The End of a Semester

Well, this is it. The end of the semester.  This blog was created for a class.  I hope you enjoyed reading the blogs.  I enjoyed writing them and fully realizing my political views.  I'm not sure if I will ever really use this blog ever again, but I won't rule it out forever.  However, if you want to read more by me, feel free to visit sistersbypen.blogspot.com.  I hope you all have a great Christmas and a happy New Year!!

To Use Government, Or Not To Use Government

Throughout the past couple hundred years, the United States kept strong to the idea that less government was  better.  However, it wasn't until the Great Depression, where so many people were hurt that the ideas of the American people began to change.  Herbert Hoover, though trying to influence the lives of the people through the use of government was not, in the people's view, doing much to help the welfare of the people.  As soon as elections were on their way, it was clear the Hoover was never going to win.  Instead, it was Franklin Delano Roosevelt who won the election race.  He promised to help the people, to make sure that they would all have the life they once possessed.
The biggest question that comes with the great depression is whether or not the government helped or not my interfering into the private affairs of the people.  It is stated in the constitution that there are certain areas where the government can interfere.  These areas were specific to keep the people safe from being run over by the government. FDR instituted The New Deal which created jobs to help the jobless, and hopefully stimulate the economy.
In all previous recessions, it was the people that fixed the problem. Yes, people were hurt, without money or jobs, but it was the people who were able to get back on their feet.  This depression, where the government took matters into their own hands is the only one that lasted through an entire decade.
It is clear the as long as the government does its job by protecting the people from a loss of rights (those rights that are God given) and nothing else, this nation can prevail against any hardship.  Government should only be used to protect the people.  That does not mean from their own mistakes in the economy.
The Economic Bill Of Rights is not constitutional. Not every man, woman, or child is obligated to have a home or a job.  yes, it is an ideal, and we should all be striving for that perfection, but perfection cannot be obtained through force.  Rather, it needs to be acquired through the good of all man.  Government is an idea, not a real person.  The People have control over it. If the people of the UNited States of America want to have a truly free nation, it is up to them to control the government as is their right.

Me? My Own City? Very Well

How easy is it to say that any of us could create an entire system of government?  Many people believe this  idea to be true.  But once we look at the specifics, what once seemed like a simple adventure turns into an impossible mission.   It is still harder to create the sort of economy that would enable people to have the best chances at life.  However, there are a few undeniable ideas that are essential to have the best society possible.
The first virtue that is needed in order to create a stable society is to have the free reign of producers and consumers.  If the people are not free to do what they believe is best, the entire economy would collapse.  By having the freedom to own land and other physical things, people will have the ability as well as want to gain more.  Some might argue that this is greed.  In a sense, it is, but not in the horrible way most people view the word.  Greed in this case means self-interest.  If there was no self-interest, nobody would feel the need or want to do better.  By freeing up the marketplace, the people are free to make decisions of how best to spend and use their money, create inventions that make life easier, and this in turn helps the economy.
The government should have little to no influence in the economy.  As soon as they begin to step in, the people will then begin to believe that they have to power, and therefore should not even try to do better.  Many people, consumers and producers alike appreciate the idea of a price floor or ceiling.  All these do is help destroy the economy.  With a price floor, the price of any given object cannot be less than the given amount.  This completely take away those people who cannot afford to buy those items at the price floor.  The price ceiling works much in the same way, but in this turn, it is the sellers that are hurt rather than the buyers.
The availability of technology is what has made the American lifestyle possible.  What is it that makes our life what it is?  That question is easily answered by asking who came up with the idea for anything.  Someone who felt that they had the answer in them to solve a problem in our society.  By inventing something and then selling it to the people, the inventor became an entrepreneur.  They are the backbone. Without them, we would not have advanced as much as we have.  THere are many nations where the economy is not a free one, rather, entrepreneurs are forbidden.  If they are not allowed, it become increasingly harder for anyone to have the encouragement to do better.  If it will all be taken away from them to support the greed (the bad kind) of the government, there is no point to make things better.
In ordre for an economy to be successful, it is important to have property rights, the right to invent, or become an entrepreneur, and to keep the government out of the economy as much as is possible.  There is indeed an invisible hand that leads all to work in the self-interest of others in order to become as successful as possible.  If people are given that freedom, they will prove that we are all born with the light of Christ and strive to be better and help others in need.

Federalist #51 (That's a good number)

In Federalist 51, James Madison wrote about the paradox of trying to create a government that is capable of controlling “. . . the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.”  The delicate balance lies in trying to ensure the government as a whole has enough power to stop factions from having complete control while at the same time, having a system of balance that will not allow the government to run completely by itself. 

            The Constitution was an inspired document that was able to put the balance of powers into force.  First, there is a set of areas where the government can make laws in reference too.  Through this list it was unnecessary to explain the things the government could not do.  By only giving a list of things the government could do, anything outside of the list was clearly forbidden.  The Constitution should have been enough.  However, the Founding Fathers felt that if something might go wrong, and fearing for the freedom and rights of the People, they would need to do all in their power to ensure that the people are protected.  Thus came the Bill of Rights. These are areas that are written out where the government cannot make laws in reference to.  This Bill of Rights protects the people’s basic and some wanted rights.

            These rules, The Constitution and The Bill of Rights, help keep the government in check, but there are always ways around laws.  The Founding Fathers understood this and created a government that would, once elected by the People, rule itself while not having access to too much power.  The people needed to vote for the person they wanted in office.  If those people acting in office were not satisfactory, the people could vote them out.  The government was and is dependent on the people.  It is a different matter if the people do not use this power wisely. 

            The government is split into three separate areas: Legislative, Judicial, and Executive.  Each of these areas can veto another branches decisions.  This ensures that one branch will not become too powerful.  According to Federalist #51, a foundation of government must be “ . . . separate and distinct [in] exercise of the different powers of government . . .” in order to be successful and not full of tyranny.

            Not only is there a separation of powers between the different branches of government, but there is also a division of powers between the national and state governments called federalism.  The national government could, potentially, be the most powerful form of government if given the powers.  This is why the national government is limited in what is can do by The Constitution and The Bill of Rights.  However, everything that is not stated in The Constitution and The Bill of Rights are items that the state governments can look into.  Through popular vote of a state, a smaller groups individual wants are reflected in the outcomes. 

            While it is admirable, popular vote is not enough all of the time.  This is why there are different items that can and cannot be voted on at the national levels.  For example, Hitler was voted into power in Germany, but caused one of the most horrible genocides we know of.  In order to stop this happening, it is important to have a large country from which to gain votes. 

            Our country is large.  The larger the country, the harder it is for any one faction to have complete control.  It might be easy for a faction to gain control in a state, but in reality, over the entire nation, they will have little power.

            The government of the United States of America was perfectly designed since the Lord inspired it. There is a perfect system of checks and balances that keeps the powers in check.  This is to protect the people.  Unfortunately, the people, for many generations, have not taken upon themselves the responsibility of being the ruling force.  They have lost much power and because of that, it is easy to see our government weakening.  It will only become strong when the people remember that they are in power, and it is their right and duty to ensure this government will last for many generations to come. 

             

Inspiration and Perspiration Over a National Document

          It is obvious to most that the entire founding of the United States of America was only capable of being brought forth through the hand of God.  There needed to be a place of religious freedom for the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.  The Lord inspired our Founding Fathers so they would feel the need to have more freedom from their monarch King George III.  They started a revolution that was destined to occur and push America into an age of freedom.  These men admitted that without the hand of God, no revolution would have ever been possible.  The same goes for the organizing and writing of the Constitution.
            Most colonists were concerned with ensuring that their separate colonies would get the best deal.  The colonies had needed to unite in order to win the Revolutionary War.  However, once the war was won, the colonies were only focused on their personal gain.  They had much debt from the war with Great Britain. They were not able to pay it off as they wanted to because England set up a great number of tariffs that raised the colonists’ prices significantly.  In order to raise revenue, the colonists began to tax one another.  This caused a great rift between the colonies.  They would need to come together in order to become the strong nation it needed to be.            
           James Madison studied many forms of government and determined that the only form of strong government was a government that received its power from the people and having a strong system of checks and balances.  The idea of checks and balances had never before been accomplished, but Madison was determined to see the idea help America.  He brought his ideas in the form of the Virginia Plan that was read to members of an organization that consisted of representatives of the colonies.  These men would need to decide if the Virginia Plan would make their nation stronger.              
           It was a long battle.  At first, the colonist were opposed to abolishing the entire Articles of Confederation, but it was decided that in order for America to become a strong nation, they needed a form of federal government.  Most of the colonies were perfectly happy with a rule by the people, but the matter of equal representation disrupted much of the tranquility.   Smaller colonies would no longer have equal representation as they had possessed.  They were not willing to give this up.  It took weeks of deliberation for the large and small colonies to reach a conclusion.  They decided that if one side of Congress was formed in proportion to the population, the other could be filled with an equal representation regardless of population.  However, the large states were still against this and refused to allow the equal representation part of Congress to pass.  They needed a little Divine help.            
           In the Lord’s Council, members will go around and discuss their ideas.  If they are not unanimous, they will go around again.  The separate members of the council are guided by the spirit until they are in line with that the Lord would have them do.  Eventually, it was Madison that told the larger states to vote for the Great Compromise.  He said that as long as both sides got part of what they wanted, the government would be much stronger for it.  The council that brought about the Constitution was guided to act as if it was a council of the Lord’s.              
           Madison was the man that received the inspiration of what the United States of America needed as its central form of government.  The council that deliberated for weeks finally came to the conclusion that a compromise would do what was required to maintain a strong enough government.  The Lord had a hand through it all.  It is easy to see that as Americans we owe everything to our Creator, the Lord God Omnipotent.  

Let's See Why Treason Can Be A Good Thing

Why was the American Revolution justified? These colonists were committing the highest form of treason by starting a revolution.  What had occurred that made ultimate treason a noble act?  These men, who we call heroes, were starting a revolution that would cause the King of Great Britain to lose part of his territory. What made their criminal acts heroic?  Perhaps the best answer to this is that they were simply following the beat of a different drummer.  A drummer that would allow them to keep their natural rights.

King George III wanted his kingdom to fully return to the monarch system of rule.  He believed his father and grandfather had been weak kings and wished to change the tradition.  The King first decided that in order to obtain the largest amount of power, he would be required to bring the colonies in America completely under his control.  The people in America had long since been used to having the right to rule themselves.  They were still, of course, subjects to the King of Great Britain, but they were essentially in control of themselves.  The King wished to change this.  He began to fire all of the previous members of his cabinet who were mostly members of the Whig party that were satisfied with allowing the colonists to continue ruling themselves.  These party members were no longer in positions of leadership. Instead, the men who had taken their place were all sympathetic to the King and would do whatever he wanted.  This was the first step in laying the groundwork for the colonies’ rebellion.

Second, King George III took away most of the colonists’ lawmaking abilities.  They were no longer allowed to create their own legislature without it possibly being vetoed by the King.  The King maintained an unspoken rule that all those loyal to him would be rewarded.  With so many people willing to help the King, he soon had to create more positions of leadership to reward those he favored.  These extras were placed as members of the military in the Americas.  This was, obviously, not appreciated by the colonies, but this was not a matter that greatly concerned the King, as he was mainly concerned about gaining absolute control.  King George III, however, greatly underestimated the people of America.    

The colonists were an amazing group of people.  They were the ones that had fled England is search of religious freedom.  Most of those people who could actually afford the crossing would have been rich, and therefore been able to afford a proper education.  This ensured that the colonist would know how to think for themselves.  They understood that God had given them certain rights because they were humans and the monarchy was infringing on those rights that had been laid down by God. 

There were several acts laid down in later years that made sure the colonists would become enraged and wish to fight for their freedom, not that this outcome was the Kings goal.  The Sugar Act was passed in 1764 to tax many items that the colonies traded.  Also in 1764, the Currency Act stated that the colonies could no longer issue any more paper money.  They would be reliant on the Motherland’s money.  Perhaps one of the most jarring acts of all was the Stamp Act in March of 1765.  Every item that was printed would be taxed.  No legal procedure could continue without the stamp, literally, of approval.  No newspapers would be read or printed without the stamp.  However, the Stamp Act was not observed by the rebellious colonies.  Members of the Sons of Freedom intimidated those men who would sell the stamps into resigning from their positions.  Without the stamps, every paper product used would be used in a criminal act.  However, life had to continue, so the colonies acted as if the Act had never taken place.  There would be no tolerance in the colonies for “Taxation without representation.”  In the same year, just two months later, the Quartering Act was passed.  This law stated that the colonists were required to allow the military of Great Britain to stay in their homes.  Not only were they supposed to provide room for them, but also food to sustain them.  This was the last straw.  It was the opposition to these outrageous Acts that were passed without representation that drew the colonies together.  They determined that it was time to act. 

  The colonists soon realized that these Acts had been forms of indirect taxation, but the Declaratory Act, which was passed the day the Stamp Act had been repealed, was a direct tax. This allowed the King to tax the colonies simply for the sake of taxing them.  There were new taxes that those people in Great Britain did not have to endure.  The colonists simply wanted to have the same rights they had always had. 

John Dickinson wrote a series of letters entitled Letters From a Farmer in Pennsylvania.  In these letters, Dickinson stressed that the colonies should maintain loyalty to the Crown of England, but to resist the cruel Acts given to America.  The colonies were first to send petitions to the Crown, followed by boycotts, and if those failed, less peaceful means, but, there should be no riots. 

Eventually, after many failed attempts at peace, men, who would later become known as our Founding fathers started a full revolution.  They were determined to states their reasons for leaving Great Britain and did so in the historic document known as The Declaration of Independence.  This was perhaps one of the first documents that mentioned unalienable rights given to man from God.  These rights consisted of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.   The Monarch of Great Britain had infringed on all of these rights.  Many colonists were killed because their allegiance was not to the King.  Their liberty was taken away because they were no longer represented while voting for taxes.  Lastly, their property rights were null.  The Quartering Act ensured that the colonies would no longer have the full right to their possessions. 

These men were justified in their revolt. They were ensuring that their children and the future generations would grow up in a free country.  In their own words, when a government attempts to bring its subjects under complete control, “. . . it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”      

First Essay!!

My first assignment is due on this blog tomorrow between 12:00 A.M. and 9:30 A.M.  If you know me, then you should know I started and finished the assignment yesterday.  I don't believe in procrastination, and I believe that we make our own luck.  I know, I am strange.  Anyway, the first essay will be posted tomorrow sometime between 12 and 9:30.  Maybe when I wake up, which should be before my English class at 8:00. .. but I am just thinking out loud here.  Feel free to comment on the essay.  I would love to hear from you.  If you have any comments that you would like to send to me privately, feel free to email me at writingteen@gmail.com.

Bex