The Founding Fathers bequeathed to us a glorious Republic based on the inalienable rights of Man. We squandered that bequest long ago. How do we get it back?
The course of human events is moved by philosophy. When a rational philosophy (such as Aristotelianism) is dominant, freedom expands. When an irrational philosophy (such as Platonism) is dominant, freedom contracts. As an Objectivist, I am working toward the re-establishment of a dominant rational philosophy - namely, Objectivism. How long will this take?
In discussing this with me, a friend and fellow Objectivist wrote "when I think about how much effort is required to grasp Objectivism, I am less than confident about the future of our society."
I think that is the key. Objectivists sometimes talk about how quickly Marxism became a worldwide phenomenon. The implication being that Objectivism might duplicate that feat. But the point is, Marxism wasn't intellectual at all. It was just a call to rob the rich and give to the poor. "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need." That's all people took away from Marxism and that's why they - the poor, the lazy, the envious - flocked to its standard. And why they still do, under different names, like modern liberalism, environmentalism, compassionate conservatism, and the anything-goes catch all, "democracy."
Objectivism is exactly the opposite. People, if they understand it, are more likely to run away screaming, than flock to it. They don't want to have to think, they don't want to have to work, they don't want to have to be responsible for their own welfare. Establishing and maintaining a Republic is damned hard work. To quote Benjamin Franklin, in answer to someone who asked him what kind of government the Constitutional Convention of 1787 had come up with: "A Republic - if you can keep it."
We failed to keep it. We will have to duplicate the efforts of the Founding Fathers and their generation - the genuine "greatest generation" - to regain a Republic based on individual rights. It will not happen quickly, or easily. There is no royal road to a just society.
4 comments:
Excellent points. And I like that you named the "true greatest generation". I get tired of hearing that appellation applied to the WW2 generation. (They're the people that raised all the worthless and dangerous hippies, after all. Thanks a lot for that!)
So that's what you look like (your profile photo). Much younger than I expected. lol
Well, that's what I used to look like - 37 years ago.
Benjamin Franklin, another member of the Illumined ones, never mind his name—which is very revealing as far as coding goes. When he came out of the hall after they'd signed the American Constitution and this was a Masonic meeting. They had guards on the doors to stop the public getting in. The ones who gave you your freedoms and he talked about that of course and he alluded to it being Masonic himself in his own writings; and when he was asked by the public, "what kind of government do we have?" And he said, "a Republic, if you can keep it." Now you can look at that two ways you see because Illumined ones always talk. You know, "white man talk with forked tongue." Well it's true. He knew it would never be kept. It was designed not to be kept. It was designed to be altered as time went on and as the founders knew, the destiny and the purpose of the United States of America would gradually unfold. He said himself, Franklin and Jefferson, that the Constitution could really only work with an agricultural society and once it went into industry it would be totally altered. It needs be and it would happen anyway, so they were well aware it was not for the general public. If it was for the general public, the doors wouldn't have been barred and the windows all blinded down; but then again, the Masonic Hall is "The Temple with No Windows." They ALWAYS pull the blinds and that symbol of pulling the blinds is for the profane outside and it's also symbolic of the hoodwink for the individual in society as well. Benjamin Franklin was the Henry Kissinger of the late 1700's.
Did you have some specific objection to the Constitution, or just vague conspiracy theory accusations? Who cares if they were Masons? Who cares if the doors were locked and the windows closed? Is the Constitution just, or isn't it? If not, where specifically is it unjust?
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