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declaration

Americana Res Publica: No Revolution

As we celebrate the 236th anniversary of the passage of the Declaration of Independence (the signing would have to wait until August 2, 1776), it’s very much worth remembering what form of government the Founders hoped to establish in America. We were founded unquestionably as a Republic with the writing and passages of the Articles of Confederation, with the Constitution of 1787 only reaffirming this form of government.

Despite our post-modern tendency to distort and mock the true meanings of words, America never has been, nor really can it be, a democracy. Indeed, as several founders made clear, democracy was a great evil, necessary perhaps in some manifestation, but not as the ruling element of a balanced government or a stable society…

And yet, as many Jacksonians wished it to be, the Republic was neither purely a commercial nor libertarian one. Indeed, the American founders crafted not a commercial republic, but a virtuous republic, allowing for commerce and liberty to serve as a means by which man could use each of his gifts wisely and for the common good (the good thing; the res publica).

While not all of the founders belonged to orthodox Christian denominations or even subscribed to Jewish or Christian orthodoxy, they each accepted most of what the Judeo-Christian context and heritage had bequeathed to them.

Their understanding of liberty was not the collectivist or primivist liberty of Rousseau or the atheistic and abstract liberty of Locke, but the liberty of St. Paul as described in his letter to the Galatian Christian community, the freedom to do what one ought to do.

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  • Despeville

    Our disease is democracy. It is not the skin that festers–our very bones are carious, and their marrow blackens with gangrene. Which rogues shall be first, is of no moment–our republicanism must die, and I am sorry for it. But why should we care what sexton happens to be in office at our funeral? Nevertheless, though I indulge no hopes, I derive much entertainment from the squabbles in Madam Liberty’s family. After so many liberties have been taken with her, I presume she is not longer a miss and a virgin, though she may still be a goddess."

    ~ Fisher Ames, 1806

    Unfortunately it is not Res Publica anymore nor diseased Democratia but deadly life oppressing Corporis. This country has become a corporation ruled by corporate conglomerate.

    • Vladimir

      Blah, blah, blah.

      • Despeville

        Yep, that is about all you can say…

        • http://rationalresponses.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dixon

          Humpty, it is as good of a reply as your comments deserve, you pompous windbag.

          • Despeville

            Dodo you might have as well copy and paste Vlad the Mad for both of you are useless and inane trolls.

          • dwoodpc

            … and since you mention Vlad, I might add, Vlad has a cell phone line in to God whatever PLANET He, God, happens is be on. He is listening you know. God, that is. :)

            dwoodphd/pc

            "… the liberty of St. Paul as described in his letter to the Galatian Christian community, the freedom to do what one ought to do."

          • Despeville

            He does? Looks like he kept it on for to long and too close for it fried his brain. Hope kolob "god" will send him an update and work around in next nightly REM download session.

          • http://rationalresponses.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dixon

            You are one to talk. Your brain was fried years ago.

          • Joe Anzilotti

            Remember. One of the Dixon tenets: When in the corner calumniate.
            And, I might add, no one does it better than JD. Sad but true.

          • http://rationalresponses.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dixon

            In other words, since you got nothing, you resort to taunts. Typical.

          • http://youtu.be/HlD3Gaq4cN0 Despeville

            Troll all you do is trolling inane rubbish.

          • http://rationalresponses.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dixon

            No, I merely point out that your are an idiot.

          • http://youtu.be/HlD3Gaq4cN0 Despeville

            Dodo doodler you cannot point to anything without initial 20 sec Google moron search so do not placate your numb-nut please.

      • dwoodpc

        Hi Vlad! : ) I was afraid you had abandoned ship.

      • dwoodpc

        I think Despe needs to complete trash his library and start anew.

    • dwoodpc

      "… the liberty of St. Paul as described in his letter to the Galatian Christian community, the freedom to do what one ought to do."

      Not really Despe, NOT "deadly life oppressing Corporis." How can you say that…. instead the individual prevails… what you see in Paul to the Galatians is the reprimand to know AND PRACTICE the good word of God, thus the individual is responsible and accountable… the gift freely given by God , yes, it is His Son's atonement, but it is also knowledge of the commandments and the work required is in keeping them. We are accountable is my point and I don't see the majority of Americans falling down on that job. Keep your eyes on the individual. God is in charge, not the corporations.

      • Despeville

        You "god" does not exist Deadwood and one day you will wake up from your naiveté and understand that the system has been totally corrupt and hijacked by artificial individual – the corporation.

        • dwoodpc

          YOU ARE MAD BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU CAN NOT CONVINCE ME TO READ ANTI-MORMON LITERATURE!!! I AM NOT SO EASILY SWAYED!!! You are WRONG! Your world view is totally skewed. God is in Charge. I am looking at John Adams book right now, a founding Father of our country. Even he thought God is in charge, NOT IMPERFECT HUMANS. They wrote that clearly into the Constitution!!! Besides!!! Individuals make-up corporations. Humans do the best they can do. They make choices that propel corporate decisions. Your job as a man of God is to work with individual to help them understand to make good decisions.

          I am just a teacher of a few people. Don't shoot the messenger. Your world view will still exist when I am gone.

          Individuals need to be accountable for the decisions they make… they have "the freedom to do what they ought to do." Corporations just give them what they want.

          You don't read my posts!! but I read yours!!! you think that my God is different than your God … YOU ARE NUTS!!! IT IS NOT TRUE!!!

          • Despeville

            God is in charge but surely not your kolob astronaut "god". You do not understand what has transcendent in this country over last 100 years and how the artificial personhood of the corporation is suffocating the life of the system that was design and established for real people and real persons.

            Get some basic clues and watch this 2003 documentary movie: "The Corporation" ~ http://youtu.be/SnE8D3tgZ5c

          • http://rationalresponses.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dixon

            Actually Satan is in charge according to your book of fables.

          • http://youtu.be/HlD3Gaq4cN0 Despeville

            HAhahahahah as I said before dumb getting dumber.

          • Dionesius3

            Your the one who is nuts there girlie, your moron Mormon god does not exist anymore than the silly Egyptian god Isis.
            They are both made up cartoon fairy-tale deities fit only for the trash heap.

            Your cosmic heavenly father who requires you to wear magic underwear does not exist, and your religion is a sham made up by a simpleton named Joeseph Smith.

            A drunkard, who walked around empty fields with two stones in a hat with wich he covered his face and found treasures for unsuspecting dupes who payed him a few dollars.

            He is a joke, just like your "church" is a joke.

            The only problem is that you will assuredly spend eternity in the lake of fire for your denial of the truth.
            And that is indeed a sad, sad, thing.

          • dwoodpc

            You bandy about lies like they are your favorite food Dionesius3.

            The thing about you spin-offs from the Catholic Church is that you don't realize how visible your lack of the practice of the true religion is to us who actually do practice the true religion of the true Jesus Christ. In that respect, Jeff is more so religious then either you or Despeville, your favorite Screwtape sidekick, when you attack us.

          • Dionesius3

            Your cosmic heavenly father who requires you to wear magic underwear does not exist, and your religion is a sham made up by a simpleton named Joeseph Smith.

            A drunkard, who walked around empty fields with two stones in a hat with wich he covered his face and found treasures for unsuspecting dupes who payed him a few dollars.

            He is a joke, just like your "church" is a joke.

    • Despeville

      Get some basic clues and watch this 2003 documentary movie: "The Corporation" ~ http://youtu.be/SnE8D3tgZ5c

      • dwoodphd

        You both in fact need some clues, but you think you have a most convenient whipping post to build your personal following and destroy others faith in the one true church. NO sane person would believe you, who spin the Word of God, the real one whom I know is true, not the one of your anti-Mormon literature. YOU, who are belivers, mearly spin-offs of The Church of Sandusky, tbe Catholic Church of wbich you are obviously followers and purveyors of their rotten philosophies.

        • http://youtu.be/HlD3Gaq4cN0 Despeville

          You are deluded and and idolater worshiping man like "god" so please do not preach to me for I am not buying your rubbish.

      • dwoodpc

        Despeville said "Please don't preach to me…"
        I say: Ha, I am not a preacher, you are, and you are an inconsolable, nasty man, so I know you have a hard heart with no residency of the Holy Spirit. Repent to the real Jesus Christ. He forgives, but he also holds you accountable. Yes, I know you don't believe in accountability. You believe in imputation… well that would make all the commandments — and there are many — inconsequential and useless — HA, are you in for a surprise !!!! I know you teach imputation to your congregation so they can go home and out in the world to to anything they damn well please… no worries… it is so freeeeeeeeeeeeeing is it now Despeville. Ha, you are in for a surprise. I will pray that you repent and then promise the real Jesus Christ to forgive you for being so rude. Then if you are real good the real representatives of Christ will knock on your door for your benefit, not theirs, because they are the true evangelicals of the Lord Jesus Christ. Stop lying Despeville!

        • http://youtu.be/HlD3Gaq4cN0 Despeville

          You know there is one thing that comes up here which I admit do not understand fully and that is the role and function of your Mormon underwear I mean don't you see this is as a blatant rip off Judaism and its kippah?

          • dwoodphd

            Stop lying Despeville the Screwtape Assistant.
            I am praying for your and Dionesius3's redemption.

  • great_grandma

    Can we find our way back? Our visionary founders prepared a document that saw all men as free and equal, even though they inherited a colony that practiced slavery. And within a century slavery was outlawed, even though the Supreme Court upheld slavery with Dred Scot. Our Declaration declares that all have an inalienable, God-given right to life. The Supreme Court took it away from all succeeding generations, by declaring that the mother of the unborn child has a right to destroy the child in the womb. This error will also be corrected in time. Our democratic policies of raiding the treasury to play Santa will also be corrected … either when we come to our senses, or when the treasury is empty and we become Greece.

    • Richard

      No, you cannot inject Judeo-Christian context and heritage in entities that reject it. Like the Latino’s and Islamist’s have been doing for over a half century. Multiply your inheritance and spread.

    • dwoodpc

      We "inherited a colony that practiced slavery…"
      Yes and the egregious tyrant who supported the practice was cast out by the 1776ers!!! Unfortunately, this country did not throw out all the supporters of the tyrant (the residual monarchists) and they maintained the slave trade to the detriment of freedom for many. Those many still hold the grudge but not only to those responsible. The American taxpayer is held responsible.

      I suggest that we make it crystal clear to the monarchists who still inhabit out great country who now — instead of having out right slaves as they once had — they have generational entitlement to keep people down …. this insidious practice must be changed. It is killing our progress as a free nation and loading down our future generations in the bottomless pit of immense debt.

  • Mexseiko

    The Bible says the debtor is a slave to his creditor. America has yielded her freedom and independence to her creditors. She has enslaved her future generations and has become addicted to spending money she doesn't have. America has lost her perspective as the word Trillion gains familiaririty not a asset, but as liability.

    America also grows desensitized and immoral loosing her first love.

    • http://rationalresponses.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dixon

      What first love did she loose?

      • dwoodpc

        let me guess: the love and passion for individual liberty. Example: we have generational food-stampers, people who think they have to live on food stamps because their parents did. It's "inherited."

    • dwoodpc

      China owns us. Mitt Romney with the moral support on the debt issue from Donald Trump, Rand Paul, Ron Paul, that guy on the Finance committee, and a few others will change that.