DeletedUser
Come to think of it, I regret being alive while that monkey was president.
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EXCERPT from the 1796 Farewell Address
...I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.
This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy.
The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.
Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.
It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.
There is an opinion that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the government and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty. This within certain limits is probably true; and in governments of a monarchical cast, patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. But in those of the popular character, in governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency, it is certain there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose. And there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume.
It is important, likewise, that the habits of thinking in a free country should inspire caution in those entrusted with its administration, to confine themselves within their respective constitutional spheres, avoiding in the exercise of the powers of one department to encroach upon another. The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create, whatever the form of government, a real despotism. A just estimate of that love of power, and proneness to abuse it, which predominates in the human heart, is sufficient to satisfy us of the truth of this position. The necessity of reciprocal checks in the exercise of political power, by dividing and distributing it into different depositaries, and constituting each the guardian of the public weal against invasions by the others, has been evinced by experiments ancient and modern; some of them in our country and under our own eyes. To preserve them must be as necessary as to institute them. If, in the opinion of the people, the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way which the Constitution designates. But let there be no change by usurpation; for though this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed. The precedent must always greatly overbalance in permanent evil any partial or transient benefit, which the use can at any time yield.
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I have never understood the willingness to tear down and rip apart a teenage girl. Either by the media, people on this forum, or people in general.
And to the contrary, anyone who is a stay-at-home mom, volunteer who beats out an incumbent in her own party to win the Gubernatorial Campaign is far from an idiot.
You may or may not like her policies, but if you think shes an idiot-run for Governor, and see how hard it is to do coming from nowhere.
As for Palin herself-the move to step down is a financial one. The ethics charges accounted for a large debt. She's worth an estimated 2-3 million in books and speaking engagements a years if she is not Governor. Shes worth her Government salary of I think 240,000 per year as Governor.
Adelei-
I think you miss the point entirely about railroading a teenage girl in the public spotlight.
We each are accountable for our actions. You making justifications or excuses for it to happen belittles the point. I am not a Pro-Palin person. I am actually for very few people that are in politics.
Funny how in politics the 2 wrongs don't make a right logic goes completely out the window. So its fair game to rip a 19 year old apart for a obsurd and rediculous joke McCain made 10 years ago.
The point of it was Adelei-is if you find justification in one, where does it end.
I don't recall asking for sympathy for them, nor providing excuses. I cannot stand blind partisan politics and it occurs on all ends of the spectrum, including libertarians even.
In what your saying- by lack of or no sympathy, is that you are ok with that since McCain did it first.
Which is probably why our government will be bankrupt beyond repair because politicians have quit serving and only play the games of tabloid style politics to get and keep elected. I hate all of them.