That would be appreciated, thank you.

If I remember correctly it was in a book of letters that Jefferson had written Washington while he was president. George was doing several things that Jefferson disagreed with including starting a central bank issuing fiat currency. I will try to locate the book in my library and let you know.

Can you point me to the citation for Jefferson's wording there? It sounds to me like it would be very useful in arguments to abolish the Department of Education...

The republic has failed its way into a socialist democracy where you can vote for the leader who will take your property, your liberty and your rights. You can vote for 'either' side and the results will be the same. As Jefferson once pointed out if the government took over the schools it would teach that slavery is freedom and raise the citizens it needed that would demand slavery thinking they were free.

I wish I had a nickle for every time I have posted this. Don't forget Franklin's quote either! We've given you a Republic, if you can keep it.

i would start out my debate class the Pledge of Allegiance ...."and for the Republic, for which it stands...", not a democracy...then let the debate begin...

And as we can see from the government takeover of the education system, you are spot on. Anyone who knows the Constitution, the Declaration, and has studied them and their meanings can't help but see in our society today the vast departures from that system that was the topic of much heated debate by the most learned men of the time. I think we'd do well to start teaching an appreciation for the Founding in grade school and make mandatory an entire semester class in high school on the Constitution. I know if education were voluntary and privately run it would be part of my children's education.

i would argue that the U.S. has become a democracy on the way to oligarchy and totalitarianism...and the that is the importance of epistemology, logic, and reason...the art of the non-contradictory identification of the facts of reality...(see David Kelley...evidences of the senses and logic)...we started as a republic where the vote was the property of an industrious man or woman...tyrants was less likely to be elected by intelligent, hard-working individuals...but a govt-educated citizenry creates the stage for a democracy and tyranny of the majority...hence 20th/21st century u.s.....

Much the same in Canada. I end up voting for the lesser of the evils. The one who I think will do the least harm. Once voted in, the government has been recently allocating the taxpayer's money into projects that reward the people who are less responsible and have not been making good decisions. Now, some of the taxpayer's money goes to provide fentanyl antidote to police officers, and other emergency personnel. In effect: I pay to keep some person who makes a poor decision and overdoses on fentanyl, alive. Our money is also going to sites where drug users can procure clean needles and other requirements so they can shoot up. Now: our provincial government is paying people to replace incandescent and compact fluorescent bulbs with LED's, and non-programmable thermostats with programmable ones for people who sign up for the program. I; Joe taxpayer, am paying for that. To top it all off, many of the ones who already have made the switch aren't being reimbursed and are paying the wonderful new Carbon Tax. Responsible government; my foot. Socialist system, here we come. I did not sign up for this.

I did not know that, and allegiance to two dimensional red, white, and blue piece of cloth does leave one to wondering. At the same time, imagine it as "I pledge allegiance to [...] the Democracy". I leave the quote at "Republic" not to compete with the quote from the Constitution, but to show that the word Republic is still used (even by a socialist with no concept of what it means)!

Well said! +100 if I could!

Hello "...cat:,

"The founders studied the entire history of the forms of government." I think that this is the "root cause" of the success of our Founders. They EDUCATED themselves and then applied that acquired knowledge and understanding to design the form of government that they thought to be optimal.

This is what I consider an axiom (i.e. a self-evident truth): "People get the governments they deserve." In the Freedom Outpost article that blarman posted, the author rhetorically asks if the destiny of North Koreans is in their own hands and then answers "Of course not." I could not disagree with him more. It takes a bloody rebellion to topple a tyranny. The Founders faced numerous people who disagreed with them and sided with the British. But they believed in the cause so much to be willing to risk life, wealth and honor for the victory. They won and we all are the beneficiaries.

It should be clear from the above that the key to our future is education. The misguided ideologues of the collectivism and, among them, some malicious ones have impregnated the educational systems and spew the poison daily. The evidence of utter ignorance about some of these themes among many of the young is everywhere. Many times the level of the "intellectual" discourse and of the writing is simply appalling. Do you remember how many American "intellectuals" admired Stalin?

As an aside. I do not propose witch hunts or persecution. But the TRUTH must be the supreme value. People, but especially the politicians and government officials must learn to say: "I don't know." We all will have to be willing to put in all the necessary efforts and resources so that our great grandchildren may enjoy the rights of liberty, property and pursuit of happiness as well as the rights enumerated in the BILL.

Do you "see" that you have touched a nerve?
+100 if I could!

All the best.
Sincerely,
Maritimus

Principles - plain and simple. If the Pledge were to the principles of our nation - independence, liberty, freedom, self-reliance, respect, etc. - that would be great. We salute the flag as an emblem of those principles, but allegiance to an inanimate object is ridiculous - hearkening more or less to pagan idol worship.

Yes, she would be howling.

I have speculated as what the "Pledge" should look like to get it right. No flag!?!

"Two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner." That is democracy. The majority is always hungry.

Nothing happens quickly in Washington. Look at how Trump's work ethic is perceived. They gape in wonder at someone who actually works It will take time to turn the ship of state to the right, let alone to make a 180. It has taken the left 100 years to get the USA this far off course, and they are relentless. It's the price of freedom, I guess. We could speed things up with a benevolent dictatorship for about 10 years but I can already hear A.R. howling from her grave.

While I would like to believe that, I look at how hard it has been to get a Constitutional Convention going and how resistant the old guard Republicans are to righting the ship along with the determined actions of the Democrats and their targeted political activism to scuttle it and I fear that the time for a peaceful return to Constitutional values is past.

You left out the difference between a Republic, and a Constitutional Republic. It was and is the very sane declaration of Independence and the Constitution that sets this Republic apart.

I think you are premature in putting "downfall" in the present tense. Heading that way for sure, but with still a possibility to succeed. The ideal of the world's first Constitutional Republic has not quite faded away as yet. Unfortunately it is getting there but the Trump victory has slowed the dissolution down, and who knows, there might be a turn around in the future.

No a constitutional republic (representative)

You know the pledge was made up by a socialist and is the opposite the values at the founding of the US.

I live in that little blue streak that runs down the middle of the red Southwest. Between Colorado and New Mexico for the last 30 years or so with time off for serving in the military. New Mexico swings from blue to red on Governors but it's heart is that blue runs the State, both in Senators and state politicians. If it were richer, it would be like California but it is dirt poor, even though the politicians don't think so. Being a veteran and older, yes, I believe in the Pledge of Allegiance and the US Constitution. I don't like what our government has become, I don't believe in the "nanny state" that we are dealing with. I need our government to protect our (Citizen's) Rights, not to run my life. I do a good enough job destroying my own life, I don't need the government to ruin it for me. Ben Franklin said "a Republic, if you can keep it", George Washington said a Republican form of government. Take your pick but it is not supposed to be a democracy.

The founders studied the entire history of the forms of government. They were citizens of England and understood the problems with a Parliament without a constitution. They agreed with Locke on individual sovereignty but had to create a new form of a limited government to protect it. They feared above all Democracy as rule by faction which is what we are descending into. It is the philosophers who are to blame not the productive people. The people trusted the philosophers who betrayed them. Support the nearest Objectivist philosopher. Its your best investment in protecting our Republic.

maybe the possibly new thinking that has started within the population will stop the heading towards a democracy and maybe learn and understand we were started as a republic.