Cover of The Federalist Papers (Signet Classics)
Americans Elect is and can be a process of returning to the voter the idea of Classic Liberalism and the Constitution. Americans Elect must be about electing candidates who understand both principles. As Americans we must end the continuous cycle of gridlock and poor government, we stand for natural rights, Human Rights and our Constitutional Rights. The candidate we choose must honestly address all issues and understand that his role is to lead all Americans
Classic Liberalism is the very foundation of our country. The individual under Classical Liberalism is free to pursue ones own interests without endangering or violating the rights of others. It was clearly delineated throughout the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Federalist Papers. There is no reference to independent states as a National Government separate from the Federal Government. It has been perverted by the strict interpretationists. In the case of the Republicans they have moved away from Classic Liberalism in such away that the very Founding Fathers would not recognize the abuse of power for the sake of business and laissez-faire economics. The new interpretations of corporations having the same inherent rights as people is contrary to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. They use economics as a pretext for war, social change and interference with Constitutional rights.
It is ironic that the very principles of John Locke, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and the and foundation of our country are being destroyed by the very people who profess that they want to protect this country.
The politicians speak of limited government all the while using religion, family values, economics as tools to suspend or modify the Constitution. They have in fact violated or will violate both individual rights and economic freedom in the name of security, terrorism, or national interests.
In the case of Liberals they have failed to understand the distinction between the roles of the states and the Federal Government. The House has specific functions as does the Senate, but most significantly it was the Senate, being the senior chamber, with the duty of checking the president.
It should be noted that the Constitution is forever evolving and requires careful deliberations by both the Legislative Branch and the Supreme Court. This continuous evolving is essential to meet both the role of the Federal Government and the necessity of the states to know and understand there role in the Federal Government. It is imperative that the populace understand the functions of their government. Americans Elect has a vital role in this process because it is “voters returning to the election process without party”.
A far-reaching aspect of our Constitution was the Ninth and the Tenth Amendments. Clearly the Tenth expresses the idea that the People retain the right of delegate reserved powers to their respective governments or not to delegate to either level of government. However, these two amendments cannot be taken individually. The Ninth and Tenth Amendments taken together reserve to the people the all rights and powers. (Texas Law Review, Page 370; vol. 83:331)
We live in fifty sovereign states which agree by compact with the structure of our government came together originally as thirteen states to form a Constitution and a Federal Government to best preserve our future. The vast arguments both for and against the Federal Government were many and eventually allowed us both the Classic Liberalism as it was meant and defined, by our Founding Fathers and the philosophers of their day, and the security of the Bill of Rights.
Each state during ratification of the Constitution had to deal with two very different types of sovereignty, one being Popular sovereignty or the legitimacy of the state and the other being Sovereignty of the People, or the source of political power. Popular Sovereignty assumes the existence of some form popular consent and thus a republican form of government. The state must also, recognize it does not exist in vacuum for the sole purpose of factions, agendas, or special interests.
The case for Classic Liberalism and for the Constitution has never been more urgent. The politicians, business tycoons, lobbyists, corporations, and religion along with the local political factions have taken the very soul out of Liberalism and the Constitution. They have defined and outlined what is good for America, they have done this by establishing their own criteria and creating laws that deny what belong to the people and not the state.
Related articles
- Why Americans Elect 2012? (yumaprogressive.wordpress.com)
- Texas Law Review [ vol 83: 331
- American Scripture 1997 Pauline Maier
- The Creation of the American Republic 1969; Gordon S. Wood
- wikipedia.org Liberal Nationalism
- ncpa.org/pub/what is classical liberalism
- Federalist Papers
- wikipedia.org P0pular Sovereignty
ggita32
ajfloyd
kristalklear
bjjangles
patricktech
cesarzambrano
Ken McMurtrie
gogofishgreen
yuma progressive
Read and agreed with much that’s in your blog. However, I don’t fully agree with the underlying, implicit thesis that political parties are the root of all evil (slight exaggeration of what you’re really saying). I certainly won’t argue that at the national level party politics has promoted dysfunctionality. But, even there, it’s more the result of rigid ideology and election of ideologues than a consequence of inherent political party functions.
Allow me to explain. If more people got involved with political parties at the grassroots level, a small group of ideologically pure activists would not be able to control the political party apparatus. I would submit, that if all the folks energized by the idea behind Americans Elect were to get involved with the two major political parties at the local level, they could achieve AND SUSTAIN their objectives more thoroughly and quickly than they are ever likely to be able to do with the “top down” approach of starting with election of a President. The obstacles which a third party or “movement” must hurdle in trying to elect a President are truly formidable. AND, even if this were successful, would not lead to either an overnight or sustainable change in the abhorrent culture and disfunction that currently pervades Washington. In fact, I would predict that if AE were (by some great miracle) successful, the current elected congressional representatives of the two parties would immediately call a truce and join forces to subvert the likelihood of the AE President being successful and to assure the rapid disenchantment, if not demise, of the AE movement.
The consequences of the Tea Party movement and its infiltration of the GOP demonstrates my point. They got involved at the local (congressional district) level, nominated and elected congressional candidates in 2010, and further exacerbated the existing dysfunctionality in D.C. Just think what could be done in 2012 if a whole bunch of non-ideologues got involved with (infiltrated) both parties, gained control and nominated reasonable candidates in place of the “my way or the highway” ideologues. Now THAT would change the dynamic in D.C., AND it would be sustainable!!
Although I used the “Right” in my example, because it ‘s such an obvious one. I could make many of the same points about the “Left”. The ideologues on the left are every bit as uncompromising as those on the right. They castigate Obama and moderate Democrats almost as fiercely as the wing-nuts. If politics is the art of compromise, is it any wonder we have dysfunction when we nominate and elect ideologues?!!
The fact is, many local political committees would love to have more “non-ideologue-driven” active and involved folks in their organization. (As party chair of the Accomack County Democratic Committee I certainly would — tho I’m lucky to have members who are practical and realize that the political climate in our county and congressional district is pretty centrist. ) That should increase the likelihood that “moderate” candidates — which has become a four letter word to both the left and the right — would be recruited, nominated, and elected. Populating congress with reasonable, solutions-oriented elected officials is the only sustainable solution. Electing one man or woman as President would, in the BEST case, only be a transient solution.
You might be interested to know that our Committee is a member of the Eastern Shore of VA Chamber of Commerce, we meet monthly at the Chamber, and the Chamber was the Committee’s co-sponsor for a non-partisan Constitutional Officers Forum series this past spring where we invited the public to come learn more about the functions of, and dialogue with, the County’s elected constitutional officers — Sheriff, Commonwealth’s Attorney, Treasurer, Commissioner of the Revenue, and Clerk of the Court. Our Committee also just approved an ad to be placed in the Chamber’s premier annual publication “Essentials” which is provided to new residents, new/existing businesses, and professional offices as a community resources publication:
So, you might say we non-ideologues have not only infiltrated and taken over the local Dem party, we’re now (OMG) infiltrating the local Chamber of Commerce. Now ain’t that a kick in the pants!! U.S. Chamber LOOK OUT, YOU’RE IN OUR SIGHTS!!!