April 10, 2013
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The State
Long ago it was a common belief that the king (the state), as God’s chosen authority on earth. Was personally responsible for the welfare of his people. If life was good, it was because the King was good. All good things in life were directly related to him. If your crop was a bad one, it was not so much because you planted at the wrong time, or did not put in the effort necessary to bring in the harvest before the rains came. No it was all about the providence of God, by way of the King . All good and all bad was the doing of the King. He was given the credit. Needless to say the system tended to keep the average person in poverty. A citizen really had little reason to work harder than he needed to in order to just maintain his life. The king would likely just take more of what he harvested anyway. And the land was all the King’s in the end.
Two Scottish brothers decided they did not agree with a life of serving a king, and the many wars that Clan loyalty demanded of them. So they left Scotland. The fact that their clan had just lost such a war, had much to do with this sudden hatred of the system. They sold themselves as indentured servants to make passage to a new land. That land was America. Those two men basically lived as slaves in order to someday be free of the system of kings and clans. They wanted to be truly free. Their sons were later to fight in the revolutionary war. They had inherited their fathers hate of being owned by the King.
That is my heritage and those are my ancestors. And I do understand the hate of being owned by the state. That hate has been passed down to me. Rather remarkable considering the ages that have passed. That heritage is the reason that the following quote is a favorite of mine.
”A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have”
Think about it, the state, the government, the king, its all the same thing. The only thing that is different are the people. When you depend on the government, it becomes your master.
Comments (37)
In the case of the United States, its legitimacy is derived through the democratic representation of its people. If you don’t like a law or the size of government in general, then for Pete’s sake vote for someone who share your views. If more than 50% of elective representatives share your view, you win.
You vote, don’t you?
@Celestial_Teapot - ”democratic representation of its people”those are not magic words. people historically have voted away all their freedoms. Vote the government greater power over yourself and you choice to be a slave. Its only takes 50% + 1 to do it
@trunthepaige - Our Founding Father established a framework for self governance, not an anarchy. And what more, certain rights– “freedoms”– were put beyond reach of the voters!
Our government was not founded with the idea that man is innately good – quite the opposite, in fact. Checks and balances were instituted to guard against the despots and would-be tyrants who might come along in time. That is why we are so protective of the Constitution, and why the power-hungry, self-serving, and greedy who manage to get themselves “elected” are so flippant in their disrespect for the very thing that has allowed prosperity for those who live and work here.
It has been the consent of the masses that has reenslaved them, trading so-called safety and a minimum standard of living for the possibility of unlimited success for all. Yes, the king has been reincarnated and we are his vassals – only now he has many faces and is difficult to pin down. Only our desire – our insistence on freedom will right this ship of state….if it still can be done. We have to relearn that there are no guarantees of success, but that it comes only with matching effort.
@Celestial_Teapot - Try reading the constitution and staying within the clearly written powers that it has given the government and we have no problems. It does not give me plus 50% the power to decide that you make too much money and it should be taken from you and given to us
@trunthepaige - Sure, I’ll play. Exactly which part of the United States Constitution do you think our present government overstep?
It’s plain you’re unhappy with the results of democracy– but that’s a part of living in one: majority rule with minority rights. You won’t always get your way.
@Celestial_Teapot - You do not the constitution is only grants the government some rights it has no others. Read the 10th amendment
@Celestial_Teapot - democracy gave us hitler let’s not be stupid and worship the idea
@trunthepaige - There were Amendments that came after the 10th. They gave us rights too, you know.
@trunthepaige - Hitler was never elected. You know, unlike Germany, we directly elect the leader of our executive branch.
@Celestial_Teapot - Yes he was elected. His party was voted in. From there they got what they voted in. And he was very popular
@Celestial_Teapot - ^Yes you go ahead and read them then tell me where the tenth amendment was repealed. IIn a time when they followed the constitution it was thought necessary to make a constitutional amendment to ban alcohol. The constitution has not changed since then. Other than repealing that amendment
@trunthepaige - Do you even know what the 10th Amendment says?
@trunthepaige - Again, we’re not on the parliamentary system, we directly elect our Presidents. You do see the advantages of our system, don’t you?
@Celestial_Teapot - If you want to be an asshole go somewhere else. Your inability to understand where a limitation on the federal governments law making powers is not my problem
@Celestial_Teapot - We have a more divided system, hell yes I see the advantage. It take far longer for our people turn a bad idea into the law of the land. But thy still can
@trunthepaige - That’s my point– the 10th Amendment itself doesn’t articulate the Constitutional limits of government. You’d have to look to the body of the Constitution to figure that out. (A task I’ve never seen you undertake.)
Moreover, the Constitution has designated the Supreme Court in interpreting the Constitution and ruling when our government strays out of bounds. Most roles of government you disagree with are ones found constitution by our high court.
@Celestial_Teapot - ”A task I’ve never seen you undertake” what an asshole you are being. Its a small easy to read document. I assumed you had read it. You should be able able to understand it. It was very clearly and simply written. I thought I did not need to educate you on something some simple. but many I do, have you read it. Can you understand it? You seem very fluent in English (native) but then maybe its not your first language like I have always thought it was.
@trunthepaige - Okay. Then where exactly in the Constitution does it say that government has to be small? Or, if this is an overgenrealization or mistakened characterization of your position on this blog, tell me exactly which parts or which acts of government is unconstitutional?
But when you have to depend on yourself, you have to be responsible. And it is so much easier to let the government be responsible for everything!
Democracy is the worst form of government, with the exception of all other forms man has tried so far.
@Celestial_Teapot - Your version of government is referred to as the “tyranny of the majority.”
Such a malicious form of government has been well know for 2500 years, but forgotten by modern leftists and their brainwashed victims.
The government must be limited by design and that design must be written down. That writing down is referred to as the Constitution.
The two Scottish brothers you mention may have fought with my 7th great grandfather, MacGregor, and my 8th great grandfather MacAlpine at Culloden. MacGregor’s daughter married a Capt. Conley of the American Revolution. Our heritage doesn’t tolerate idiocy on behalf of government very well.
By the way, check out the History of WWII podcast. Fascinating stuff.
I thought for sure this was going to lead to a discussion of The Great Charter and The Charter of the Forest. Silly me
@ImNotUglyIJustNeedLove - “The government must be limited by design and that design must be written down. That writing down is referred to as the Constitution.”
Where in the Constitution?
@Celestial_Teapot - Where in the Constitution, what?
To find out what the Constitution means it is necessary to understand the political philosophy of the Founding Fathers.
Hillsdale College has a free online course on the Constitution. The lectures are exquisite and the readings are written by the Founding Father and various other philosophers like Plato and Cicero.
@ImNotUglyIJustNeedLove - Thank you for the reccomendation.
You guys make little sense to me.
You seem like Charles Mason devotes as you willfully and euphorically wish to enter into indentured servitude to the Koch Brothers or some other powerful private corporation where they will be the defacto government and you the paupers.
In our government you have a voice. With David Koch…he becomes King and you lose all power.
I wish you could see the irony of your crusade.
@tendollar4ways - One day you will stop arguing with your imaginary conservatives and address something i say in my entry
@wordwarrior39 - Clan Donnachaidh (our clan) was allied with the MacGregors. Odds would not be bad that they knew each other, they certainly fought on the same side in the same battle.
I addressed your post and I always do. Simplistic Bullshit Glenn Beckesque Propaganda as usual.
Government, King, State…Bad Bad Bad. I am surprised you didn’t add Obama is the new King.
Freedom, Apple Pie and Liberty!!!
Simple minded tripe.
The world isn’t simple, nor is it black and white. The (government) vacuum will be filled and the Koch brother types wanna be the ones filling this vacuum and you are their idiot soldier because one must assume you think you will get a Duchess position in their Kingdom.
You are pretty friggin subservient to these wanna be kings and you don’t even realise it.
We are the friggin government. I don’t want to give it to the Fucking Koch Brothers.
Your post is twisted and your views warped.
@Celestial_Teapot - I believe the 10th amendment, following on the heels of the Constitution and the first 9 amendment, along which the 10th completes the Bill of Rights, gives all other power to amend and make laws to the states, through the citizenry.
I think on that basis, the nation has violated the 10th several times by taking on itself powers reserved by the 10th to the states.
Nowadays we take anything that has happened three years ago for granted. For most people, the issue lies not if it is constitutional, but rather, can the government provide jobs, most people have more faith in the government than in the free market, because all the corruption is forcing the government to get bigger, and although you may argue governments are corrupt, the masses need a sheperd, and are you going to take time to baby sit? That is the function of government.
@tendollar4ways - If we truly return to Constitutional government we do not give the power of control to any one person, organization, or crusade: we give it back to “we the people” operating with the Constitutional limits of the Founders.
@pb49r - This sounds like empty platitudes which basically means nothing…perhaps you can explain.
What I don’t get is you, I am assuming you are a right winger, have the freedom to work for less than minimum wage. If an employer wants to pay you more, simply give it back to him. Likewise, if you don’t want medical insurance…don’t go to a doctor. You want to work 100 hours a week and not be paid overtime….give it back to your employer. No one is stopping you guys from doing this.
Strange because for all the platitudes……it is the opposite you really desire. To control others.
What the Koch Brothers are all about. They have all the money in the world…now they get off on control. What they desire.
We the people?
My Subjects….would be more appropriate platitage.
Which clan, incidentally?
The constitution was to be a guarantee that the individual rights of the people would be protected. States were given the right to make laws as they saw fit, with no outside interference. If a State wanted to outlaw soddomy, they could do so. Outlaw abortion? If that is the will of the people, no one on the federal level could do anything about it. The 10th amendment covered these types of issues. Roe v. Wade is an example of the Fed violating the 10th amendment.
The preamble of the constitution details the duty of government. ‘Provide for the common defense’ implies that the government puts guns into the hands of the people, and the 2nd amendment implies that Congress has no right taking guns and ammo out of the hands of the people. This is one example. I do not have time to elaborate on other aspects of the preamble.