"Guard against the postures of pretended patriotism."
—George Washington, Farewell Address, September 17, 1796.Even better from the same source:
These considerations speak a persuasive language to every reflecting and virtuous mind, and exhibit the continuance of the Union as a primary object of patriotic desire. Is there a doubt whether a common government can embrace so large a sphere? Let experience solve it. To listen to mere speculation in such a case were criminal. We are authorized to hope that a proper organization of the whole with the auxiliary agency of governments for the respective subdivisions, will afford a happy issue to the experiment. It is well worth a fair and full experiment. With such powerful and obvious motives to union, affecting all parts of our country, while experience shall not have demonstrated its impracticability, there will always be reason to distrust the patriotism of those who in any quarter may endeavor to weaken its bands.
Too little history is known by Americans about the period of the American Revolution through the period of our nation under the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, which in many respects amounted to a failed experiment with Libertarianism. Washington, taking over as chief executive under the Constitution, particularly understood the failures of a too-small and ineffective government.
ReplyDeleteHe had in mind with this quote the modern day GOP and Teabaggers.
I think of Goldwater's statement, extremism is no vice in protecting liberty. Really? Is the extremism we see today by right wing fools not hurting our liberty, like voting rights?
ReplyDelete