871
Billionaires Are Lying Shamelessly to Convince Us To Destroy Our Government
(www.currentaffairs.org)
this post was submitted on 03 Dec 2024
871 points (98.7% liked)
politics
19241 readers
2259 users here now
Welcome to the discussion of US Politics!
Rules:
- Post only links to articles, Title must fairly describe link contents. If your title differs from the site’s, it should only be to add context or be more descriptive. Do not post entire articles in the body or in the comments.
Links must be to the original source, not an aggregator like Google Amp, MSN, or Yahoo.
Example:
- Articles must be relevant to politics. Links must be to quality and original content. Articles should be worth reading. Clickbait, stub articles, and rehosted or stolen content are not allowed. Check your source for Reliability and Bias here.
- Be civil, No violations of TOS. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a (pejorative, pejorative). It’s NOT OK to say another USER is (pejorative). Strong language is fine, just not directed at other members. Engage in good-faith and with respect! This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.
- No memes, trolling, or low-effort comments. Reposts, misinformation, off-topic, trolling, or offensive. Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.
- Vote based on comment quality, not agreement. This community aims to foster discussion; please reward people for putting effort into articulating their viewpoint, even if you disagree with it.
- No hate speech, slurs, celebrating death, advocating violence, or abusive language. This will result in a ban. Usernames containing racist, or inappropriate slurs will be banned without warning
We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.
All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.
That's all the rules!
Civic Links
• Congressional Awards Program
• Library of Congress Legislative Resources
• U.S. House of Representatives
Partnered Communities:
• News
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
That's actually not true. See the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They're documents that were written to guarantee and protect my rights as an individual. I was lucky to have been born in this time and place, look back or just around the world today and you will see countries without these arrangements. If you're a US citizen and you don't understand how lucky you are you need to travel more and read books. Get out of the city, and do it alone. You'll see.
You were just arguing against this kind of government, but now you are all for it? Make up your mind. 'the bill of rights' means nothing without a government enforcing it.
In any case, this shows just how ignorant you are to the world around you. Documents protecting the rights of the populace aren't exclusive to the US, nor were they the first to write them, look up the magna Carta, written in medieval times; or the Hammurabi code, one of the first written legal documents that protected the weak and the vulnerable.
What's more, most countries today also have these protections written in their respective constitutions, so this whole "the US is special" talk is just propaganda you ate
The US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, in part protect the people from the government. Think about it.
The US Constitution and the Bill of Rights (which, btw, is part of the Constitution, so that's redundant) are just pieces of paper. The only reason they mean anything is because of the implicit threat of violence/force by the state. It's literally the way society exists.
No, the papers grant us rights if the government infringe they break the rules we break the rules.
Right, and whoever has more raw power wins. That's what it really boils down to, that's real politik. Shitty, but that's how it is. Because if you don't participate, the other people will straight up just kill you and take your land.
And who has the most raw power here, the largest (by far) military in the world? Or...? That's the "natural order" that fascists want. "Might makes right."
The military is comprised of citizens with rights granted by the same documents. I bet there is a large overlap between US patriots and service members.
And your definition of "patriot" is probably very different than theirs.
Would you mind stating your opinion more fully?
Again, most countries have these protections as well. The USA is not special in this regard. Most countries have a document detailing the rights and duties of the people along with the obligations and limits to the state. And obviously, these documents are intrinsically linked to the government and would fail to prove valuable in its absence. In layman's terms, you can't have your bill of rights 'protecting people from the government' without having a government in the first place, as the mere document itself is a product of governance and part of the social contract
While it's true that many countries have documents outlining the rights and duties of citizens, the significance of the US Constitution and Bill of Rights can't be overstated.
These foundational documents were crafted with a specific emphasis on individual liberties and protection from government overreach, which sets them apart from similar documents in other nations. The fact that they're products of governance doesn't diminish their importance - it's precisely because they're rooted in the social contract that they've been able to shape American politics, law, and society in such profound ways.
You can't dismiss the unique historical context in which these documents were written, nor can you downplay the impact they've had on the country. The US Constitution and Bill of Rights have served as a beacon for democracy and individual freedom around the world, inspiring countless others to fight for their own rights and liberties.
So, while I appreciate your point that other countries have similar documents, I believe it's incorrect to imply that the US Constitution and Bill of Rights are just like any other. They're an integral part of American identity and a cornerstone of democracy - and that makes them truly special.
I appreciate your understanding, though I'm inclined to disagree. Of course I get the historical context in which they were written, but that doesn't make it exceptional. You say in the US you have emphasis on personal freedom and protections against government overreach, but many countries would pride themselves as well in their take about it. Even so, in the USA your police officers can detain you on a whim declaring possible suspicion and confiscate your belongings if they so wish. You speak of personal freedoms, yet you still have stricter laws compared to my country in some cases, like drinking, gambling and prostitution or even jaywalking. Or the existence of HOAs, that despite not being governmental agencies themselves, they are adjacent and speak of aspects of american life that are more regulated than in other countries. You also have eminent domain in the USA, where the government can legally force you to sell your land.
And we can keep on comparing examples on how life differs based on countries, but to get back on track, the american constitution and its accompanying bill of rights are not inherently more 'free' than any other countries constitution. Even more so when you take into account that many countries' constitutions were based partially on it, which itself was based on Roman law.
I understand how important they are to american speaking points, though, you said it best when you said it was an integral part of your perceived self image. But that doesn't detract from the reality that people in the USA aren't intrinsically 'more free' or have more freedom just because they are american, there are plenty of countries with comparable levels of rights and government overreach.