From Beto O'Rourke: Is this the End of the last best hope

[liskddksil]

Last edited Thu Feb 6, 2020, 02:31 PM - Edit history (1)

When the Constitution was adopted on June 21, 1788, it immediately became the exception to the rule of human history, announcing to the world that we would be governed by laws and not by men. To guard against human tendency to concentrate power and authority — to keep would-be kings, dictators, strongmen and thugs from wresting control of this noble experiment — a system of checks and balances was implemented. There would be separate branches of government, and a division of power and responsibility between them. And in the sole branch of government where power is not shared but held by one person, the executive, there would be a further check: impeachment.

Though imperfect, and even immoral in its initial acceptance of slavery and the slave trade, the Constitution was a breathtaking departure from the course of human events and enabled America to become a singular, inspiring idea.

https://medium.com/BetoORourke/is-this-the-end-of-the-last-best-hope-ef5ede2fad12

[vlyons]

1. Our constitution was the highest political expression

from the Age of Enlightenment.

[TwilightZone]

2. Just an aside on medium links:

The @ symbol in links from medium.com breaks the link function on DU, but if you take it out before you post, the link will display (and work) correctly.

Like so:

https://medium.com/BetoORourke/is-this-the-end-of-the-last-best-hope-ef5ede2fad12

[liskddksil]

3. Thanks! nt

[moondust]

4. In 1788

I think they had good intentions, but the immorality of slavery at that time followed by the bloody Civil War should have served as a perpetual reminder that man is morally fallible and another era of widespread immorality/amorality could happen again without adequate vigilance.

I'd say the current era got its start with "Reaganomics" and the "greed is good" 1980s. Unfortunately, that model has spread far and wide largely because in the 1980s it was THE alternative to the oppressive totalitarian models of communism and fascism. The more egalitarian Nordic model would have been a far better choice for western civilization and beyond. Nobody needs billionaires.