December 12, 2018
Dear Friends and Family,
I left the title of this segment a bit vague, as one could ask; the Founding Fathers Perspective on what, as the word socialism did not come into being until very late in the 18th or early in the 19th century. However, many of the socialistic concepts were in evidence as the Founders framed our government, such as, central planning, redistribution of income – leveling as the Founding Fathers called it, collectivism, welfare, and of course the tyrannical rule of the English Crown which was the reason for the American Revolution. Those were the experiences and concepts they had to work with. From that, coupled with their individual brilliance enhanced by significant debate they produced two historic documents – the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. They established permanent freedom which led to unprecedented and unimaginable prosperity for those of us blessed to live in a country governed by the brilliance of these precepts.
My Takeaways:
Much of the world has been and continues to be governed on a different set of precepts, now called socialism. It is remarkable to me that as we look back almost 2 ½ centuries, how the Founders precepts have held the Socialistic precepts (pillars) at bay (albeit some of them have crept into our society as we will learned in the next segment). Here is what the Founders precepts have achieved:
For 2 ½ centuries we have done a good job on five of the seven pillars of Socialism, slipped a bit on “minimum regulation”, and slipped quite a bit on “things in common” (free stuff). Overall, the Founder’s precepts have paid us back handsomely in terms of prosperity and maintaining our freedoms. However, in my judgment, there are some dark clouds on the horizon which we will analyzed in the next segment.
Happy Learning,
Harley
Dear Friends and Family,
I left the title of this segment a bit vague, as one could ask; the Founding Fathers Perspective on what, as the word socialism did not come into being until very late in the 18th or early in the 19th century. However, many of the socialistic concepts were in evidence as the Founders framed our government, such as, central planning, redistribution of income – leveling as the Founding Fathers called it, collectivism, welfare, and of course the tyrannical rule of the English Crown which was the reason for the American Revolution. Those were the experiences and concepts they had to work with. From that, coupled with their individual brilliance enhanced by significant debate they produced two historic documents – the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. They established permanent freedom which led to unprecedented and unimaginable prosperity for those of us blessed to live in a country governed by the brilliance of these precepts.
My Takeaways:
Much of the world has been and continues to be governed on a different set of precepts, now called socialism. It is remarkable to me that as we look back almost 2 ½ centuries, how the Founders precepts have held the Socialistic precepts (pillars) at bay (albeit some of them have crept into our society as we will learned in the next segment). Here is what the Founders precepts have achieved:
- No Ruler: No one has been able to become a king and declare edicts on a whim.
- No Castes: Every citizen today has the chance at freedom, the opportunity and the responsibility to bear the full weight of their own choices, their own industry and their own ability to make opportunities where none existed.
- Things in Common: Of all the socialist promises made to lure people into surrendering their rights, the promise to deliver something they didn’t earn has been the most difficult to eradicate. As the Founders said, the proper role of government is to insure equal rights not equal things. This one is on a slippery slope in our country.
- Minimum Regulation: The sluggish drag on prosperity that over-regulation creates was carefully guarded against. However, regulations have crept in, increasing with some administration changes and decreasing with others, albeit the overall trend is one of increased regulation. It is interesting to learn that the Founders opposed political parties as they saw their corrupting influence in Europe and tried to prevent the same in America.
- Balanced Force: Law enforcement has remained a servant of the people instead of vice-versa.
- Free Flowing Information: The free flow of information promotes prosperity with free press and free association. Over the generations it has served us well.
- Natural Rights: The Founders built their model government on the simple premise that a national government should not have more rights than those of an individual. The individuals may delegate rights, but the government may not take them without such delegation or grant unto itself any new rights. Whether the U.S. citizenry will grant the government the right to control their health care will be an interesting debate (more in segment 7)
For 2 ½ centuries we have done a good job on five of the seven pillars of Socialism, slipped a bit on “minimum regulation”, and slipped quite a bit on “things in common” (free stuff). Overall, the Founder’s precepts have paid us back handsomely in terms of prosperity and maintaining our freedoms. However, in my judgment, there are some dark clouds on the horizon which we will analyzed in the next segment.
Happy Learning,
Harley
SOCIALISM – SEGMENT 6
THE UNITED STATES FOUNDING FATHER’S PERSPECTIVE – EXCERPTS
NOTE: All the excerpts in this segment are from The Naked Socialist Paul B. Skousen
THE MIRACLE THAT STOPPED SOCIALISM: When the Founding Fathers affixed their signatures to the new Constitution, they did what no other tyrant, monarch or dictator has ever done: they established permanent freedom and prosperity and chained down its enemies forever. It was the miracle that stopped socialism.
KEEPING THE SEVEN PILLARS OF SOCIALISM AT BAY:
PILLAR #1: “THE RULER” -- Because the first pillar of socialism is the strongest, it requires the most work to abolish. That’s why the Founders carefully wove layers of protections to strike an excellent balance between power and freedom. In order to remove the despotism of “all power in the ruler,” the Founders put two brilliant devices into the Constitution. The first device (dilute) controls the ruling body by spreading far and wide the political power among the people. The second device (define) specifies exactly what that ruling body can do – and then it is chained down with laws, checks and balances.
“The way to have good and safe government is not to trust it all to one.” Jefferson wrote, “but to divide it among the many, distributing to everyone exactly the functions he is competent to perform best. The results of the Separation of Powers were a three-headed American eagle – executive, legislative, judicial – each watching the others for bad behavior. The three branches of government stand together and support each other but guard their responsibilities carefully if one branch tries to step across the line, the other two branches have the power to push back.
PILLAR #2: “THE CASTE”: The Founders disrupted the natural tendency toward division in society with the creation of a republic. A republic is a state where power is held by the people, who express their desires and control through elected representatives. This means even the smallest class in society (the individual) has a voice and someone close by to hear it and convey those concerns into the limelight of public consideration.
PILLAR #3: “ALL IN COMMON”: Of all the socialistic promises made to lure people into surrendering their rights, the promise to deliver something they didn’t earn has been the most difficult to eradicate. The proper role of government is to ensure equal rights, not equal things. At the foundation of all socialist thought is the stated goal of taking from the “haves” and giving to the “have-nots.” The Founders called this “leveling.” The fiction that equality of things is in some way possible is dismissed out of hand by the lessons learned at Jamestown, Plymouth, and all other times and venues where it has been tried. The Founders were determined to save America from falling for that one again. Samuel Adams said: The utopian schemes of leveling (redistribution of wealth) and a community of goods, are as visionary and impracticable as those which vest all property in the Crown. These ideas are arbitrary, despotic, and, in our government unconstitutional.
If property rights are destroyed, the lessons of history teach that there must follow a series of consequences that no one wants.
PILLAR #4: “ALL THINGS REGULATED” – The attempt to regulate the market to achieve prosperity has proved a constant failure. Regulating freedoms simply doesn’t work, and each attempt to do so always backfires. The Founders clearly understood that. To abolish the abuse of regulator powers, the Founders gave the new American government a very simple chore: protect the freedom to fail. Allowing for equal failure meant certain rules of fairness had to be enforced – no monopolies, no fraud, no collusion, no restriction of trade or access, no artificial limits or subsidies, no violation of free trade and competition, no violation of personal rights. If the government every found itself getting in the way of any enterprise falling flat on its face, that was proof positive the government had overstepped its bounds.
If there was ever any doubt about the powers of regulation, the Founders included the tenth Amendment to the Constitution:
THE UNITED STATES FOUNDING FATHER’S PERSPECTIVE – EXCERPTS
NOTE: All the excerpts in this segment are from The Naked Socialist Paul B. Skousen
THE MIRACLE THAT STOPPED SOCIALISM: When the Founding Fathers affixed their signatures to the new Constitution, they did what no other tyrant, monarch or dictator has ever done: they established permanent freedom and prosperity and chained down its enemies forever. It was the miracle that stopped socialism.
KEEPING THE SEVEN PILLARS OF SOCIALISM AT BAY:
PILLAR #1: “THE RULER” -- Because the first pillar of socialism is the strongest, it requires the most work to abolish. That’s why the Founders carefully wove layers of protections to strike an excellent balance between power and freedom. In order to remove the despotism of “all power in the ruler,” the Founders put two brilliant devices into the Constitution. The first device (dilute) controls the ruling body by spreading far and wide the political power among the people. The second device (define) specifies exactly what that ruling body can do – and then it is chained down with laws, checks and balances.
“The way to have good and safe government is not to trust it all to one.” Jefferson wrote, “but to divide it among the many, distributing to everyone exactly the functions he is competent to perform best. The results of the Separation of Powers were a three-headed American eagle – executive, legislative, judicial – each watching the others for bad behavior. The three branches of government stand together and support each other but guard their responsibilities carefully if one branch tries to step across the line, the other two branches have the power to push back.
PILLAR #2: “THE CASTE”: The Founders disrupted the natural tendency toward division in society with the creation of a republic. A republic is a state where power is held by the people, who express their desires and control through elected representatives. This means even the smallest class in society (the individual) has a voice and someone close by to hear it and convey those concerns into the limelight of public consideration.
PILLAR #3: “ALL IN COMMON”: Of all the socialistic promises made to lure people into surrendering their rights, the promise to deliver something they didn’t earn has been the most difficult to eradicate. The proper role of government is to ensure equal rights, not equal things. At the foundation of all socialist thought is the stated goal of taking from the “haves” and giving to the “have-nots.” The Founders called this “leveling.” The fiction that equality of things is in some way possible is dismissed out of hand by the lessons learned at Jamestown, Plymouth, and all other times and venues where it has been tried. The Founders were determined to save America from falling for that one again. Samuel Adams said: The utopian schemes of leveling (redistribution of wealth) and a community of goods, are as visionary and impracticable as those which vest all property in the Crown. These ideas are arbitrary, despotic, and, in our government unconstitutional.
If property rights are destroyed, the lessons of history teach that there must follow a series of consequences that no one wants.
- The incentive to develop property is smothered. New ideas, improvements, labor-saving devices, cures for disease, multiplying the quality and production of food, etc. wither and dies. The people descend into a desperate hand-to-mouth existence.
- The industrious are deprived of the fruits of their labors and freedom of choice. Without incentive to create a surplus and the great motor that powers the world dies.
- Desperate mobs confiscate by force whatever they please.
- People are compelled to live out their days on bare subsistence levels because accumulating anything invites attack.
PILLAR #4: “ALL THINGS REGULATED” – The attempt to regulate the market to achieve prosperity has proved a constant failure. Regulating freedoms simply doesn’t work, and each attempt to do so always backfires. The Founders clearly understood that. To abolish the abuse of regulator powers, the Founders gave the new American government a very simple chore: protect the freedom to fail. Allowing for equal failure meant certain rules of fairness had to be enforced – no monopolies, no fraud, no collusion, no restriction of trade or access, no artificial limits or subsidies, no violation of free trade and competition, no violation of personal rights. If the government every found itself getting in the way of any enterprise falling flat on its face, that was proof positive the government had overstepped its bounds.
If there was ever any doubt about the powers of regulation, the Founders included the tenth Amendment to the Constitution:
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectfully, or to the people.
PILLAR #5: “FORCE” – The weakness of the Articles of Confederation taught the Founders an important lesson about political power: authority without sufficient power of force is no authority at all. For the Founders, the critical question of the day was, how much force should be granted so the ruling power doesn’t grow into another ruling monarch? Putting reins on the power, having it emanate from the people themselves, was how the Founders intended to keep control of “force.” As James Madison wrote: “The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite.” It was a common-sense choice. If ever there was conflict over power and rights, the Founders wanted the default resolution to point away from the centers of power and into the control of individuals. Their systems of checks and balances were meant to encourage the flow of force to the lowest logical level. They wanted power diluted into the hands of many.
PILLAR #6: “INFORMATION CONTROL” – Among the seven pillars of socialism, controlling information is the next most powerful tool after raw force. Information control is necessary to keep a dictator in power. Even if conditions are bad, the illusion of stability will keep the people under control because a natural human trait is to put up with bad things so long as hope and change is are on the horizon. Throwing off the old tyranny and installing new guards with the Constitution included unhampered information flow. America’s founding documents include several statements enforcing freedom of information and government transparency.
Freedom to Believe as you Wish, Express Opinions, Print What You Want, Associate, and Complain.
Trending Toward Ignorance: Cultivating a culture of ignorance helps the grip of socialism tighten. As long as the people don’t know what’s going on around them, so long as they are fed and housed and entertained, those in charge feel freer to do as they please.
PILLAR #7: “NO NATURAL RIGHTS”: At the very heart of tyranny is the demand that only the ruler can declare rights and permissions. In the real world nothing could be further from the truth. By the time the Founding Fathers completed the Constitution and its Bill of Rights, they had sufficiently defined natural rights, so they could be protected within the strong fortress of the Constitution. The Constitution is a very thorough declaration of natural rights from its opening preamble to its conclusion. At least 286 rights are specified.
THE BILL OF RIGHTS: The Bill of Rights comprises the first ten amendments to the Constitution. Their stated purpose is laid out in the preamble. “… the States expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction of abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added … “ and thereby proved these 27 protections of individual rights – Religion, Speech and Press, Assembly, Petition, Arms, Soldiers, Privacy, Search and Seizure, Warrants, Accused, Military Crime, Double Jeopardy, Self-Incrimination, Due Process, Property, Trials, Arbitrary Excuses, Witnesses, Poverty, Defense, Civil Cases, Appeals, Bail, Fines, Punishment, All Crimes Not Mentioned, All Powers Not Delegated. [Note: Definitions of each are contained in the long set of excerpts of this segment and healthcare is not listed].
The important distinction between the U.S. Constitution and other forms of government is that natural rights are not presumed to be invented by government, but instead are declared pre-existing and therefore receive protection by the government.
SOCIALISM ABOLISHED: The miracle that stopped socialism was brilliantly crafted – and it worked. All seven pillars of socialism were handily dealt with. The Founders knew this would continue only if the people wanted it, and only if the Constitution remained intake, understood, jealously protected, and supported.
FOUNDING FATHERS SPEAK ON SOCIALISM: The Founders did everything they could to preserve choice and make socialism, communism and any other scheme of leveling clearly and unquestionably unconstitutional.
Socialism Stops Progress: Thomas Jefferson: “I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.”
Socialism is Forced Welfare: James Madison: “The government of the United States is a defined government, confined to specific objects. It is not like the state governments, whose powers are more general. Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government.
Socialism Begins with Easy Money: Benjamin Franklin: “When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.”
Socialism Left Unchecked Creates Tyranny: John Adams: “There are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachment of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.”
Only War Will Dislodge Socialism: John Adams: “A Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty once lost, is lost forever.”
Socialism Traps People into Welfare: Benjamin Franklin: “I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it.”
Socialism Benefits Only a Few: James Madison: In 1794, Congress appropriated $15,000 for relief of French refugees coming to America. James Madison objected saying, “I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that Article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.”
OUTDATED: Critics dismiss the Constitution as a creation ideal for a culture of farmers, but no longer applicable to today’s modern problems. America has made unprecedented progress since the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Some people clamor for reform, claiming that America has outgrown her founding Declaration and Constitution. They suggest these antiquated ideas can be abandoned for something more modern. But can anything more modern be offered?
- Equality: The Declaration of Independence declares “all men are created equal” – is equality old fashioned?”
- Rights: The Declaration of Independence declares we “are endowed with unalienable rights” – Are rights old fashioned?
- Liberty: The Declaration of Independence defines those rights as “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” – Which of those three is old fashioned or can be improved or replaced?
The unabbreviated version of the above can be found in the pdf document below.
| 6_soc_u.s._founding_fathers_perspective.pdf |