"Elective government [is] calculated to promote [my fellow citizens'] happiness, peculiarly adapted to their genius, habits, and situation, and the best permanent corrective of the errors or abuses of those entrusted with power." -Thomas Jefferson: Reply to Address, 1801.
Oct 06
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Thu, 09/10/2009 - 4:13pm
To Publia - You wrote "Beg pardon, but if the idea that "the socialists in our country brought this problem about so that through solving the problem they will gain great masses of power in our marketplace" is not a conspiracy theory I do not know one when I hear one."
May I ask you what your thinking is now? Would you say our present government's actions are in accord with Mr. Jefferson's abhorrence of statism? I hope you will respond as I, too, would never have believed our Congress, sworn to uphold our Constitution, would ever consider such bills as are now before it. An American in Florida
Sun, 10/26/2008 - 1:27pm
LeRoy Paul,
Beg pardon, but if the idea that "the socialists in our country brought this problem about so that through solving the problem they will gain great masses of power in our marketplace" is not a conspiracy theory I do not know one when I hear one. Never attribute to conspiracy that which can be equally explained by ignorance or stupidity, as conspiracy implies intelligence. I refuse to admit the idea of a socialist conspiracy when a much more plausible root cause - the bizarre notion that the price of real estate would never decline - is available.
I agree that Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac are a source of the problem (there are others: see my remarks on the government regulation of banks). Your explanation of your meaning simply goes to disprove your original statement: if I understand you aright, you believe that President Carter's misguided notions of charity were the ultimate cause.
Mr. Paul, I am no socialist.
I apologize to the other posters and to Mr. Jefferson: this has nothing to do with the original question.
~ Publia
Sat, 10/25/2008 - 11:04pm
To Publia,
The natural intrigues in governments throughout history have shown a proclivity to conspiracies to overthrow one's opponents -- However in this case I don't know how you understood that I was suggesting a conspiracy -- everything that brougt about the current financial crisis was very much out in the open.
The desire of President Carter to inappropriately believe that taking from some elements of the population and extending help to another was a fulfillment of his Christian ideals. He set about to further the American dream of home ownership which had been stated by President Franklin Roosevelt. He encouraged the development of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to make money available for people to buy homes without down payments or the ability to pay for them -- then the banks were blackmailed into granting similar bad loans with what was called "desktop underwriting" and the threat was made that the banks would lose certain market privileges if they didn't do so. Then we have the congress watchdogs who headed up banking, finance and housing departments receiving massive political donations from the agencies they were set up to watch.
When the dangerous system began to get critical, as early as 2001, some in the congress and then in the executive branch began to call for reining in the GSE's, banks, and financial institutions that were actively handling this very risky paper.
Americans are a great people who share out of both their wealth and their poverty to people who are in even greater need. We don't need government to take from those who have and give to those who have not. That is stealing and it is written: "Thou shalt not steal."
Sic semper tyrannis!
LeRoy Paul; A man born out of time!
Tue, 10/14/2008 - 5:59pm
The time limits on office are truly effective only in the case of the president, as he has term limits. Senators and Representatives may be elected as many times as they run and as pleases the people.
~ Publia
Tue, 10/14/2008 - 5:46pm
To LeRoy Paul:
It appears to me that you are laboring under a conspiracy theory on par with that of Mr Jefferson's theories about the sinister plottings of the Federalists as represented by Alexander Hamilton. I am an inveterate capitalist; nonetheless, it seems evident to me that the capitalists – not only Wall Street but small-time real estate speculators and contractors who built too many houses and in doing so drove the price of real estate down – have nobody but themselves to blame. Socialists do not turn sub-prime mortgages into securities: they would disapprove.
Sometimes necessity is distasteful.
I now feel obliged give an answer to the original question. One of the best ways to make the correction of abuses easier would be to ban gerrymandering by constitutional amendment. I believe the people would readily pass it, but we will never get a chance: it could never pass Congress.
The main problem with elections for correction of errors is that often the people will vote a candidate out of office for perceived rather than actual errors relating to subjects that they (the people) do not properly understand, forgetting (or more probably not knowing, having never read Federalist 10) that "it may well happen that the public voice, pronounced by the representatives of the people, may be more consonant to the public good, than if pronounced by the people themselves."
In the case of perceived abuses, it is best to get rid of the questionable politician rather than take any chances,
~ Publia
Tue, 10/14/2008 - 10:05am
Other methods which act as a corrective to abuses of power are the time limitations in which a politician can hold poltical office.
Sat, 10/11/2008 - 4:07pm
I share your sentiments. Unfortunately the average citizen has long ago given in to this modern world and is no longer an informed person. The average voter is swayed by the best the Elite Media can produce.
Thu, 10/09/2008 - 5:26pm
To: Unclepj51; A man with plenty of time!
If you are indeed a man with plenty of time then you have time to read my 10/06/2008 posting again, where I said, "At least eighty percent of what our federal government is doing is unconstitutional."
And, the current financial bailout is the most massive dose of socialism since the launch of the Great(?) Society. The socialists in our country brought this problem about so that through solving the problem they will gain great masses of power in our marketplace.
LeRoy Paul; A man out of my time!
Thu, 10/09/2008 - 3:08pm
Sorry, but 80 percent of what the federal goverment is doing is NOT constitutional LeRoy Paul!
Unclepj51; A man with plenty of time!
Tue, 10/07/2008 - 11:19am
When a person is in despair it indicates a hopelessness to change the situation. As an American who devoutly believes in the founding principles of this Republic, I live in fear that the dream is over and the nightmare begins.
Attractiveness over experience, eloquent speech over values, distorted truth over principle; sway the average American voter who seems to expect to be given rather than to give. The impelling drive to work, create, improve, enjoy the challenge of solving problems with ingenuity – the American “can do” work ethic - has given way to a sense of entitlement. Think of our Founding Fathers who pledged “our lives, our fortunes, our sacred honor” when to lose meant death by hanging. Then think of the congressmen who voted not for principle but for that which would not jeopardize their own re-election!
It is as though a demon has entered the national scene and is using our own principle of freedom of speech and our language symbols to overcome our Republic form of government. Such duplicity as Socialism in the guise of compassion, pitting the rich against the poor thus creating a sense of victimization, is more of a threat to the American Constitution than any terrorist!
Americans, use your God-given and Constitution-given right to vote! But vote wisely, knowing the issues and the consequences of what you vote for. Oh, yes, we can impeach or censure abuses of power, but that’s after the fact. Go to vote your best judgment for the good of your country with the wisdom of our Founding Fathers to guide and support you. Then there will be no room for despair and no need to live in fear the nightmare has begun.
Be keepers of the flame for individual FREEDOM! An American in Florida
Mon, 10/06/2008 - 9:55am
Unfortunately Mr. Jefferson was not able to see that federal government elected office was going to become fulltime, lifetime employment. That was probably due to the careful restrictions on what the federal government had any authority over. At least eighty percent of what our federal government is doing is unconstitutional.
The second problem has come through gerrymandering to provide politicians with safe districts that bar fair elections. Both parties consider such gerrymandering one of the spoils of a majority whenever they come to power.
Until we return the government to its proper and legal limitations we will continue the present slide into socialism.
LeRoy Paul; A man out of time!
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