Philosophy
As I've argued before, the Founding Fathers were not this monolithic and unified myth of unanimous agreement we often fantasize or 'remember'. A lot of what they managed to accomplish (even the approval of the Declaration of Independence) was not simply the result of high idealism and selfless patriotism but of back-alley deals and political maneuvering (else we would have gotten rid of slavery from the start). Sometimes, as we all do from time to time, they did the right thing for the wrong reasons.
This is to be expected. Admirable as they were in many respects, they were still human, and prone to compartmentalization, opportunism and sheer disagreement... but that's exactly the point of democracy: that we work through our problems, that we enter the marketplace of ideas and choose from among the various proposals those that are best defended. We don't all need to hold the same ideas as 'self-evident truths', but we can discuss them and let the best ideas rise to the top.
Anyway, the following clip shows that the birth of our own nation wasn't immune to the pain and struggle that all births must endure:
And if you want more, check out the Founding Fathers' rap or this ballad of the declaration...
- Independence And Multiethnicity
Kosovo's declaration of independence today raises a question. On the one hand, the idea of a group receiving the right to self-govern seems to be intrinsically good. Autonomy and self-determination are an important part of a full recognition of humanity....
- Hanno On Kerry
From Hanno: The latest flap over John Kerry is solid bullshit and it amazes me how the Republican party can take absolutely nothing, turn it into a political issue, and have the press run with it. Kerry said "You know, education -- if you make the most...
- The Meaning Of The Declaration Of Independence
Last week in America we got to celebrate the 4th of July. To many people, this is a nice excuse to have a day off, spend it with family or friends, eat some hot dogs, drink some beer and watch some awesome fireworks. Nothing wrong with that. It is important...
- Bill Maher - New Rule: Tea Baggers & Founding Fathers
I always become suspicious when someone, conservative or liberal, tries to make a point by appealing back to the Founding Fathers. Part of it just has to do with consistency: since they were fallible humans, they were right about some things and wrong...
- Meet President Thomas Jefferson
I don?t know whether other countries share this tradition with their respective historical figures, but here in the U.S. we have a delightful tradition of people ?scholars in many cases? who take it upon themselves to embody and reenact the lives and...
Philosophy
John Adams - Declaration of Independence
As I've argued before, the Founding Fathers were not this monolithic and unified myth of unanimous agreement we often fantasize or 'remember'. A lot of what they managed to accomplish (even the approval of the Declaration of Independence) was not simply the result of high idealism and selfless patriotism but of back-alley deals and political maneuvering (else we would have gotten rid of slavery from the start). Sometimes, as we all do from time to time, they did the right thing for the wrong reasons.This is to be expected. Admirable as they were in many respects, they were still human, and prone to compartmentalization, opportunism and sheer disagreement... but that's exactly the point of democracy: that we work through our problems, that we enter the marketplace of ideas and choose from among the various proposals those that are best defended. We don't all need to hold the same ideas as 'self-evident truths', but we can discuss them and let the best ideas rise to the top.
Anyway, the following clip shows that the birth of our own nation wasn't immune to the pain and struggle that all births must endure:
And if you want more, check out the Founding Fathers' rap or this ballad of the declaration...
- Independence And Multiethnicity
Kosovo's declaration of independence today raises a question. On the one hand, the idea of a group receiving the right to self-govern seems to be intrinsically good. Autonomy and self-determination are an important part of a full recognition of humanity....
- Hanno On Kerry
From Hanno: The latest flap over John Kerry is solid bullshit and it amazes me how the Republican party can take absolutely nothing, turn it into a political issue, and have the press run with it. Kerry said "You know, education -- if you make the most...
- The Meaning Of The Declaration Of Independence
Last week in America we got to celebrate the 4th of July. To many people, this is a nice excuse to have a day off, spend it with family or friends, eat some hot dogs, drink some beer and watch some awesome fireworks. Nothing wrong with that. It is important...
- Bill Maher - New Rule: Tea Baggers & Founding Fathers
I always become suspicious when someone, conservative or liberal, tries to make a point by appealing back to the Founding Fathers. Part of it just has to do with consistency: since they were fallible humans, they were right about some things and wrong...
- Meet President Thomas Jefferson
I don?t know whether other countries share this tradition with their respective historical figures, but here in the U.S. we have a delightful tradition of people ?scholars in many cases? who take it upon themselves to embody and reenact the lives and...