[ExI] constitution amendments, was: iranian riots all a huge mistake

[Stefano Vaj]

On Tue, Jul 14, 2009 at 3:05 AM, spike<spike66 at att.net> wrote:
> Ja, but recall that it is difficult to get 2/3 of the voters to agree on
> *anything* including the color of snow and whether the sun will rise
> tomorrow.  That fact gives the constitution some degree of stability.  The
> military insures that the government stays within the bounds of the
> constitution, for it is that document that defines who is in command of that
> awesome force.

Technically, this is known as a "semi-rigid" constitution, in the
sense that special proceedings and majority are required to change it.

Amendments to the US constitution have however repeatedly passed, and
it remains the case that a sufficient majority can do whatever it
likes, including eating the rest of the population.

Of course, even "rigid" constitutions can be reversed. But this
require a revolutionary, illegal breach of the previous order (say, a
switch from monarchy to republic in the UK).

-- 
Stefano Vaj