Subject:
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Re: The Greatest Generation? (and how they changed the Constitution)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Fri, 15 Nov 2002 18:21:04 GMT
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Viewed:
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331 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Dave Schuler writes:
> In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Mike Petrucelli writes:
> > Well now here is a very nice article all the Libertarians in the audience
> > should enjoy.
> >
> > http://www.creators.com/opinion_show.cfm?columnsName=wwi
>
> As unbiased as that piece is, it's worth reflecting on other statements by
> Jefferson, such as:
>
> > "Some men look at constitutions with sanctimonious reverence, and deem them
> > like the arc of the covenant, too sacred to be touched. They ascribe to the
> > men of the preceding age a wisdom more than human, and suppose what they did
> > to be beyond amendment. . . I know also, that laws and institutions must go
> > hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more
> > developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths
> > disclosed, and manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances,
> > institutions must advance also, and keep pace with the times. We might as
> > well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy, as
> > civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous
> > ancestors." --from a letter To Samuel Kercheval, July 12, 1816
>
> In this passage Jefferson states explicitly (and correctly) that no one is
> able to predict the needs of the future with any relevance, and that
> includes Madison as well as Jefferson himself.
>
> Dave!
Furthermore, Jefferson laid the path to "Big Government" with its foreign
entaglements when he effectively launched the american navy. Having a huge
mercantile fleet and no way to protect it simply lead to piracy - and the
worst kind of piracy at that: government supported. Privateers and
converted merchants at need simply didn't work. He dropped his principles
for practicality - it's a competitive world. :-)
-->Bruce<--
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