The greatest public declaration of a governing philosophy which inspired an epic struggle which in turn changed the world
It was followed 12 years later by the greatest governing document ever written.
Aristotle said it first: There are 3 kinds of ethical government and their degenerated forms: Monarchy (rule by one) degenerates into tyranny; Aristocracy (rule by a few) into oligarchy/kleptocracy; Polity (republic - rule by many) becomes democracy = violence/bloodshed and mob rule (think Robespierre).
The founders knew this and knew that no republic lasted very long. Benjamin Franklin famously replied to the question after the Constitutional Convention in 1887, "what government have you created?": "A Republic, if you can keep it."
But, through intellect knowledge and compromise they devised a way to keep what happened to the French Revolution - the ideological overreach and fervor, the terror, the guillotine, the military takeover, the fall into imperial ambition - from happening here with checks and balances and a federal system. It's still working;
Happy birthday. Gene
Last edited by Argo44; 07/09/26 07:01 PM.
