The Tea Party and its assemblage of semi-informed radicals likes to reflect upon the Founding Fathers. Sometimes they have trouble with just who comprised those Founding Fathers. They seldom have trouble finding a quotation out of context on a subject out of context with an interpretation in conflict with the body of work which otherwise comprised that founding father’s ideas of government, governance, and life.
Be that as it may I believe it safe to say that Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay are among the more important. These three men wrote a series of articles for New York papers in 1788 explaining and defending the work of the Constitutional Convention which had met the previous summer to draft what amounted to an entirely new form of government. Their writing, their thoughts, their examination and explanation of governance was and remains exceptional in the annals of political and practical thought.
These men examined every facet of the new Constitution. No small measure went in to explaining that one of the prime reasons for the government’s reorganization in this manner was due to the necessity of having the good opinion of other nations. Also in no small way did they assume that good and reasonable Americans would be sufficiently plentiful to make this happen.
So here we are today. A large number of congressmen were swept into office last year on the coattails of an ill-defined counter movement. They now seem to hold the power to destroy the good faith and credit of this nation.
They are not able to compromise. They seem to know nothing of actual governance. They cover their eyes and reality and assume the government can pay these bills but not those bills. They sweep along party hacks like the complete fool we have who represents this district.
Is there hope? I don’t think so. And in any case the damage has most likely already been done. If the President must invoke the 14th Amendment he may save an immediate default but the damage done to this nation will be huge and unrepairable.
The international community will come to understand that the United States can no longer properly govern itself and that men and women of good will, mutual respect, and compromise haven’t sufficient influence to govern properly.
So if you think the slide has been uncomfortable, it’s about to get a lot worse.
Timothy J. Parker
Peachtree City, Ga.
