PDT by cripplecreek (A vote for Amnesty is a vote for a permanent Democrat majority. ..Choose well.)
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To: I cannot think of a name

Yeah, Oblablah is trying to prove that he can make communism work, when glorious USSR did not succeed.
It took 70 years to overturn it, are we in another “experiment”????


4 posted on 09/28/2011 7:30:24 PM PDT by Leo Carpathian (fffffFRrrreeeeepppeeee-ssed!)
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To: I cannot think of a name

I like Coolidge and his do little attitude.

In fact with the growth of the FEMA monstrosity, we see why he was right to let the people take care of themselves through times of adversity.


5 posted on 09/28/2011 7:32:21 PM PDT by cripplecreek (A vote for Amnesty is a vote for a permanent Democrat majority. ..Choose well.)
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To: I cannot think of a name

I like Coolidge and his do little attitude.

In fact with the growth of the FEMA monstrosity, we see why he was right to let the people take care of themselves through times of adversity.


6 posted on 09/28/2011 7:32:32 PM PDT by cripplecreek (A vote for Amnesty is a vote for a permanent Democrat majority. ..Choose well.)
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To: cripplecreek

The founders had it exactly right, and that is the way it should remain, period!!! End of story!!!


7 posted on 09/28/2011 7:32:55 PM PDT by JLAGRAYFOX
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To: MontaniSemperLiberi

I must admit, I skimmed the article. Unless I missed it, the author didn’t discuss the most important dynamic of all in any analysis of our nation’s founding—the tension between the state and its people.


8 posted on 09/28/2011 7:34:25 PM PDT by reasonisfaith (Governor Palin: "I'm not for sale." It's true. Watch The Undefeated.)
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To: Leo Carpathian
It took 70 years to overturn it, are we in another “experiment”????

LOL 100 years ago we had idiots like George Bernard Shaw explaining that communism just wasn't being done right or blaming its failures on its victims.
9 posted on 09/28/2011 7:35:26 PM PDT by cripplecreek (A vote for Amnesty is a vote for a permanent Democrat majority. ..Choose well.)
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To: MontaniSemperLiberi

There seems to be a lot of people coming out these last few days questioning the very nature of America’s constitutional form of government.

A sitting governor floats a trial balloon on suspending congressional elections, a former Obama budget chief says we need “less democracy”, and now this...

It’s no secret to anyone with two working brain cells to rub together that 2012 is shaping up to be a major disaster for the Dems. Cynical and suspicious person that I am, I am also starting to wonder if there is not a building movement in the Democrat and Liberal power structures to change the rules — in their favor, naturally.

Since that pesky Constitution is in the way, why not...

Scary, my friends. Very scary indeed.


10 posted on 09/28/2011 7:37:14 PM PDT by Ronin (If we were serious about using the death penalty as a deterrent, we would bring back public hangings)
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To: MontaniSemperLiberi

Green weenie org. Progressive, liberal...not credible.


11 posted on 09/28/2011 7:37:26 PM PDT by Rudder (The Main Stream Media is Our Enemy---get used to it.)
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To: reasonisfaith

No he did not. Not precisely.

His assumption is that the people should be ruled and improved by the state and his conclusion is that the constitution gets in the way.

What he fails to understand is that we are made in the image of our creator and we cannot be improved by our government.


12 posted on 09/28/2011 7:37:42 PM PDT by MontaniSemperLiberi (Moutaineers are Always Free)
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To: reasonisfaith

The success of our nation has nothing to do with what the government can do for the people.

Our success depends on avoiding big government and crony capitalism. In other words, breaking up the permanent political class when it gets out of hand.


13 posted on 09/28/2011 7:39:09 PM PDT by reasonisfaith (Governor Palin: "I'm not for sale." It's true. Watch The Undefeated.)
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To: MontaniSemperLiberi
Another Roosevelt (Teddy) had other ideas about how to "fix" society, by force if need be.

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14 posted on 09/28/2011 7:40:54 PM PDT by cripplecreek (A vote for Amnesty is a vote for a permanent Democrat majority. ..Choose well.)
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To: Ronin

Yep.


15 posted on 09/28/2011 7:41:04 PM PDT by MontaniSemperLiberi (Moutaineers are Always Free)
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To: MontaniSemperLiberi

Yes, and his failure to understand this is more than shameful.


16 posted on 09/28/2011 7:41:09 PM PDT by reasonisfaith (Governor Palin: "I'm not for sale." It's true. Watch The Undefeated.)
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To: Ronin

Two such trial balloons in a month.
In politics, there are no coincidences..........


17 posted on 09/28/2011 7:44:32 PM PDT by Red Badger ("Treason doth never prosper.... What's the reason? Why if it prosper, none dare call it treason.")
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To: MontaniSemperLiberi
The problem, Cutler concluded, was the Constitution. More bluntly, the Founding Fathers got it wrong.

No they didn't. In a free society that is compatible with the nature of man as a rational being,with a just government that respects natural rights,the proper function of government is to protect and preserve those rights from both internal and external threats, protect and enforce contracts, and to settle disputes with a judicial system.The government is a servant of the people not its ruler.Anything more than that is tyranny. The economic problems of the country would work themselves out naturally if the government would stop intervening and just allow individuals the freedom to make decisions that promote their own self interest.

18 posted on 09/28/2011 7:46:43 PM PDT by mjp ((pro-{God, reality, reason, egoism, individualism, natural rights, limited government, capitalism}))
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To: mjp

“natural rights”

Exactly. Progressives do not believe in natural rights let alone natural law because they do not believe in God.


19 posted on 09/28/2011 7:48:46 PM PDT by MontaniSemperLiberi (Moutaineers are Always Free)
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To: Ronin

We, the people are our own worst enemies!!! Why??? Yesterday the Governor of North Carolina, Ms. Bev Purdue called out to cancel the upcoming congressional elections in November, 2012 so that congress can get on, unfettered,with solving the problems of the nation without holding those “nasty”, unecessary elections. The USA in our history, has seen wars, depressions, attacks on our nation. etc., but....we have never postponed a federal election. And...we should not now, even entertain such a horrible suggestion as came from the mouth of Ms. Purdue. Now.....realist that I am, this utterance from Gov. Perdue came from somewhere other then her brain, as this was not the first hint at doing away with Democracy and the Constitution from Obama’s Democrat Party. This came, IMHO, directly from the man in the White House, Barack Hussein Obama!!! But....we cannot prove that!!! However, we have the utterer of such trash talk, Ms. Perdue. Instead of just sitting around, complaining of our diminishing freedom and liberty and doing nothing, one would think the voters of North Carolina would rise up and force Gov. Perdue to resign, and if she refuses, they should impeach her immediately according to the laws of North Carolina!!! I don’t see that happening and am saddened deeply for the lack of action from the citizens and voters of NC!!! When I think of how many American military folks, both men and women fought and gave their lives to establish our country, protect and defend it so that we could remain free and determine our own destiny through free and repetitive elections, I am utterly disgusted with my fellow Americans that reside in North Carolina!!!


20 posted on 09/28/2011 8:02:10 PM PDT by JLAGRAYFOX
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