The transition of the Roman world from Pagainism to Christianity between 270 and 325 was the most momentous period in the history of the West. The State was the spirit of Paganism, religion was the spirit of Christianity. Constantine combined Christianity into the political order to bolster the State against chaos. Church and State, from Diocletian and Constantine until the French Revolution in 1789 had an uneasy truce punctuated by hostility.
The US was the first nation in history to seperate religion and the State. This was done to protect religion from the State. It encouraged a vast number of faiths to bloom. No one sect could dominate because none were protected or destroyed by the State. This created a unique brand of American Patriotism in which loyalty is felt not to the State, religion, or government, but to the "Nation." The Nation is the People in their political capacity.
It is this unique kind of nationalism, loyalty to the nation, the People, and the Constitution as a reflection of the Liberty of the People, that is the quiet strength that has unified the country through the divisions of class, region, race and creed. The unity is not enforced by a particular religion. The unity is derived from the diversity of religions and each individual's belief in his own creed and right to hold that creed as expressed in the National Creed. Freedom of Religion as guaranteed by its separation from the State strengthens the nation as it allows religion to animate the souls of each individual without interferecne from the State.
This is why it is not the State that is the source of soverignty but the People in there political capacity. It is not a strong state that welds our unity or guarantees our Liberty. It is a strong nation within which a multiplicity of religions, beliefs and states can flourish.
We are, and ever shall be, the United States, not the United State. A unitary State would threaten not only our religious Liberty buy all of our Liberties and our unity that is buttressed by them.
Monday, June 22, 2009
From My Journal (XII)
Friday, September 26, 2008:
The situation with Iran is deteriorating. The Bush administration has almost certainly been putting pressure on Israel to not strike for fear of the economic consequences.
The situation with Iran is deteriorating. The Bush administration has almost certainly been putting pressure on Israel to not strike for fear of the economic consequences.
Friday, June 19, 2009
From My Journal (XI)
Wednesday, June 17,2009:
The people in the political capacity are the source of sovereignty in the US. The founders did not view the states as sovereign, contrary to modern Conservatives. The founders did not view the federal government as the source of sovereignty, contrary to the modern Left.
The People of the several states were one People forged in war. This unity and sovereignty forged by the recent Revolution and almost 200 years of shared history were the reasons that it was not each state that was sovereign but the People as Americans in their political capacity were the source of sovereignty. It was not the federal government that was the source of sovereignty because it was the People, acting in their political capacity who ratified the Constitution, with the understanding of future amendments. They did so, not through a federal Congress or the state legislatures, but through specific conventions in each state. These conventions, although state-bases, did not represent the state government's acceptance of the Constitution. They represented the People of that state as Americans acknowledging or disavowing, as in the case of RI and NC, their unity with the rest of one American People.
This is the great secret of the unity and greatness of our country. Ultimately the source of sovereignty for both the federal governments and the state governments lie not in themselves but in the American People, acting in their political capacity through the clause in the constitution authorizing state constitutional conventions.
The founders did not abolish state governments in the Constitution, as some wanted, to create a Unitary State. They had not authority to do this because the states already existed and the People had not ratified the Constitution. This would have been to presume the will of the People. After the People ratified, then those states had no authority to abolish or disregard the Constitution.
So, from the beginning, both the powers of the federal government and the states relationship to the federal government was instituted and regulated by the People acting in their political capacity. This remains so today.
The federal government does not have power over the states. The states do not have power over the federal government. The People, acting in their political capacity are the source of sovereignty for all governments, state and federal, in the United States of America.
The people in the political capacity are the source of sovereignty in the US. The founders did not view the states as sovereign, contrary to modern Conservatives. The founders did not view the federal government as the source of sovereignty, contrary to the modern Left.
The People of the several states were one People forged in war. This unity and sovereignty forged by the recent Revolution and almost 200 years of shared history were the reasons that it was not each state that was sovereign but the People as Americans in their political capacity were the source of sovereignty. It was not the federal government that was the source of sovereignty because it was the People, acting in their political capacity who ratified the Constitution, with the understanding of future amendments. They did so, not through a federal Congress or the state legislatures, but through specific conventions in each state. These conventions, although state-bases, did not represent the state government's acceptance of the Constitution. They represented the People of that state as Americans acknowledging or disavowing, as in the case of RI and NC, their unity with the rest of one American People.
This is the great secret of the unity and greatness of our country. Ultimately the source of sovereignty for both the federal governments and the state governments lie not in themselves but in the American People, acting in their political capacity through the clause in the constitution authorizing state constitutional conventions.
The founders did not abolish state governments in the Constitution, as some wanted, to create a Unitary State. They had not authority to do this because the states already existed and the People had not ratified the Constitution. This would have been to presume the will of the People. After the People ratified, then those states had no authority to abolish or disregard the Constitution.
So, from the beginning, both the powers of the federal government and the states relationship to the federal government was instituted and regulated by the People acting in their political capacity. This remains so today.
The federal government does not have power over the states. The states do not have power over the federal government. The People, acting in their political capacity are the source of sovereignty for all governments, state and federal, in the United States of America.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
From My Journal (X)
Monday, March 2, 2009:
The situation in Korea is becoming more tense. South Korea recently said that war is imminent. North Korea is threatening to test a new missile. Talks are being held at the DMZ.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009:
Obama recently sent a letter to Russian President Medvedev. He stated that the US would abandon plans for a missile defense in Eastern Europe if Russia will pressure Iran to stop its nuclear program. This is too late in that Russia is already helping and continues to help Iran build the necessary reactor for a nuclear program.
The situation in Korea is becoming more tense. South Korea recently said that war is imminent. North Korea is threatening to test a new missile. Talks are being held at the DMZ.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009:
Obama recently sent a letter to Russian President Medvedev. He stated that the US would abandon plans for a missile defense in Eastern Europe if Russia will pressure Iran to stop its nuclear program. This is too late in that Russia is already helping and continues to help Iran build the necessary reactor for a nuclear program.
From My Journal (IX)
Saturday, December 20, 2008:
History is not primarily about the past, it is about the future. History is an analysis of the thoughts and actions of human beings. The patterns we find in history are not "laws of history." They are not determinants of future human action. However, the patterns are illuminating of ourselves as a species; how we as a species tend to act under similar circumstances. It is the circumstances, however, that are shaped by individuals.
For instance, the economic crisis was brought on by individuals making decisions for themselves. The economic crisis is a particular circumstance under which politicians tend to fall back on statist solutions to problems. It is inconceivable to many on the Left that past state actions may have brought on the crisis. As most politicians of both parties today are to the Left, it is predictable that the State in the coming years will expand dramatically. This will have grave implications for human liberties, civil rights, private property and privacy rights and the economy.
History is not primarily about the past, it is about the future. History is an analysis of the thoughts and actions of human beings. The patterns we find in history are not "laws of history." They are not determinants of future human action. However, the patterns are illuminating of ourselves as a species; how we as a species tend to act under similar circumstances. It is the circumstances, however, that are shaped by individuals.
For instance, the economic crisis was brought on by individuals making decisions for themselves. The economic crisis is a particular circumstance under which politicians tend to fall back on statist solutions to problems. It is inconceivable to many on the Left that past state actions may have brought on the crisis. As most politicians of both parties today are to the Left, it is predictable that the State in the coming years will expand dramatically. This will have grave implications for human liberties, civil rights, private property and privacy rights and the economy.
From My Journal (VIII)
Thursday, December 18, 2008:
One of the misguided ideas of the multitude presently afoot in the US is that whatever is permitted constitutionally is good for the federal government to pursue. The interstate commerce clause has been interpreted as permitting the Congress wide latitude in its various plenitude of diarrhea of laws. However, simply the fact that a law is not forbidden constitutionally does not mean that the law is in congruence with the interests of the nation. And as it harms the nation, so it ultimately harms the Constitution that is dependent for its existence on the nation; the People, acting in their political capacity.
One of the misguided ideas of the multitude presently afoot in the US is that whatever is permitted constitutionally is good for the federal government to pursue. The interstate commerce clause has been interpreted as permitting the Congress wide latitude in its various plenitude of diarrhea of laws. However, simply the fact that a law is not forbidden constitutionally does not mean that the law is in congruence with the interests of the nation. And as it harms the nation, so it ultimately harms the Constitution that is dependent for its existence on the nation; the People, acting in their political capacity.
From My Journal (VII)
Sunday, June 14, 2009:
The ability to communicate technologically has increased enormously in the last fifty years. The human ability to express himself verbally and through writing has decreased in a nearly identical amount in the same time.
The problem has formed because there has developed the same ability to rapidly communicate through pictures. Humans are regressively moving back to their early roots of pictorial communication. The ability to communicate through verbal conversation and especially the written word is tragically and ominously collapsing.
The ability to communicate technologically has increased enormously in the last fifty years. The human ability to express himself verbally and through writing has decreased in a nearly identical amount in the same time.
The problem has formed because there has developed the same ability to rapidly communicate through pictures. Humans are regressively moving back to their early roots of pictorial communication. The ability to communicate through verbal conversation and especially the written word is tragically and ominously collapsing.
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