TheBrutalTruth
Well-Known Member
Principals By : TheBrutalTruth (2009-04-30 19:00:20)
"No power on earth has a right to take our property from us without our consent." - John Jay
Such a simple statement, and yet in it John Jay, who was one of the American Revolutionaries captured the essence of the reason why the revolution had started.
The American Revolution was the direct result of
1. Taxation
2. Lack of Representation
3. Violation of Property Rights (quartering soldiers in homes with out consent)
4. Tyranny (Monarchy, Oligarchy, Dictatorship)
In just those four items the reason for the revolution is explained in a nutshell, but John Jay captures all four in his simple statement.
The first of course is easily evident, government (or the State) is a power, and even if it is the legal government it can not use illegal means to confiscate wealth. Well it can (has the ability to) but it should not, due to the violation of morals and ethics taking a persons property with out their consent implies.
The second, lack of representation, is also itemized in the statement. When a government chooses to steal your money with out your consent it is fairly clear that you are not being represented by that government.
The third, Violation of Property Rights, extends to the quartering of soldiers to the act of taxation itself. Even in the modern era where taxes are collected on income property rights are still violated. The money that is stolen or taken by force from the public could have been put to use enriching their lives. This of course would spur economic development generating more jobs, leading to higher taxes (if taxes were reduced to reasonable levels.)
The fourth, Tyranny, refers not so much to the actions of a government, but the form of the government. In the case of the colonists they were rebelling against a government that was dominated by the King and his court of Nobles (The House of Nobles.)
Now, the same items ties into the modern world.
The government (US) is once again taking peoples property (income) with out their consent.
It is violating their Property Rights (as a direct result of the above).
It is marked by a period during which roughly 50% of the population is not represented, alternating with a period during which the same 50% is represented, but the other 50% is not.
And it is a tyranny dominated by the elite few.
What is ironic about the last is the fact that very few people actually recognize that this has occurred having been brainwashed by the government to believe that their interests are some how represented by some one that makes more than 10x what they do, doesn't have to worry about their retirement, and is essentially an elected slave driver elected by the very people that are enslaved.
Of course, this was not the way the founders intended the country to be governed.
They did not intend for their to be just 435 representatives. They intended that there would be at least 1,700 and quite possible as many as 10,030.
They intended for the Representatives to represent the commoners, while the Senators represented the money interests.
They did not intend for it to be impossible for some one that was not independently wealthy to be able to campaign for office as a Representative. They intended that it would be possible for any person of sufficient willingness to campaign to be a Representative.
In short, due to the actions of the "representatives" of this country in 1929 a not quite majority of the population is not adequately represented by their "representatives."
This jarring paradox becomes more apparent when one looks at a map, and realizes that many House Districts are dominated by an Urban Center that has the majority of the votes, when had the vision of the founders been upheld it is likely that the Urban Center would have been divided into many smaller House Districts, and the Urban Areas would have their own Representatives, ensuring better representation of all citizens, and doing a better job of holding true to the 1 person, 1 vote rule.
In closing, the statement made by John Jay itemized the grievances of the people that took part in the American Revolution.
"No power on earth" - No Government, or any individual
" has a right to take our property from us "- Tax/Steal
" without our consent." - Representing us, and if they are taking our property in taxes with out our consent it is very unlikely that they actually represent us. (Which means they are acting like Tyrannical.)
It also bears very well on the current state of affairs that has been pushed by both major parties since they decided to ignore the founders vision of a truly Representative House of Representatives by artificially fixing the number of seats at 435.
"No power on earth has a right to take our property from us without our consent." - John Jay
Such a simple statement, and yet in it John Jay, who was one of the American Revolutionaries captured the essence of the reason why the revolution had started.
The American Revolution was the direct result of
1. Taxation
2. Lack of Representation
3. Violation of Property Rights (quartering soldiers in homes with out consent)
4. Tyranny (Monarchy, Oligarchy, Dictatorship)
In just those four items the reason for the revolution is explained in a nutshell, but John Jay captures all four in his simple statement.
The first of course is easily evident, government (or the State) is a power, and even if it is the legal government it can not use illegal means to confiscate wealth. Well it can (has the ability to) but it should not, due to the violation of morals and ethics taking a persons property with out their consent implies.
The second, lack of representation, is also itemized in the statement. When a government chooses to steal your money with out your consent it is fairly clear that you are not being represented by that government.
The third, Violation of Property Rights, extends to the quartering of soldiers to the act of taxation itself. Even in the modern era where taxes are collected on income property rights are still violated. The money that is stolen or taken by force from the public could have been put to use enriching their lives. This of course would spur economic development generating more jobs, leading to higher taxes (if taxes were reduced to reasonable levels.)
The fourth, Tyranny, refers not so much to the actions of a government, but the form of the government. In the case of the colonists they were rebelling against a government that was dominated by the King and his court of Nobles (The House of Nobles.)
Now, the same items ties into the modern world.
The government (US) is once again taking peoples property (income) with out their consent.
It is violating their Property Rights (as a direct result of the above).
It is marked by a period during which roughly 50% of the population is not represented, alternating with a period during which the same 50% is represented, but the other 50% is not.
And it is a tyranny dominated by the elite few.
What is ironic about the last is the fact that very few people actually recognize that this has occurred having been brainwashed by the government to believe that their interests are some how represented by some one that makes more than 10x what they do, doesn't have to worry about their retirement, and is essentially an elected slave driver elected by the very people that are enslaved.
Of course, this was not the way the founders intended the country to be governed.
They did not intend for their to be just 435 representatives. They intended that there would be at least 1,700 and quite possible as many as 10,030.
They intended for the Representatives to represent the commoners, while the Senators represented the money interests.
They did not intend for it to be impossible for some one that was not independently wealthy to be able to campaign for office as a Representative. They intended that it would be possible for any person of sufficient willingness to campaign to be a Representative.
In short, due to the actions of the "representatives" of this country in 1929 a not quite majority of the population is not adequately represented by their "representatives."
This jarring paradox becomes more apparent when one looks at a map, and realizes that many House Districts are dominated by an Urban Center that has the majority of the votes, when had the vision of the founders been upheld it is likely that the Urban Center would have been divided into many smaller House Districts, and the Urban Areas would have their own Representatives, ensuring better representation of all citizens, and doing a better job of holding true to the 1 person, 1 vote rule.
In closing, the statement made by John Jay itemized the grievances of the people that took part in the American Revolution.
"No power on earth" - No Government, or any individual
" has a right to take our property from us "- Tax/Steal
" without our consent." - Representing us, and if they are taking our property in taxes with out our consent it is very unlikely that they actually represent us. (Which means they are acting like Tyrannical.)
It also bears very well on the current state of affairs that has been pushed by both major parties since they decided to ignore the founders vision of a truly Representative House of Representatives by artificially fixing the number of seats at 435.
