"Is that the President's slave addressing congress right now, explaining that the President is running late?"
But seriously, the whole "what would the founding fathers think?" is a bullshit hypothetical that pundits and politicians use to try to lend ethos to their positions and to criticize policies and practices they disagree with.
We should understand that while the Founding Fathers had good ideas and made the country we live in today possible, their ideas are no longer practically relevant, and applying their political and economic and cultural principles to today's world would be disastrous.
I honestly think they would know better than to ask people who lived before the automobile what the best way to interpret the constitution in the modern era would be.
Think about it, imagine being woken up 200 years in the future and being asked what the best choices to make were. Don't you think you might look for someone a little more qualified?
Originally posted by Oliver North
Think about it, imagine being woken up 200 years in the future and being asked what the best choices to make were.
Well, that would be a lot different than someone from 200 years ago waking up today. Mostly due to the acceleration and proliferation of technology. Waking up in this day and age can be learned and rather quickly. Some dude even wrote a book about it. We as humans can still adapt. But I don't think in 200 years we'll be able to just "adapt" to it: we'll need to be modified to just function in the world 200 years from now assuming no sort of technological singularity occurs or this conversation is even relevant.
Originally posted by Oliver North
Don't you think you might look for someone a little more qualified?
Nope. Their political philosophies are still relevant and useful. They'd need to spend a year or two studying history and law, of course. But their insight will still be interesting.
The notion that the "founding fathers" have no place in this modern world is, for me at least, and old and tired argument. I even find it dumb/idiotic.* To me, it is an argument from "new hotness vs. old and busted." Sorry, it doesn't work that way. Smart humans are smart humans no matter the decade: they didn't cease to be intelligent and educated humans, overnight.
I'm sure Ben Franklin would now how to use your Apple laptop better than you do after just a few short months.
*Many times I have heard and/or read that the old timers from 150-250 years ago are too out dated to be useful (and time and time again I read something from their time that seems more relevant today than ever). It is getting old to hear that argument. In fact, it is so frequently stated that I don't hardly hear or read "what would our founding fathers say regarding our current state?"
Originally posted by focus4chumps
"holy shit i want beyonce...and a ferarri" -thomas jefferson
You joke...but...
The founding fathers gave us a Republic, if we can keep it. Meaning the representatives will make some choices for us that we abide by and will allow the free market to trade within reason.
What they might be baffled by is how people allow themselves to be persuaded by Madison Ave and Hollywood values much to the expense of their health and well being.
i dont think they could have ever imagined their efforts would have grown into something so grand. I'm sure they would be proud and incredibly overwhelmed. In no way do i think they would be disappointed or concerned with the current state of the country. Yeah, we may not use our rights in this country and many citizens probably don't even know what their rights are and yes, politicians break and out right disregard those rights all the time but they are still there to be used. Those rights can still be exercised at any time.
Some of the simple things that the founding fathers or citizens of that time wanted to change would be nearly impossible or require war. Today an average citizen can change or pass a law by using the political system.
Originally posted by jinXed by JaNx+
i dont think they could have ever imagined their efforts would have grown into something so grand. I'm sure they would be proud and incredibly overwhelmed. In no way do i think they would be disappointed or concerned with the current state of the country. Yeah, we may not use our rights in this country and many citizens probably don't even know what their rights are and yes, politicians break and out right disregard those rights all the time but they are still there to be used. Those rights can still be exercised at any time.Some of the simple things that the founding fathers or citizens of that time wanted to change would be nearly impossible or require war. Today an average citizen can change or pass a law by using the political system.
I think, once they got caught up on history and technology, they would be appalled at the Patriot Act and things similar to that.