Tempting as it is to send the iconic movie-maker Clint Eastwood a copy of Plato or even one of my books on the Republic, it would probably not make his day. But the past week, with its attempt to focus on economic issues, despite candidates telling their life stories or auditioning for national office in 2016, totally ignored the very nature of our nation. We are a republic, instituted as such by our Founders using the ancient republican ideal and classical model, and launched with the hope, and even expectation, that future generations down to the present day would live up to that ideal and its principles.
Partisan politics, so wrapped up in creating an antagonism between capitalism and government, misses the point. If we are to maintain ourselves as a republic, certain foundational principles of a republic must be upheld regardless of our economic structures. They are: popular sovereignty (power to the people, not Wall Street or Washington); resistance to corruption (placing special interests ahead of the common good); a sense of the common good (all those things that we own and hold in common); and most of all civic duty, citizen responsibility, and citizen participation.
Mr. Eastwood, being a dramatist, could have made quite a discussion with that chair concerning these qualities and whether we all, not just the president, live up to them. The convention arena would have been even more dumbfounded, doubtless to the point of silence. Any lingering suspicion regarding his sobriety or mental state would have fled. He would have had to revert to Dirty Harry to keep them from storming the stage. For they were there to belabor the president for not fixing the mess he inherited from He Who Shall Not Be Named and to rescue poor, misunderstood bankers from presidential, and public, scorn.
Leaving the quadrennial struggle for power aside for the moment, at risk in the 21st century isn't capitalism. It is republicanism. Though we elect our government, we do not have power because this republic is massively corrupt. Special interests dominate the executive and legislative process, even more so now thanks to the judicial branch. They do so by controlling campaign contributions. And any effort to defend the common good, our public resources and facilities, the systems of education, transportation, and even communications, that make us a national community, are met with Tea Party chants of "socialism".
We are left, then, with what makes a republic a republic -- civic virtue, citizen duty. A number of state officials are hellbent on making voting more difficult. A surprising number of people say that jury duty, which many seek to avoid, is one of the most interesting and rewarding experiences they have ever had. We celebrate our volunteer warriors as we send them off to war, whether necessary or not, but too often forget those who return wounded in body or spirit. But few citizens attend regular community meetings unless their immediate interest is involved. Oscar Wilde said socialism would never work because it involved "too many evenings." That's not socialism; that's republicanism.
I wish Mr. Eastwood's chair had held not a phantom Obama, but a live Jefferson.
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Then we lie and feed off of 9/11 fever to go after a third world country on the the UN danction ropes for more lies. Civic what is Congress handing out Presidential blank checks called? From the USS Maine until today and now no state refuses to hand over its Guard for war lies like New England states stiffed the War of 1812. And let them have multiple deployments too. And tample on the Internationl Law we help craft to begin with.
We The people own this Country... We the people Built this Country.
I know, these are hard issues for Liberals to understand.... and today they re-stated that a balanced budget is a bad idea....
Need I say more?
As to who own this country, I will gladly have the people own it but I wish it was owned a lot more evenly. You are wrong ifd you believe taxpayers only are the owners of this country and I am sure if you think for a while you may be able to figure it out in your little brain.
As for liberals, I am not a liberal, I am a progressive and I am absolutely sure that the government should run a deficit in a recession. This recession according to economists and I know of none who disagree is due to lack of effective demand and accepted economic theory, not some ginned up political philosophy to give tax breaks to the rich.holds that to get it going the government needs to spend more. This has worked many times both here and abroad, whereas the politics of austerity has never been shown to do anything but deepen and lengthen a recession. It is just like global warming. Science and education trumps your willful ignorance.
Yeah, you could try to make sense, be logic, factual, instead of the rambling non-sense of empty sentences, devoid of any specifics.
Ask the Koch Brother who they thing own the country, and in particular the Republican Party (why gets 1/5/of small contributions than the Democrats) and the Supreme Court.
Count who paays for all the hateful TV ds? The Peole? No karl rove and his Oligarchs.
It is an exact replay of Nazi Germany 1030-32, where industrialists like one Alfred Hugenberg basically bought the Press and the radio Stations to support Hitler.
But the teams could be hurt with too many regulations that make the game difficult to play. And if too many referees are placed on the field or court, they actually inhibit the players by being in their way.
What we need are sensible approaches to rules and referees, but not forget that the teams (businesses) are the reason for being.
The government is "of the people, by the people, for the people." (A. Lincoln, Republican)
Like Germany, governed by Christian Democrats?
Next thing you will claim that Christ threw the bankers out of the temple?
The obligations by the previous Government, linger for many years.
I am sorry that you are suffering from discalculia, just like Paul Ryan. Your numbers are all phantasy. Triple food prices? I don't show at a shop where the veggies are being sold on golden plates.
In particular the Government of George W. Bush, where the economy lost 800,000 jobs a months when Obama was inaugurated.
Obama has created more jobs since the stimulus kicked in in July of 2oo9 then George Bush in 8 years.
The George Bush Administration which is the only one since 1940 which actually has lost jobs in 8 years.
What you're left with is a bunch of unskilled and inexperienced politicians even more dependent on advisors and lobbyists (often the same people). The root of the problem - entrenched political parties - is in no way addressed by this and, in many ways such a plan would give them more power to allocate or control seats.
a bunch of used car salesmen
we need campaign finance reform.
i think that intense salary raises for incumbents would also be good. it's the people vote, the people govt and the peoples money. give them $100,000+ raise every time they are re-elected. that would not impact campaign coffers much and people (taxpayers) might think more about what it is they are getting at the ballot.
Sir, Mr Jefferson is rolling in his grave over your politics.
You successful small business owner built the Internet Obama said you did not build?
Yeah, he specifically mentioned the Internet, before he said the business you built is due solely due to your initiative.
But the Internet, "you did not build "THAT"! But apparently you, and 1.5 Million SBO did!
US soldiers do their job and do it well, and I wouldn't have it any other way. But I'm not inclined to let some armchair Hawk leverage their 'noble sacrifices' for some ignoble political end. That doesn't sit well with me.
The term 'volunteer' in NO way diminishes these brave men and women.
Take it from a volunteer. US Army '70-'73.
And I'm quite willing to bet you were NEVER in the military!
What this country needs is another draft.
THEN and only then, let the politicians make the case for the importance of these military incursions, for the 'survival' of our country. See how fast the chicken hawks will be singing a different tune!
But, after decades of consideration, I'm convinced that America should have an army made up of professional soldiers who keep things running month-to-month, year-to-year, augmented by leagues of ordinary citizens who are conscripted to go out there to "stop bullets". With the protections we already have against sending true pacifists to war (instead sending them to do critical non-military services elsewhere in the USA), everybody of the appropriate ages, without exception, must be eligible for conscription -- including rich people's kids alongside poor folks and middle-class people's kids.
If a war is important enough for America to fight, then it's important enough for ALL Americans to sacrifice to fight, not just a select few.