Nullification Fever Sweeps the Natio- (er, I mean) States!

Webster (4.00 / 4)

This quote describes the reaction to Webster's "liberty and union, now and forever, one and inseparable." speech:

The people read Webster's speech and marked him for the champion henceforth against all assaults upon the Constitution. An undefinable dread now went abroad that men were planning against the peace of the nation, that the Union was in danger; and citizens looked more closely after its safety and welfare. Webster's speech aroused the latent spirit of patriotism.

-from James Schouler, History of the United States. (New York: Dodd, Mead & Company. (1891), copyright expired


"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    

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by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Fri Sep 11, 2009 at 18:55:44 PM CDT

The United States Constitution (4.00 / 1)

I think some of these conservative right-winger Republicans just don't read the United States Constitution carefully.

I suppose in his speed-reading, Governor Pawlenty and others of his brand overlook a few important words right at the beginning:

"Article One, Section Eight: The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States."

I wonder what that "...general welfare of the United States..." could be.  Perhaps it's Medicare so that our senior citizens can have a level of health care? Funding for housing so that fewer Americans will be in the streets? Social Security so that our older citizens can live with some degree of dignity? Education so that all Americans can have some degree of education to compete with the world? And perhaps health care so that our citizenry can have a level of health care so that our nation will be stronger to take on the challenges of a threatening world?

Would any of us want the United States to be a weak and un-educated country? A country where only the well-to-do can afford health care and education and housing?

I guess the Republicans and right-wingers would.

Democrats support the Constitution, because our fore-fathers and mothers were visionary enough to write a document that provides flexibility for an uncertain future. It's worked well for over 200 years because we've had government leaders that don't have their minds in the Middle Ages.

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by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Fri Sep 11, 2009 at 19:37:40 PM CDT

The South IS Different. (0.00 / 0)

Always has been, always. Compare their values to yours and mine.

Why not let them go their way, we'll go ours.

We'll never be successful imposing our values on them, nor they on us.

Regional self-government might not be such a bad thing. Economically, it does work better.

And in terms of cultural differences. When in your life have they not been there?

The South is different. I, for one am sure proud of our Red Sox Nation.

No'm Sayn?

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by: BurtCohen @ Fri Sep 11, 2009 at 20:38:39 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Commonality (0.00 / 0)

Well, Burt -- if you want to get into "differences," certainly New Castle IS different from Portsmouth, and each of us has self-government; but we are bound by New Hampshire and we have lots of commonality.  

Southern New Hampshire IS different from the North Country, but hopefully we won't change New Hampshire into two parts, or three or four because of those regional differences.

In terms of cultural differences, one could say California has a culture all itself, as New England does.  I hope we don't divide into lots of nations with your proposal.  

I'll stick with my 50 State-Strategy for now. (Maybe if they so vote sometime I'd go for Puerto Rico as our 51st state.)

Oh, and full representation for Washington, D.C., of course.

The "unity" of The United States makes us diverse, and strong.  We have enough bigger problems to worry about than how to divide us up.  

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by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Fri Sep 11, 2009 at 21:34:44 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

But (0.00 / 0)

A lot of people agree: propping up bigness for its own sake isn't worth it. The very real, in some ways shattering of centralized concentrated power.
We don't like that.
Our cultures and economies are diverse. I would argue that on many fronts, we have more differences than commonality. Probably lots of people like that SC Rep who yelled. It is true.
Besides, there already is an economic regionalism involving Southern California and the top of Baja, Mexico. This idea has been bantied about in the wall Street Journal of late.  

No'm Sayn?

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by: BurtCohen @ Fri Sep 11, 2009 at 21:49:11 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I spent one school year in SC. (4.00 / 1)

There are a lot of wonderful people there I want in my country.

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by: Dean Barker @ Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 07:05:04 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

You Raise a Good Point (0.00 / 0)

There are right wing extremists in Red Sox nation, too. Since the war against secession, we have mixed in pretty thoroughly. But there's still identity.
North and South are largely, not completely of course, different cultures, with largely different values. There are people living all cross the world who sympathize or oppose factions in other countries. Let them work out their own regional identities. Majorities and one set of values or another can not be forever imposed from the top.  

No'm Sayn?

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by: BurtCohen @ Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 09:03:20 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

They DO Work On Their... (0.00 / 0)

...regional identities, and they do that very well.  We need not create more borders for that to happen.  

In many a-city throughout the country, different cultures work out their own cultural identities, yet I hope we don't see cities breaking up with new borders.  

Let's emphasize what brings us together as Americans, and not why we should be separate and apart.  

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by: Rep. Jim Splaine @ Sat Sep 12, 2009 at 09:50:34 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

The Loyal Opposition? (4.00 / 1)

Isn't Ayotte supposed to be the sane one?

Birthers, Tenthters, Teabaggers and Secessionists seem to comprise the rump that remains of the erstwhile Permanent Majority envisioned by Karl Rove. This remnant fabric requires ideological purity of its national leadership, or those who aspire to it, with Rush, Beck and Hannity acting as Grand Inquisitors of the purity test.

The current crew of candidates lining up to run for GOP nominations for Federal office in 2010 and 2012 have me wondering how far off the deep end they will have to go to appease the base?

Maybe the Mayans were right about 2012.

 

"If you're going to be crazy, you have to get paid for it or else you're going to be locked up." -- Hunter S. Thompson  

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by: The Grand Panjandrum @ Fri Sep 11, 2009 at 19:54:16 PM CDT