We’ve Been Here Before
By: Doug Busselman, Executive Vice President
Over the past several months the biography of John Adams has repeatedly attempted to avail itself for my reading, but until this past weekend I’ve avoided giving it a try. This isn’t intended to serve as a book report, but more to share parallels that seem to be making themselves apparent, linking the early days of our country’s formation and today’s challenges.
Author David McCullough, at least by my reading so far, has done a good job of establishing the context in which Adams (our Second President – but more importantly a central figure in the pre-revolutionary war Congresses which eventually adopted the Declaration of Independence) outlined his thinking on what type of government a free people ought to have. It is interesting to read his thoughts on the benefits of having two houses of the legislative branch…one more closely aligned with the people and the other, a smaller body, selected by the larger legislature – somewhat of a council, capable of being less swayed by the populace.
Perhaps most refreshing is to look back at the time-frames and events of the early days of our country and see many of the same things which dominate our culture today. The highly proclaimed thoughts of liberty as documented in such literary classics as Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” could easily be viewed as a series of postings on a popular blog of our day. The endless and consuming debates of the Continental Congress were probably just as pitched as today’s (without the benefit of C-Span to make the public audience part of the process).
Consider the anger of our colonial forefathers over the taxation imposed from a far-off (physically as well as culturally-disconnected) government, requiring stamps as a method of taxes or assessments on tea… Now explain how those impositions and the proposals in Washington, D.C. to levy taxes on carbon emissions are any different. (If you consider the thinking that the King of England was pursuing in implementing his system of taxation, you could actually make more of a case for those taxes being legitimate than the ones our elected representatives are contemplating today.)
Back around July 4th it was suggested that a total read of the Declaration of Independence would cause you to smile at how similar circumstances caused our patriot ancestors to chafe and declare enough was enough. In reading the John Adams biography and evaluating the current conditions of our government, I’m not so sure that the things our government is growing to become don’t exceed the intrusion which caused our founders to revolt.
Then again our forefathers were accustomed by their lifestyle and culture to believe that self-reliance was a natural and desirable status. Freedom and liberty were core concepts which celebrated and pursued individual rights on the basis they were bestowed by God – not political handouts of a benevolent federal government.
Those who dreamed, charted and then sacrificed to make their ideas of freedom take shape might be amazed at how our generation views, nearly as essential, the importance of an all-providing (cradle to grave) system of government. Would they also be as impressed with how willing we are to give over to our government providers the liberty they so earnestly sought?
Over the past several months the biography of John Adams has repeatedly attempted to avail itself for my reading, but until this past weekend I’ve avoided giving it a try. This isn’t intended to serve as a book report, but more to share parallels that seem to be making themselves apparent, linking the early days of our country’s formation and today’s challenges.
Author David McCullough, at least by my reading so far, has done a good job of establishing the context in which Adams (our Second President – but more importantly a central figure in the pre-revolutionary war Congresses which eventually adopted the Declaration of Independence) outlined his thinking on what type of government a free people ought to have. It is interesting to read his thoughts on the benefits of having two houses of the legislative branch…one more closely aligned with the people and the other, a smaller body, selected by the larger legislature – somewhat of a council, capable of being less swayed by the populace.
Perhaps most refreshing is to look back at the time-frames and events of the early days of our country and see many of the same things which dominate our culture today. The highly proclaimed thoughts of liberty as documented in such literary classics as Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” could easily be viewed as a series of postings on a popular blog of our day. The endless and consuming debates of the Continental Congress were probably just as pitched as today’s (without the benefit of C-Span to make the public audience part of the process).
Consider the anger of our colonial forefathers over the taxation imposed from a far-off (physically as well as culturally-disconnected) government, requiring stamps as a method of taxes or assessments on tea… Now explain how those impositions and the proposals in Washington, D.C. to levy taxes on carbon emissions are any different. (If you consider the thinking that the King of England was pursuing in implementing his system of taxation, you could actually make more of a case for those taxes being legitimate than the ones our elected representatives are contemplating today.)
Back around July 4th it was suggested that a total read of the Declaration of Independence would cause you to smile at how similar circumstances caused our patriot ancestors to chafe and declare enough was enough. In reading the John Adams biography and evaluating the current conditions of our government, I’m not so sure that the things our government is growing to become don’t exceed the intrusion which caused our founders to revolt.
Then again our forefathers were accustomed by their lifestyle and culture to believe that self-reliance was a natural and desirable status. Freedom and liberty were core concepts which celebrated and pursued individual rights on the basis they were bestowed by God – not political handouts of a benevolent federal government.
Those who dreamed, charted and then sacrificed to make their ideas of freedom take shape might be amazed at how our generation views, nearly as essential, the importance of an all-providing (cradle to grave) system of government. Would they also be as impressed with how willing we are to give over to our government providers the liberty they so earnestly sought?
Posted by Doug Busselman at 9/29/2009 8:52 AM 
Categories: Life In These United States
Tags: Government Expansion Federal Bureaucracy
Categories: Life In These United States
Tags: Government Expansion Federal Bureaucracy
Comments