Betty Boop Knowflake Posts: 675 From: Betty Boop Land Registered: Sep 2010
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posted April 21, 2011 07:48 PM
quote: But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.
quote: There are, moreover, two considerations particularly applicable to the federal system of America, which place that system in a very interesting point of view. First. In a single republic, all the power surrendered by the people is submitted to the administration of a single government; and the usurpations are guarded against by a division of the government into distinct and separate departments. In the compound republic of America, the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments, and then the portion allotted to each subdivided among distinct and separate departments. Hence a double security arises to the rights of the people. The different governments will control each other, at the same time that each will be controlled by itself. Second. It is of great importance in a republic not only to guard the society against the oppression of its rulers, but to guard one part of the society against the injustice of the other part. Different interests necessarily exist in different classes of citizens. If a majority be united by a common interest, the rights of the minority will be insecure.
- James Madison (Founding Father of the United States) - Federalist paper 51 ----------------------
Reading AG's thread and the debates regarding self-government v. government where power is vested in one person -------- These quotes by James Madison sprung to memory. I am not sure whether a 'separation of powers' would be helpful here --- but it may well be. Maybe there should be a democratically elected committee of a number of knowflakes calling the shots lol
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