“More mischief is effected by wrapping up guilt in splendid excuse, than by directly patronizing it.”
-Thomas Paine
The best way to absolve guilt and move on is to simply admit it. “Hey, man; My Bad…”
“A narrow system of politics, like a narrow system of religion, is calculated only to sour the temper, and be at variance with mankind.”
-Thomas Paine, The Crisis
For all that might separate and divide us, politics and religion can be the most insidious when, on their face, they claim inclusion and in reality they sow fear, hatred, and discord.
The superior race and the one true religion.
“Among ridiculous things nothing is more ridiculous than ridiculous rage”
-Thomas Paine
Bluster and swagger, such as the type practiced daily by the likes of Rush Limbaugh, are not the domain of any prescient wisdom or truly moral indignation.
It merely calls attention to itself and, more often than not, shows itself for what it is: a cheap and cynical plea for attention. The value of Rush Limbaugh’s words go up in the same cigar smoke that waft up from his “golden” microphone as he goes on and on in his “ridiculous rage”, all of it diminishing into nothingness.
To give such pointless rage any credence is to give it much more than it deserves.
“A Constitution is the property of a Nation, and not those who exercise the Government.”
-Thomas Paine, the Rights of Man
George Bush barely hides his near contempt for the Constitution, apparently seeing it as something of an obstacle to his total grip on power.
Several sources have confirmed his angry retort at a staff meeting in 2005 that certain provisions of the Patriot Act may be unconstitutional:
“Stop throwing the Constitution in my face, it’s just a goddamned piece of paper!”
Unfortunately for Bush, the Constitution must continually be thrown in his face – in the face of every president – as often as is required to insure that he remain subject to the fundamental law in a nation governed by laws.
The Constitution is more than a “goddamned piece of paper”; and Mr. Bush does the nation no service to attempt to rise above it.
Perhaps it is even an impeachable offense?
“Those who abuse liberty when they possess it would abuse power could they obtain it”
-Thomas Paine
The genius of the Constitution is in the assurance of liberty for the many and balance of power away from the one, or the few. In theory at least.
How does that theory hold up in 2007?
“Wise men are astonished at foolish things, and other people at wise ones”
-Thomas Paine
And it is to the higher expectations of the wise that the rest of us should always aspire.
“Though the cause of America is the most honorable that man ever engaged in, I am not so dazzled by it as not to perceive the faults that are twisting themselves round it, and unnaturally claiming kindred with it.”
-Thomas Paine
In a troubled time such as we live, it is too easy to be dazzled by symbolism and paralyzed by fear, slowly letting in the choking weeds of oppression, suspicion, and aggression in the name of liberty and freedom, strangling the very thing for which we claim to hold dear and unique to our purpose.
Lies and obfuscation in the highest echelons of government can rarely, if ever, truly align itself with the true cause and idea of America.
“As this is in the order of nature, the order of Government must necessarily follow it, or Government will, as we see it does, degenerate into ignorance”
-Thomas Paine, Rights of Man
Isolation, an unwillingness to allow dissent, and a refusal to acknowledge realities that don’t line up with ideologies makes for ignorant governance.
“Where knowledge is a duty, ignorance is a crime”
-Thomas Paine
One crucial component of maintaining a free society and Democratic Republic is the sense of responsibility of the people to maintain their own civil freedom and that of the society at large. The responsibility to participate at some level and remain aware of what their government is doing in their name.
When we become ignorant of the actions of our government and subsequently come to find they have curtailed our freedoms and abused our rights, the crimes of the state become, if we fail to take action against them, crimes of the people as well. Ignorance is no excuse in a truly free society.
Where then, is the outrage?
“Immediate necessity makes many things convenient, which if continued would grow into oppressions. Expedience and right are different things.”
-Thomas Paine, Common Sense
History is replete with immediacies that made oppression of human rights and dignity convenient. There is little in the best of American history that lends itself much to convenience, but instead from the determined striving of the human spirit.
The only way to preserve and defend the nation is to never forfeit the Constitution and the founding principals of America to the convenience of the day.
The idea of the supremacy of human rights is the key to the survival of a nation and every age would have its excuse to forego the harder road of protecting and advancing that idea.
Making it easy does not make it right.
