tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762928.post113859485156260181..comments2024-01-03T05:23:36.046-08:00Comments on The Citizens: The Fate of the RepublicUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762928.post-1138626360913720472006-01-30T05:06:00.000-08:002006-01-30T05:06:00.000-08:00I see some good and bad signs. Bad news first. A...I see some good and bad signs. Bad news first. About 30% to 40% of the population either doesn't care about the constitution or is so easily whipped up into a frenzy of xenophobic paranoia that they think of constitutional rights as a "luxury" we can't afford during "war." <BR/><BR/>The good news however is that elites within the Republican party are starting to recognize the heart of Bush's vision. Specter, Hegel and McCain are certainly on the outs within the party now but they aren't complete nobodies. They're criticism of the unchecked executive is encouraging. The problem is that when it comes down to an important vote (like with Alito) they show a dissappointing tendency to chose party loyalty over principle. Nevertheless, their criticism gives legitimacy to the criticism of Democrats in that the spineless press will report the story as one of "bi-partisan criticism" rather than a "fair and balanced" story about "party politics."<BR/><BR/>It's interesting that you are reading classic histories of the Roman empire. That was exactly the kind of thing that Madison et al read and alluded to in their arguments in favor of separating legislative and executive power and giving both a check on the other. <BR/><BR/><A></A><A></A>// posted by<A><B> </B></A><A HREF="http://thecitizens.blogspot.com/" REL="nofollow" TITLE="">Raised By Republicans</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6762928.post-1138619824389823662006-01-30T03:17:00.000-08:002006-01-30T03:17:00.000-08:00Years ago an Irish lady accused the U.S. of being ...Years ago an Irish lady accused the U.S. of being an Empire during a discussion we were having. And I defended against that statement at that time. Fearing the natural tendencies of Empires to fall. Not anymore, I'm now sure the U.S. is becoming an Empire with all the inevitable rhetoric. <BR/><BR/>I fear that the subtle talking points of the empire builders has infiltrated too deeply into the media stream and public conscience to turn the tide without a massive education campaign. A campaign of education illustrating what the constitution really means. Many in the public readily accept the politicians interpretations of what it means, in the same vein as ministry in a church. And not a living document for all to read for themselves. This must change, for the preservation of the Republic.<BR/><BR/> <BR/><BR/><A></A><A></A>// posted by<A><B> </B></A><A HREF="http://www.branedy.net" REL="nofollow" TITLE="branedy at branedy dot net">Branedy</A>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com