Is life today in the United States any better than it was before our independence in 1776? Most would say yes; people have more money, there is more opportunity than in most countries, better health care, fewer crimes than in many other countries, and no wars on our soil (with the exception of a couple isolated incidents) since the Civil War. Others would say no way; the land is being destroyed, the culture of the native inhabitants was destroyed, we murdered and plundered, the deficit is out of control, and no one can stop arguing about individual rights and freedoms.
One thing is certain, the founding fathers of this country would not be happy with what turned out.
THe founding fathers fought to keep money going to the powerful, and fought to keep the wealthy out of power. They did not want corrupt politicians that could get away with murder or rape. The politicians used to be the celebrities, the people who were admired, respected, and talked about rather than sports' stars and movie stars. They did not want a national bank, a national religion, or a national language because they wanted every one to stand on equal grounds. THey wanted freedom to reach all economic classes, not just those who could afford it.
Is that the United States we have now? I don't think so.
So did they fail us, or did we fail them?
Psst... it's 1776, not 1976:) And I think we failed them. They left us plenty of room for advancement in the way they shaped our laws and the foundations of the U.S. because they knew the importance of allowing room for changes as society and opinion grew and changed. Over the years though, we've forgotten the sacrifices that were made for us (and our future) and have arrived at the belief that we are owed something more, that it wasn't good enough, that we have no responsibility.
"We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us." -Marcel Proust
Opps, hehe, thanks :)
I get my dates all mixed up all the time. Just the other day I wrote a check and dated it Novemver 12, 1984. Where that came from I have absolutely no idea.
At any rate, I agree with you. It's almost like we just slapped our fore fathers in the face. When do you think this all started? I'm inclined to think right about the end of the Civil War, with Johnson. I think there's a bit of a coincidence that Lincold was the last strong President we've ever had who didn't have to hide behind congress - then Johnson completely took advantage and all of a sudden there were a lot of laws made up and passed that restricted a President's power.
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"Dream as though you'll live forever, but live as though there's no tomorrow" --James Dean
http://www.progressiveu.org/user/fanaile-drupal-org
I know how you feel on the date thing. Just wanted to point it out to you.
As for when we started moving away from the vision... I'm not sure we can pinpoint an exact timeframe. Obviously, something started the downfall, but it's been a gradual thing until we're now at the point where most people don't know a fourth of what they should about our history, our government and society operates on the mentality that everyone owes us something. It may very well have started after the Civil War. I personally think you could be right on with that one.
The power moved away from the people and to the government and those in power continually do less for the people and more for themselves. It was never intended to be that way, and I imagine our founding fathers are turning over in their graves about now over that fact.
"We don't receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us." -Marcel Proust