Thursday 4 July 2013

“We hold these truths to be self-evident…”

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
    “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world….

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

In 1776 the cry was NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION

In 2013 the cry is NO REPRESENTATION WITHOUT TAXATION

Only 5% of Kiwis actually pay for everyone else. They deserve to say how their money should be spent. Noone else does.

thor42 said...

I agree, Anonymous.
"He who pays the piper calls the tune."

Getting back to the Declaration of Independence, the passage that *really* grabs me (and strikes me as being very far-sighted) is this one -

"...That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles..."

In other words, when a government becomes so corrupted/subverted that it betrays its people, then the people have the right to remove said government by any means necessary.

If only countries outside the U.S. had that right. It might be very rarely used, but it is a PRICELESS right to have. I'll bet many in the U.K. would love to have it, given the death of free speech over there and the government completely selling out to Muslims. If that is not betrayal or treason ("giving comfort to the enemy"), then nothing is.

Anonymous said...

"...That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles..."

The issue is that all governments become so corrupted/subverted that they betray the people. That corruption/betrayal is a key attribute and you cannot avoid it.


"the people have the right to remove said government by any means necessary."

Not according to the law (including US law). Any attempt to do this would be illegal, as would any preparation to do it. Indeed, even speaking about doing it would be potentially illegal. You just cannot do this sort of things.

Amit

UglyTruth said...

"You just cannot do this sort of things."

The law (common law) always provides a remedy. A lawful remedy to the problem of corrupt government involves, firstly, not actively contributing to the problem, and secondly, recognizing the alternative.