[ExI] Words don't mean what they used to mean.

spike at rainier66.com spike at rainier66.com
Sun Jul 10 18:37:27 UTC 2022


...> On Behalf Of Dan TheBookMan via extropy-chat
...

>...You’re mixing the Declaration and the Constitution. The former was written in 1776 CE by Jefferson; the latter over a decade later by a committee not including Jefferson. (Jefferson was ambassador to France at the time and not a member of the committee. I believe his sentiments at the time were anti-federalist.) ...
Regards,

Dan
_______________________________________________


Ja, thx Dan.  The two main proto-parties were the Federalists (John Adams' guys) and the Democratic Republicans (Jefferson's party, who preferred that name to the unimaginative name "anti-Federalists."  The Democratic Republicans so dominated everything that the opposing party faded into irrelevance and the remaining party split into what we still have today.

With that simplified view, I do not wish to cast shadows on John Adams.  He had some redeeming qualities, even though he wanted to glom onto power anywhere he could find it.  He was the first modern president in that sense, perhaps not as extreme.  Modern presidents and candidates live for power.

Today we are seeing Americans growing ever less trusting of Federal government power (I hope that is what is happening, for I trust concentrated power even less than those who distrust concentrated power.)  States should do the heavy lifting on law, then people can move to where they feel most comfortable.  With work becoming ever more mobile, this is more true than ever.  I am OK with what California is doing.  Otherwise I would leave.

spike 




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