After watching the Bundy Bunch in Oregon, and then reading and listening to their supporters, one thing becomes clear: These people are historical and constitutional illiterates.
I can say this because, in real simple terms, what these people are pushing for has already been tried in America. It was called the Articles of Confederation (1781-1789), and it was a disaster. I presented what's posted below over two years ago. I'm compelled to re-post it (with minor edits) because of the overwhelming ignorance driving what's happening in Oregon now ...
After the failure of the Articles of Confederation the Founding Fathers learned a big lesson. Specifically, they learned that a weak central government was actually a bad idea. Having states run the show, and doing what they saw fit, was good in theory but not so good in practice. So the Founding Fathers put some teeth into our federal system of government, and wrote the U.S. Constitution.
Unfortunately, today there are many who believe that they have a better understanding of our history and theories of government than America's Founding Fathers. They want to dismantle the American government as we know it, and replace it with a state-centered "libertarian paradise" that they naively believe could work because states and people are just, you know, so cooperative.
What most don't understand is what happened the last time we tried what they're suggesting (under the Articles of Confederation). They are also naive about what life would be like if the libertarian wannabes got their way ...
Yeah, apart from being historical and constitutional illiterates - the Articles of Confederation IS part of our constitutional history - many on the far right really have no idea what happens when states do what they want and when our central government doesn't work.
Here's a humorous take on what life would be like if we were to follow the lead of the Tea Party and the assorted Bundy clans who dot America's political landscape ...
And, yes, the Founding Fathers thought about what the Libertarians and the Tea Party extremists are talking about today. If they ever bothered to pick up a history book or read the Federalist Papers they would know this.
I'll leave it at that, for now.
- Mark
I can say this because, in real simple terms, what these people are pushing for has already been tried in America. It was called the Articles of Confederation (1781-1789), and it was a disaster. I presented what's posted below over two years ago. I'm compelled to re-post it (with minor edits) because of the overwhelming ignorance driving what's happening in Oregon now ...
After the failure of the Articles of Confederation the Founding Fathers learned a big lesson. Specifically, they learned that a weak central government was actually a bad idea. Having states run the show, and doing what they saw fit, was good in theory but not so good in practice. So the Founding Fathers put some teeth into our federal system of government, and wrote the U.S. Constitution.
Unfortunately, today there are many who believe that they have a better understanding of our history and theories of government than America's Founding Fathers. They want to dismantle the American government as we know it, and replace it with a state-centered "libertarian paradise" that they naively believe could work because states and people are just, you know, so cooperative.
What most don't understand is what happened the last time we tried what they're suggesting (under the Articles of Confederation). They are also naive about what life would be like if the libertarian wannabes got their way ...
Yeah, apart from being historical and constitutional illiterates - the Articles of Confederation IS part of our constitutional history - many on the far right really have no idea what happens when states do what they want and when our central government doesn't work.
Here's a humorous take on what life would be like if we were to follow the lead of the Tea Party and the assorted Bundy clans who dot America's political landscape ...
And, yes, the Founding Fathers thought about what the Libertarians and the Tea Party extremists are talking about today. If they ever bothered to pick up a history book or read the Federalist Papers they would know this.
I'll leave it at that, for now.
- Mark
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