VOCAL Neighbors

A philosophical point.

I've been much chided for the use of the phrase "neighborhood nannies." I suppose I could adopt those of the great author of our U.S. Constitution, and fourth U.S. President, James Madison and just say "obnoxius individuals."

In the Federalist Paper No. 10, Madison discussed why there will always be factions in society that will demand from those in power (i.e., government) sanction and the use of force to effect their interests. He did not expect men to act like angels, and rather presumed that they will always act pursuant to their own selfish interests. He rightly discerned that in raw democratic politics, "there is nothing to check the inducements to sacrifice the weaker party, or an obnoxious individual."

He concluded that "the causes of faction cannot be removed; and that relief is only to be sought in the means of controling its effects."

Hence, the need for a republican government (and I am using the term in its classical sense, not the political-parties-of-today sense). Hence, the need for controls on the government's very ability to exercise power in the first instance.

Madison, BTW, was also the primary author of the Bill of Rights, which contains the Fifth Amendment. He, in turn, based a good chunk of it on the Virginia Bill of Rights, which stated:

That elections of members to serve as representatives of the people in assembly ought to be free; and that all men, having sufficient evidence of permanent common interest with, and attachment to, the community have the right of suffrage and cannot be taxed or deprived of their property for public uses without their own consent or that of their representatives so elected, nor bound by any law to which they have not, in like manner, assented, for the public good.

(6th article in Virginia, I believe, but I don't have a direct cite).

The founders of this nation recognized that securing property rights from individual and government tyrrany was essential to liberty. Pity some haven't learned that lesson.

posted by The Grants @ 10:42 AM