My conclusive view of politics, government and corruption

Let me first explain that I have long considered two separate paths, Libertarianism and Socialism, for most of the time I believed that Social democracy could be the meeting ground for my beliefs, I was wrong. I took a break from politics, conspiracies and commenting on ATS for about 2 weeks, just to clear my head after the loss of my grandmother. I saw this as a time for reflection, I decided to push away the shackles of a confining ideology or the war between left and right.

So now that I have returned to ATS and politics specifically, I have made a divisive choice, I won’t decide my politics due to arguments from others or from just pure research on subjects. I will take my opinion from critical self analysis of the issues that are staring us in the face, all issues ranging from abortion to global trade. And what I decided to do was push aside what I thought was right and instead replace it with what I feel is right. And that is a culmination of several mixed beliefs, thrown together to form what I feel is best for myself, my family and everyone in our glorious republic.

I took a trip to eastern Pennsylvania; Bethlehem, Easton, Stroudsburg and saw the beauty that is America. Quant little houses sitting on sloped hills with waving American flags on their porches, homes that come from the 19th and 18th century when our ancestors were cultivating the land that would become the America we know today. The people there were humble, the stores were mostly ‘ma and pa’ and the natural areas were clear of debris. It made me actually feel happy in my country for once, taking a break from the constant news and what our country is actually doing to us and the world, I took the time to remember what we were founded upon. Community, charity and hospitality, regardless of race, religion, sex or class. The real America, not a corporate consumer America that is the wet dream of some elite banker in London.

I must seem as if I am rambling on, anyways… I have decided that the modern left and right is just an illusion, there are two pages in an open book, but it is still the same book. Remember our founding fathers two parties? The Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans? So who was right and who was left? If you study their platforms it was neither right nor left, it was pro-government or anti-government. Now what do we have? Pro-corporate government or Pro-corporate, is that really a choice? NO!

My favorite founding father was Thomas Jefferson, he might not have been a perfect person because who really is? But he fought on the side of the people, from his governorship in Virginia to his presidency in America, he always sided with the people regardless of some dull political belief. And through his culmination of thoughts and legislation he created what is termed as Jeffersonian democracy

In its core ideals it is characterized by the following elements, which the Jeffersonians expressed in their speeches and legislation:
• 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.[1]
• 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.[2]
• Americans had a duty to spread what Jefferson called the "Empire of Liberty" to the world, but should avoid "entangling alliances."[3]
• 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.[4]
• 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.[5]
• The federal government must not violate the rights of individuals. The Bill of Rights is a central theme.[6]
• The federal government must not violate the rights of the states. The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798 (written secretly by Jefferson and James Madison) proclaim these principles.[7]
• 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.[8]
• A standing army and navy are dangerous to liberty and should be avoided; much better was to use economic coercion such as the embargo.[9]
• 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."[10]
• All men had the right to be informed, and thus, to have a say in the government. The protection and expansion of human liberty was one of the chief goals of the Jeffersonians. They also reformed their respective state systems of education. They believed that their citizens had the right and should be educated no matter their circumstance or status in life.

And I do not simply adhere to this philosophy as the is purely sheep following the herd, I have decided to take his beliefs and use them as a foundation of principles to build off of. Not reaching beyond what he has categorized for government, but still going to lengths I believe acceptable without breaking any of the principles.

I believe strongly that states should be treated as nations and the United States should simply be a Union built around common language, history and law. Having the federal government simply guarantee rights and enforce laws. For example; I support Universal Healthcare but the federal government should not administer it, they should tell the states to administer it and do it their own way to ensure the highest form of efficiency and coverage.

No more war unless the union is threatened by outside forces directly, no more pre-emptive wars, nation building, military alliances, military assistance or military spying. We deserve our rights back, the right to govern ourselves while still given a guaranteed minimum safety net.




So I hope you like the views, and I wish you would contribute to this thread, not use simple talking points or ignorant political ideologies. Ignore right versus left and support right versus wrong!

[edit on 7/9/2010 by Misoir]

I have the same exact views, but I have one add on to my views that you didn't list. The federal government and the state government should very strongly fund science and NASA. I believe the state should have more rights on what are and aren't laws in there state, but each state has to follow the constitution.

I had a similar type of awakening experience when I started researching the world in my early teens. I guess for me my similar experience to your personal revelation came at age 22. I was working on a book and spending a lot of time researching the recent past and the more distant past as best I could. Most of my time was dedicated to the study of science but history is intertwined with science.

The libertarian ideas of Jefferson were among my most important initial study as far as my personal self character definition. He was a great mind and one of the most important of the founding fathers as far as philosophy of limited government. Now decades later we have a few citizens on the political scene that seem to closely emulate these ideals. The Paul father and son team is one. Then there is a number of noteworthy governors of late as well.

Liberty is an ideal that can be a goal. Perfect liberty requires perfect responsibility. Until Americans an others start to realize this then we will all move towards tyranny and away from the goal of liberty.

reply to post by Misoir

I believe strongly that states should be treated as nations and the United States should simply be a Union built around common language, history and law.

I think that's EXACTLY what's wrong with our government today, they have gone in completely the opposite direction from the country envisioned by the founders.

Instead of a federation of States bound together for common defence and commerce, the Federal government became an overbearing monster micromanaging everything the States are allowed to do.

If the States were free to do their own thing, they could experiment with different styles of governments and economic models. People who didn't like the type of State they were living in could move to a State more to their liking. The democracy of the feet would show which systems were the most successful and hopefully offer guidance to failing government models.

States could cater their government structure to the people and conditions of that State instead of the cookie cutter, one size fits all solutions of the current federal government.

Also, in a States rights country, people would be free to create religious communities which would be governed in accordance to the tenets of their faith. Those who disagreed with the predominant faith, or lack there-of would be free to move elsewhere to live as their conscience guides them.

The Federal government should exist only to provide a common defence and to ensure orderly commerce between the States.

reply to post by Phlynx


I agree with that as well, there are many other things that I agree with that I did not list. Those were just examples of how I still branch away from the exact meaning of Jeffersonian democracy.