Worst political re-write of all time
What is the WORST political re-write of all time?
It's clear to me that it's in the Declaration of Independence.
Jefferson actually wrote "We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable".
(Ben) Franklin et al. converted it into the more pasty, and secular, "self-evident", apparently to remove any religious connotation.
How "self-evident" is it to Castro, Chavez and Kim Jong-un? Or would it have been to Genghis Khan, Stalin, Mao, etc.?
Besides, if it were really "self-evident", it wouldn't have taken tens of thousands of years for someone to state it that way!
No, it really was "sacred": something NO man could ever overturn or supercede.
It's clear to me that it's in the Declaration of Independence.
Jefferson actually wrote "We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable".
(Ben) Franklin et al. converted it into the more pasty, and secular, "self-evident", apparently to remove any religious connotation.
How "self-evident" is it to Castro, Chavez and Kim Jong-un? Or would it have been to Genghis Khan, Stalin, Mao, etc.?
Besides, if it were really "self-evident", it wouldn't have taken tens of thousands of years for someone to state it that way!
No, it really was "sacred": something NO man could ever overturn or supercede.
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>> Jefferson didn't exactly make up the Declaration out of thin air in his own words. <<
He never claimed to, nor did I.
However, Jefferson himself wrote the "Virginia Declaration of Rights"; indeed, he was so proud of this that he insisted it be engraved on his tombstone.
>> since the claim was that We hold these truths, not Genghis Khan, or anyone else. <<
NO: We hold these truths ... that ALL men ....
If you read their arguments surrounding it, it's clear that Jefferson et al. are talking literally about ALL men, not just Americans. (The Constitution was for America alone, based on the ideas of the DoI, but the DoI was for ALL men.)
He wanted a new paradigm of rights. In the existing / traditional way of thinking, the Creator granted all rights came to the Monarch, and upon his death, to his legitimate successors. The Monarch then granted whatever "rights" ("permissions" really) he felt necessary to his subjects. Thus, to oppose the Monarch was not only to commit treason, but to commit blasphemy, which was considered much worse. After all, treason only got you killed in this life, blasphemy damned you for eternity.
Jefferson said: "That's not the right power flow. The real power flow is: Creator grants all to every man at his birth. Men then give limited powers to govt to do what is absolutely necessary. They never fully give away their Creator-given rights, even to govt."
THAT is the REVOLUTIONARY idea of the DoI. THAT is the BIGGEST DEAL OF ALL TIME!
He never claimed to, nor did I.
However, Jefferson himself wrote the "Virginia Declaration of Rights"; indeed, he was so proud of this that he insisted it be engraved on his tombstone.
>> since the claim was that We hold these truths, not Genghis Khan, or anyone else. <<
NO: We hold these truths ... that ALL men ....
If you read their arguments surrounding it, it's clear that Jefferson et al. are talking literally about ALL men, not just Americans. (The Constitution was for America alone, based on the ideas of the DoI, but the DoI was for ALL men.)
He wanted a new paradigm of rights. In the existing / traditional way of thinking, the Creator granted all rights came to the Monarch, and upon his death, to his legitimate successors. The Monarch then granted whatever "rights" ("permissions" really) he felt necessary to his subjects. Thus, to oppose the Monarch was not only to commit treason, but to commit blasphemy, which was considered much worse. After all, treason only got you killed in this life, blasphemy damned you for eternity.
Jefferson said: "That's not the right power flow. The real power flow is: Creator grants all to every man at his birth. Men then give limited powers to govt to do what is absolutely necessary. They never fully give away their Creator-given rights, even to govt."
THAT is the REVOLUTIONARY idea of the DoI. THAT is the BIGGEST DEAL OF ALL TIME!
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CORRECTION:
I stated that Jefferson wrote the "Virginia Declaration of Rights" and had it put on his tombstone.
Actually it was the "Statute of Virginia for religious freedom".
Mason wrote the VDoR.
Unquestionably Jefferson borrowed liberally from VDoR and from other documents. That was de rigeur at the time. No one at the convention expected him to draft such a document from scratch in such a short period of time. That said, it's also clear to me then that Jefferson -- who was not especially religious, certainly not to the level of Adams -- deliberately substituted "sacred" over the secular words of the VDoR.
In fact, others at the convention foisted the Preamble upon Jefferson because they expected it to be very little-known compared to the main document itself. But Jefferson wrote it so beautifully, and succinctly, that he made it unforgettable.
Just like Lincoln's Gettysburg Address (in which Lincoln himself said, "The world will little note nor long remember what we say here" (that quote from memory, so could be a little off) ... then for DECADES afterward schoolchildren had to memorize the whole thing!).
I stated that Jefferson wrote the "Virginia Declaration of Rights" and had it put on his tombstone.
Actually it was the "Statute of Virginia for religious freedom".
Mason wrote the VDoR.
Unquestionably Jefferson borrowed liberally from VDoR and from other documents. That was de rigeur at the time. No one at the convention expected him to draft such a document from scratch in such a short period of time. That said, it's also clear to me then that Jefferson -- who was not especially religious, certainly not to the level of Adams -- deliberately substituted "sacred" over the secular words of the VDoR.
In fact, others at the convention foisted the Preamble upon Jefferson because they expected it to be very little-known compared to the main document itself. But Jefferson wrote it so beautifully, and succinctly, that he made it unforgettable.
Just like Lincoln's Gettysburg Address (in which Lincoln himself said, "The world will little note nor long remember what we say here" (that quote from memory, so could be a little off) ... then for DECADES afterward schoolchildren had to memorize the whole thing!).
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Castro wanted POWER; the rest was lies. If that was all he wanted, he could of stepped down after his first 4 years.
Ditto for Chavez and the rest.
ALL tryants claim to helping others. And the "useful idiots" of the world believe them. Many still hail Stalin as a great "reformer" in Russia.
Ironically, the British really weren't that bad. Very mild in fact compared to the exorbitant Dem taxes we have now.
Ditto for Chavez and the rest.
ALL tryants claim to helping others. And the "useful idiots" of the world believe them. Many still hail Stalin as a great "reformer" in Russia.
Ironically, the British really weren't that bad. Very mild in fact compared to the exorbitant Dem taxes we have now.
> Worst political re-write of all time: Dick:
Cheney's recent screed the now infamous quote:
Republican Senator Rand Paul countered Cheney's charges:
While Paul appears to have come to the aid of the president, it was also a salvo fired toward former Secretary of State, and possible 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton
Cheney's recent screed the now infamous quote:
"Rarely has a U.S. president been so wrong about so much at the expense of so many."
Republican Senator Rand Paul countered Cheney's charges:
I don't blame President Obama. Has he really got the solution? Maybe there is no solution. But I do blame the Iraq War on the chaos that is in the Middle East. I also blame those who are for the Iraq War for emboldening Iran. These are the same people now who are petrified of what Iran may become, and I understand some of their worry.
While Paul appears to have come to the aid of the president, it was also a salvo fired toward former Secretary of State, and possible 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton
ASKER
Rand Paul is so desperate to become POTUS he'll lie like a Democrat in an attempt to capture "swing" voters. He's deluding himself: as with McCain, the press will pretend to like him now, esp. when he's bashing Repubs, but will viciously attack him every way possible, with all lies possible, if he wins the Repub nomination.
and..
McCain''s
Cheney's
desire to send all troops to Iraq? (or on to Iran, then Syria? then ...)
McCain''s
Cheney's
desire to send all troops to Iraq? (or on to Iran, then Syria? then ...)
Introducing The Dumbest Column Ever Written,
Courtesy Big-Government Shill Michael Arceneauxhttp://downtrend.com/vsaxena/introducing-the-dumbest-column-ever-written-courtesy-big-government-shill-michael-arceneaux/ - By V. Saxena - July 6, 2014
In the column titled “Seriously? One Third Of Americans Think Obama Is Worst President Since WWII,”
“I’m willing to bet if these same number of Americans who find Obama to be the worst president from World War II also deny climate change, are staunchly conservative, think Obama was born in a Kenyan hut, and are for certain that he’s trying to turn America into Hitler’s Germany. I’m also quite sure that in the future, Obama will be remembered for his historical moves on health care, climate change, gay rights, ending the war in Iraq, among other things. He’ll get an asterisk for improving the economy as best he could thanks to Republican obstruction in Congress. Shame on him for the use of drones, but I digress.
All this poll proves is American voters have short term memories and don’t keep up with the news, thus are prone to fall in to fables about the current state of the country and answer accordingly. Word to FOX News.”
All this poll proves is American voters have short term memories and don’t keep up with the news, thus are prone to fall in to fables about the current state of the country and answer accordingly. Word to FOX News.”
ASKER
>> “Seriously? One Third Of Americans Think Obama Is Worst President Since WWII,” <<
I know. Incredibly hard to believe 2/3 of Americans are too stupid to realize how awful he is!
I know. Incredibly hard to believe 2/3 of Americans are too stupid to realize how awful he is!
Also from the same site :-
"Unbelievable: Illegals Being Permitted To Fly Commercial Airlines Without Showing Any Identification"
http://downtrend.com/vsaxena/unbelievable-illegals-being-permitted-to-fly-commercial-airlines-without-showing-any-identification/
This attracted me, as the little word "on" was missing. But I can image a good portion of the American public not wanting to fly on aeroplanes any more because they think the pilot is an illegal. (I mean they can't be any dumber than the one third thinking Obama bad or the two thirds not being aware of it?)
And another one from this site :-
"Foolish Obama Dragging U.S. Towards WW III"
This one's about the Ukraine. And it's perfectly obvious that these people don't get it. It seems that bombing a few ISIS idiots is much more preferable to standing up to someone your own size.
"Unbelievable: Illegals Being Permitted To Fly Commercial Airlines Without Showing Any Identification"
http://downtrend.com/vsaxena/unbelievable-illegals-being-permitted-to-fly-commercial-airlines-without-showing-any-identification/
This attracted me, as the little word "on" was missing. But I can image a good portion of the American public not wanting to fly on aeroplanes any more because they think the pilot is an illegal. (I mean they can't be any dumber than the one third thinking Obama bad or the two thirds not being aware of it?)
And another one from this site :-
"Foolish Obama Dragging U.S. Towards WW III"
This one's about the Ukraine. And it's perfectly obvious that these people don't get it. It seems that bombing a few ISIS idiots is much more preferable to standing up to someone your own size.
ASKER
But "sacred" by definition is NOT open to interpretation, whereas "self-evident" surely is. Yes, they could ignore it, as they can with anything, but they cannot legitimately disclaim it.
Everyone pretends not to see the related phrase later:
"endowed by their Creator with ..."
"Sacred" goes with "Creator", "self-evident" does not.
Without a "Creator", there is no genuine claim to any "rights", as any "rights" man alone can bestow he can also remove.
Edmund Burke used "natural rights", which is not as strong as "sacred" but is still vastly better than self-evident.