These United States

In the summer of 1776 representatives from the 13 English colonies assembled to address the grievances of the land holders against a King increasingly burdened by debt and seeking to wring whatever profit he could from the colonies.  This document was to have far reaching consequences for both England, the colonies and eventually the entire world.  In today’s political climate I think it worth reviewing a couple of central theme’s found in the Declaration of Independence.

 “When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. -- Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.”

The declaration cites about 27 grievances to document and rationalize this course of action.  What I would like to consider is the relevance of this document to today’ America; as our government becomes increasingly disconnected from an alarmingly polarized population.

In the 18th century the European political world was just coming to grips with the realization that Monarchies were not divinely inspired and sanctioned.  The English nobility had, with the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215, begun the regulation of the English monarchy to insure at least the nobilities right be outlined.  Now the one constant with change is those most affected were not too keen about new ideas.  The monarchies were not eager to give up their autonomy, power (and associated weatlth) so the change came fairly gradually and was unique to each affected monarch.  In our case, the Congress chose the words “All men are created equal” to reflect their belief the monarch was not commissioned by a divine being but rather received his authority by those he ruled.  So the first theme in the Declaration is that a Monarch’s powers are limited and held for the benefit of the governed.  I find it hard to translate this into a universal  statement that all men are born to be equal.  What has made the United States different from the other great nations is our class structure has historically been based on individual accomplishment, individual risk and reward, and an individuals desire to succeed.

It is unfashionable today to discuss the behavior of the founding fathers of the great families of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but none of these originals came from great wealth, none came from privilege.  What they accomplished was based on their visions and their drive.  At the time the government’s role was much more limited and with the power of wealth the vices of the individuals would lead to the great men bending whatever laws stood in their way.  In dealing with these abuses the idea it was role of the government to regulate big business was born.  It has been  rather natural on the part of some to extend this into ever more control of our lives.

I think you can see this in the Cornelius Vanderbilt story, where a young man drops out of school to work on his father’s ferry.   From that humble start he built a transportation empire that was estimated at $100 million at the time of his death.  Interestingly Vanderbilt was involved in breaking a government sponsored steamboat and ferry business monopoly granted by the NY legislature for a politically influential patrician.

How about Andrew Carnegie, who came to America with his parents and went on found U.S. Steel?  He rose from humble beginnings as a worker in a bobbin factory to sell his share of U.S. Steel for $480 million in 1901.

Of course there are some of the great families whose fortune were made not on innovation and industry but on the speculation of stock with perhaps a little bootlegging thrown in.

These type of stories abound and are, supposedly what makes America great.  Today we have only to look at the software and internet to see the next generation of million and billionaires.

My question is, what happens to America when our government sets out to reward sloth, mediocrity and just being?  When the government says to those who’ve succeeded, your success must pay for the care and feeding of those who’ve made no effort.  When the government says to its people all wealth is ours and we will decide how it should be spent? 

Do you come to this statement?

... The history of the present administration is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states.