James Madison on Liberty

Interesting essay on the thoughts of Madison concerning Liberty.

Madison emphasized that the United States would have a representative government rather than a pure democracy. He had little sympathy for the “theoretic politicians” who supported the direct rule of the people. In pure democracies nothing would limit the majority’s abuse of a “weaker party, or the obnoxious individual.” Madison’s indictment is stark: “Such democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security, or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives, as they have been violent in their deaths.”

He goes on:

Madison also insisted that the people retained all rights not expressly delegated to the new government of the United States. The powers enumerated in the Constitution thus placed a limit on what government could do legitimately. In Madison’s day, as in our own, some people contended that the federal government had implicit powers to attain the goals stated in the preamble to the Constitution, especially the goal of promoting the general welfare. Madison disagreed strongly. Such a theory would “convert the government from one limited as hitherto supposed, to the enumerated powers, into a government without any limits at all.” We may well wonder whether today we live under a government “without any limits at all.”

I wonder what Madison would have to say about where we are today?

Here's the link, for those of you who want to, and can, read:

http://www.libertarianism.org/public...vision-liberty

I figured this one would be ignored.

everyone figured you would post something relevant to the past ... if only you could devolve you'd be all set

Did you vote for him COG?

So Liberty is a concept to be relegated to the past. That is sad.

Sad that so few could care less about such matters. And pathetic that some on this board make fun of those who do care.

what I find sad is we keep electing the sob's so we can bitch about them day in and day out

Caring and poking fun at someone isn't the same thing...

Interesting essay on the thoughts of Madison concerning Liberty.

Madison emphasized that the United States would have a representative government rather than a pure democracy. He had little sympathy for the “theoretic politicians” who supported the direct rule of the people. In pure democracies nothing would limit the majority’s abuse of a “weaker party, or the obnoxious individual.” Madison’s indictment is stark: “Such democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security, or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives, as they have been violent in their deaths.”

He goes on:

Madison also insisted that the people retained all rights not expressly delegated to the new government of the United States. The powers enumerated in the Constitution thus placed a limit on what government could do legitimately. In Madison’s day, as in our own, some people contended that the federal government had implicit powers to attain the goals stated in the preamble to the Constitution, especially the goal of promoting the general welfare. Madison disagreed strongly. Such a theory would “convert the government from one limited as hitherto supposed, to the enumerated powers, into a government without any limits at all.” We may well wonder whether today we live under a government “without any limits at all.”

I wonder what Madison would have to say about where we are today?

Here's the link, for those of you who want to, and can, read:

http://www.libertarianism.org/public...vision-liberty Originally Posted by CuteOldGuy

He would not recognise our Congress as the one he envisioned.

Sad that so few could care less about such matters. And pathetic that some on this board make fun of those who do care. Originally Posted by Whirlaway

Crocodile tears by someone who belittles those with differing political philosophies.

PS The phrase is "couldn't care less". It states a limit or endpoint. "Could care less" states the obvious which is that you can always care less; unless you can't.