What could save our country?

The core political value of America is representative democracy; citizens have a civic duty to aid the state and resist corruption, especially monarchism and aristocracy.
The yeoman farmer best exemplifies civic virtue and independence from corrupting city influences; government policy should be for his benefit. Financiers, bankers and industrialists make cities the cesspools of corruption, and should be avoided.
Americans had a duty to spread what Jefferson called the "Empire of Liberty" to the world, but should avoid "entangling alliances."
The national government is a dangerous necessity to be instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security of the people, nation or community; it should be watched closely and circumscribed in its powers. Most Anti-Federalists from 1787-88 joined the Jeffersonians.
The wall of separation between church and state is the best method to keep religion free from intervention by the federal government, government free of religious disputes, and religion free from corruption by government.
The federal government must not violate the rights of individuals. The Bill of Rights is a central theme.
The federal government must not violate the rights of the states. The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798 (written secretly by Jefferson and Madison) proclaim these principles.
Freedom of speech and the press is the best method to prevent the tyranny of the people by their own government. The Federalists' violation of this idea through the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 became a major issue.
A standing army and navy are dangerous to liberty and should be avoided; much better was to use economic coercion such as the embargo.
The United States Constitution was written in order to ensure the freedom of the people. A strict view of how the constitution was written is kept. However, "no society can make a perpetual constitution or even a perpetual law. The earth belongs always to the living generation."

This is Jeffersonian Democracy. I posted an earlier thread asking whom your favourite president was. I got a response that it was Thomas Jefferson and they explained why it is Thomas Jefferson. So I researched him and found 'Jeffersonian Democracy'. Now mind you I was a Progressive Democrat until I read this, nothing has ever made better sense to me in my whol life of researching politics. I hate todays Libertarianism but I definitally 100% agree with this. If we were given a candidate who invoked Thomas Jefferson we need to endorse this candidate immediately, and not Ron Paul... I just wanted to spread the word of my new favourite president, Thomas Jefferson, his beliefs are the only thing that could possibly save us now.

I quite agree with you. The problem is hidden within your second paragraph - the yeoman farmers and the city dwellers. As the demographic has shifted towards the cities, fewer people have any true connection to the land. This has led to our "who cares if it messes up the land, we can always move elsewhere" mentality.
Cities as conglomerations of people have an equivalent in business - the corporation. As the power of the corporations has grown they have branched out and now are the sole owners of the national media. As such their reporting is always biased towards corporate values - Profit over people.
We all know that Washington DC is for sale to the highest bidder and that can never be the individual, the yeoman farmer.
I'm afraid Jeffersonian democratic principles moulder in the grave never to see the light of day again. Corporate control has instituted itself and imposed a regime of short term profits over individual rights. They will never relinquish power peaceably.
No Constitution of men can last forever? I think we have proven that to be true, to the detriment of the American people and the future of all mankind.
Those of us who regard those principles of freedom as the highest aspiration of man are sadly but a small minority today. I am not without hope but I am a realist and consider our chances of restoring the Constitution as the supreme law of the land to be very slim indeed.

reply to post by Asktheanimals


I know this will probably sound like a lie but it is 100% truth. I will be attending college soon and I have chosen a major in Political Science. With this degree I want to enter the field of politics. It will be quite easy for me because I will soon be moving to Pennsylvania which is a state known for electin very young politicians. My family has alot of connections up there since my uncle is a fiberoptic engineer who works the entire northeast corridor from Washington to NYC. But as I was saying I want to enter government soon around 6 years from now and I hope to still be a member of ATS and get support from here... Wouldn't that be funny an ATS member who is also a politician?

[edit on 20-1-2010 by Misoir]

Originally posted by Misoir
The core political value of America is representative democracy; citizens have a civic duty to aid the state and resist corruption, especially monarchism and aristocracy.

[...]

A standing army and navy are dangerous to liberty and should be avoided; much better was to use economic coercion such as the embargo.

I agree with most of it except the two lines I've quoted above. The first I might agree with depending on what is meant by "civic duty to aid the state", if it means what I'm thinking it does then there's no way on earth I could ever consider it a good thing. The second I wholeheartedly disagree with. With the way the world is today not having a standing army and navy would only lead to our utter destruction and frankly I like being alive.

As for the question posed in the title, I'm not sure what can be done to save our country. Neither side is willing to listen to the other, let alone compromise. Many have taken on the attitude that everyone who doesn't agree with them are idiots/sheep/(insert your favorite partisan descriptor here). Both sides are to blame, but they all try to point the finger at each other while trying to look innocent. If there isn't a major change in the way politics are handled and the way people react to each other over differences of opinion this country is doomed to implode.

Nothing can save America what has been written has been written.

Revelation 14:8
And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

It's not going to be pretty for us here in the last days.

reply to post by watchtheashes


The likelihood that something written millennia ago in the mid-East was written to predict the fall of a country that was not even in existence until a few hundred years ago is slim to none.

If the sheeple gets a concerned citizen like you and me as their new shepherds then there is hope in the form of a French-style revolution. Unfortunately, the fact is that the old shepherds keep shoving the proverbial cake down our throats; our eyes, nose, ears, and up where the sun doesn't shine.

reply to post by Unregistered


All hope is not lost, it's just called infiltration. Infiltrate a party and act like a Jeffersonian Democrat but very moderately just enough to get elected and then be a real Jeffersonian Democrat. The people will love it but not at first, the MSM will try and make you into a threat.

I'm glad to hear your plans Misoir! We need more sensible people such as yourself to run this supersized ship of state. If we can return to some core principles we might have a chance.
You know how politics works - you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours really is true. The real trick is how to make compromise without compromising your own values in the process.
What part of the keystone are you moving to btw? just curious to know.

unregistered: I'll be sharpening my guillotine blade pronto!

[edit on 20-1-2010 by Asktheanimals]

It can be saved only one way and that is the progressive movement must die. It must be crushed and the followers either change their ways or face trial. We are not Europe and take a good look at them and china and see are future if we do not put a stop to it.

In reading this post one thing comes to mind...gone are the days of heros.

That's what the USA needs...a hero...to rise the people up from the ashes of a once-great land...to rebuild again...to join together in triumphant song !!!

And...no...I don't mean anyone named Adolph, Josef, George, or Barack...

In the immortal words of Welsh goddess Bonnie Tyler...

I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night
He’s gotta be strong
And he’s gotta be fast
And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light
He’s gotta be sure
And it’s gotta be soon
And he’s gotta be larger than life

I think 2 things will quickly improve this country greatly if not save it entirely:


1) Legalize drugs and prostitution nationally - tax the revenues - and direct that $ to healthcare. No one will be worse off. Many will be better off.

2) Establish trade schools in every municipality and re-establish shop class in every high school.

If we do not reconnect pride to excellence in skilled labor, our population of paper pushers staggering under student loans will look a lot like Iceland's.

Now that everyone who wasn't afraid of elbow grease took off. It's not pretty there!



[edit on 1/20/2010 by trusername]

Legalizing drugs would put this country on top again.

Abolishing mandatory minimum sentences will help create economy again.

I think a 75 / 25 rule would save the country.

75% of everything we buy has to be no more than 3 degrees of separation from the source.

25% can be exotic and the production / manufacturing and materials can be a complete mystery.


If 75% of what we bought in this country came from farmers we'd met at a farmer's market, wood workers we'd met at a furniture shop, tailors we'd met who knew textile manufacturers and silk worm farmers etc. and biodiesel distributors provided our gas by collecting used grease from our restaurants...

Then soon our communities would be built on relationships closer to those we have with our hair stylists and mechanics.

Direct feedback and loyalty on a large scale would do WONDERS for our economy.






[edit on 1/20/2010 by trusername]

Allow absolute right to gun ownership just as the second amendment says.
Stop all Income, Corporate, Payroll, and Sales tax at the federal level as the federal government relies on tariffs for tax money.
Hand the banks over to that states and all wealth generated should be given back to the people.
Stop the fiat currency since it is against the consitutition. Only allow gold and silver as currency.
Cancel the minimum wage and 40 hour work week, allow unions to protect workers only.
Bring back all troops and shut down all foreign military bases. Cancel out the national military and hand that power back to the states for state run military. This would garuntee that the war must be just because the Congress must first pass a decleration of war and then it must be passed onto the states for their state congress to pass the bill, if a state vetoes the war bill then that state will not send troops.
Do not spend any money at the federal level and hand all things back to the states.
Leave the UN, WTO, NATO and all other international organisations which restrict our national freedom.
Do not allow the federal government to be involved in any form of charity whether it be nationally or internationally, leave national emergencies to states,private organisations, and people. Allow only private organisations and people to aid in international crisis.
Cancel all federal and state laws that do anything further than protect our life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
If we were to installe just these rules alone we would have a chance at restoring our wealth and greatness.

[edit on 21-1-2010 by Misoir]