“ACK-shu-ally, we’re not fifty states. We’re one country“.
Show of hands if you’ve heard at least one progressive, lodged far on the left side of civic education’s Dunning-Kruger curve, say something like that.
Among the many failures – or acts of sabotage – of modern American education, perhaps among the biggest, most dangerous shortcomings is the complete collapse of civics education.
Modern students seem to learn nothing aboujt:
- Why the Constitution existed – to provide a framework for self-government
- What the Constitution does – limit the powers of government, and enumerate the checks and balances on power
- Why our nation is called the “United States” – and why the constituent parts are called “states” rather than “Provinces”, “Counties”, “Ridings” or “Administrative Districts”. They are, or were intended to be, individual nation-ettes
- What Federalism is – in the US’s case (like post-war Germany), a balance of powers and rights between the federal and state governments.
- Gridlock was built into the system, because gridlock is a virtue. The government that governs least, governs best – and gridlock ensures minimal government. (This particularly galls “progressives”).
- And perhaps most importantly? The Constitution, its enumeration of powers, and Federalism itself, was designed to help a nation that was from it’s founding not a whole lot more divided or less fractious than it is today, coexist.
With that in mind? Perhaps the Dobbs decision, and the court’s new-found originalism, are a big step in the right direction for a nation more divided in many ways than before the Civil War.
Because the alternative to a renewed federalism is a national divorce at best, and civil war at worst.
THANK YOU, Mitch. Can’t be emphasized enough.
The mindset shift from plural to singular is clear when you consider that in 1812, people said “The United States ARE at war with Britain,” whereas today they say “The United States ISN’T at war with Russia.”
A collection of independent governments lightly covered by an agreement intended to mediate disputes between them, and to deal with other nations. Could be called a ‘confederacy’ after the original version or the present Swiss arrangement, if that term hadn’t been irrevocably ruined by race baiters.
Absolutely essential to understanding how and why this nation is supposed to work. Thank you for emphasizing it.
In my opinion you forget (or I was unable to interpret it from the given concepts) the reasoning behind the House of Reps vs the Senate (and Electoral College). Ignorance of this was seen just recently in the comments by the most common troll hereabouts. The notion that Congress is a balance between a “tyranny of the majority” and a “tyranny of the minority” is hugely important. In fact, historically speaking, there would be no United States at all, if not for this arrangement.
… sorry, and I agree with JD. Thanks for emphasizing this.
Could be called a ‘confederacy’ after the original version or the present Swiss arrangement, if that term hadn’t been irrevocably ruined by race baiters.
Interesting story regarding that.
Last month, I went on a ride with one of the local M/C’s here. Nice ride, great stops and then a big BBQ & band back at their clubhouse.
I happened upon a heated, but good natured discussion goin on around a guy’s bike. He had a Confederate battle flag on his bike that was annotated “Heritage Not Hate”.
Several club members were chastising him for Yankee’splaining. “Fly it right, fly it proud, or not at all”, was a theme roundly appreciated. The poor guy was on the spot, but was let off the hook when a guy walked up and slapped an unadulterated flag sticker over the offensive one.
Backs were slapped; beers were drunk.
We’re good to go down here, boys.
The Constitution was written solely to perpetuate slavery. Everyone knows that. Now shut up and start writing those reparations checks or things will get uglier.
A lot of the States that joined the confedercy\union only said okay because of the autonomy granted them by the constitution and the amendments to it. They were promised that certain rights were to never be taken away from them, not granted to them if they joined. The rights were already theirs. By usurping those rights, the federal government has broken the contact and negated the agreement.
I think that the only reason the United States is still united is that the anger of the governed has not yet reached the point where a constitutional conference will be demanded. When that point gets here we could see the “Balcanization” of the United States and up to 15 different countries emerge based on similar interests and geography. Mass migration of people from “Red” to “Blue” States and vice versa taking place depending on what each area says they stand for.
Sitting here on your northern border I will be watching with great interest during the build up.
C from C – it’s hard for people to get upset about the usurpation of their rights when they’ve been miseducated about what their rights are. For modern education, this is a feature, not a bug.
“No party, and no people, and no nation can defend and perpetuate a constitutional Republic if they accept a leader who’s gone to war with the rule of law, with the democratic process, with the peaceful transition of power, with the Constitution itself.” ~ Liz Cheney
I think the Republicans made their choice and it wasn’t the Constitution.
Ha! That swamp dwelling fraud must be looking in the mirror.
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^ Has the January 6 Committee changed minds?
Everyone can now see that Trump’s claims of voter fraud were completely baseless. In his own AG Bill Barr’s words, “BS”. Even Trump’s own daughter no longer believes he won the election.
What is becoming clear, and which some have known all along is that Trump claiming “vote-rigging” is his standard tactic for campaigning, when there are no evidentiary grounds for this.
Examples:
•after Barack Obama’s second presidential victory
•upon his loss of the Iowa Republican caucuses
•on an adverse federal court ruling concerning Trump University
•and after the failure of The Apprentice to win an Emmy Award
This is unacceptable. He is unfit for office.
“No party, and no people, and no nation can defend and perpetuate a constitutional Republic if they accept a leader who’s gone to war with the rule of law, with the democratic process, with the peaceful transition of power, with the Constitution itself.” ~ Liz Cheney
Agreed. Now tell me about how the FBI investigation of Hunter Biden is coming. And Hilliary’s server. And Fast & Furious, and the IRS Scandal, and….
Yeah, at war with the rule of law cuts the other way, and hard.