that’s easy…pack up your crap and move someplace that doesn’t have one…say that worker’s paradise known as Cuba…see how much happier you are in that little garden of Eden.
five…
four…
three…
I used to hold the Constitution to be something akin to holy scripture. Which might be odd since I am an atheist. I’m a little older and I do see a lot of flaws in the document and in people. Don’t worry I’m not a cynic I still think most people are basically good. But please brace yourself for what I’m about to say. The Constitution is a piece of paper, an important piece of paper, but it is less important then what people do or think. I’m not saying the Constitution was a bad document I actually think it was a pretty good idea at the time. But when I think of my political beliefs I don’t use the Constitution to justify anything.
Marc
PS: I’m also a fan of the Magna Carter.
Which Constitution are we talking about here? The Constitution of Wyoming? The Constitution of France? The U.S.S. Constitution?
Ye gods, man, don’t leave us a-hangin’ in the dark!
Eddie,
That’s a bit of a cliched/pat answer, don’t you think? Call me naive, but if you don’t like it (or portions thereof), then get off your ass and work to change it. Not everyone who disagrees with the Constitution deserves to be treated so cavalierly.
Sir
The 1972 Cuban Constitution is available here:
http://www.georgetown.edu/LatAmerPolitical/Constitutions/Cuba/cuba1976.html
Those who formerly thought that Cuba didn’t have a constitution and are therefore now considering emigrating are referred to the Cuban interests section in Washington, DC:
http://www.embassy.org/embassies/cu.html
The US Constitution is available via the link below. Readers can take special note of Article 5, which covers Amendments to the Constitution. Those interested in living in a country where the Constitution can’t be democratically amended are referred to the link above.
Eddie, thanks for showing us there’s still folks out there who don’t give a flip about the rights discussed in the Constitution.
After all, 2sense obviously has a major hardon against the Constitution, yet he’s free to pan it in this land.
Well, that is, he’s free to pan it until you and the other totalitarians take over.
Marc, I am an atheist too and for me the Constitution IS scripture. There is no higher document in my opinion ever created. I can’t believe you are willing to dismiss it so casually in favor of contemporary standards of attitude and behavior, whatever they may be. Sans a constitution, just what is it to keep the government from allocating to itself any and all powers it chooses?
My initial post may not have clearly expressed my entire thought on the matter (I thought I was responding to an earlier thread, but in fact it posted as a new one, and therefore I didn’t feel the need to state my entire thinking on the matter.
To make it clear, I am NOT suggesting that people who disagree with one or more elements of the US constitution should pick up and leave…what I AM suggesting is that people who disagree that the document should be the framework of our system of government should leave…plain and simple.
And one mea culpa…as another poster pointed out, Cuba DOES have a constitution…in that particular reference I was indeed speaking from a nether orifice which was wrong.
Your words are completely self-contradictory. How can someone like me (who clearly reveres the constitution) be said in any way shape or form to be totalitarian? My statement spoke to a personal desire for them to leave, but in no way to serve as an affirmation of the government’s authority to do so. Please don’t read anything into my messages that isn’t there.
flowbark:
Thanks for the references…unfortunately since I can’t read Spanish I’m going to have trouble with the Cuban Constitution !
The same way that Cardinal Torquemada, who believed that “Thou shalt not kill” and “Love thy neighbour” were divinely revealed truths, started the Inquisition.
BTW, I never thought anyone could actually make me grateful for the endless wrangling over the constitution here in Canada, but you’ve succeeded. I’d much rather be governed by a document in flux. It has a much better chance of having something to do with modern realities than an ancient sacred text of revealed truth.
WAIT A MINUTE!
Stop the presses… We’re all barking up the wrong tree.
Look at his user name. EddietheDane.
Obviously he’s talking about the constitution of Denmark.
How could we be so silly?
No, no, no. . .
The “Dane” clearly refers to the SUNY Albany sports teams. He must be speaking of our school charter.
I must admit, until I saw our mascot I was rather confused about why our teams were named after people from Denmark.
Oh, and one more thing. . .
Eddie, I would suggest that you use one long post instead of three shorter ones if possible.
To do otherwise shows bad form.
(Insert smiley face).
You like the Constitution. He does not. It follows that he does not think like you. For this reason, you want him to leave the country. Therefore, you want those who do not think like you do to leave the country.
Totalitarianism is government that suppresses dissent. Dissenters are those who think differently than the ruling faction. Therefore, totalitarians are those who suppress people who think differently than they do.
See the connection?
The US Constitution has a few basic flaws in it from being so old fashioned. One is the jerry-mandering winner-take-all House of Representatives, which is archaic to artistocracy. I suppose this happened before political parties were known to be integral to democracy. As a result, America has a dismal voter turnout since it is a simple for only two people. Also, the presidency should be a popular election as the ultimate safeguard to abuse, which we now know to be institutional in nature, not from popular ignorance as the founding fathers imagined. They got some things wrong (slavery for instance), and many things perfect.
There’s absolutely no way I’m going to let such a flat out BS lie slide without pointing it out.
Now let’s dissect your OP:
Sets topic for debate, one would have thought.
Until you said that. Last time I checked, the Constitution had a nifty little thing discussed in it called “Freedom of Speech.” That does not mean, nor does it imply, “Freedom of Speech that Eddie the Dane Appreciates and to Hell with Anyone who doesn’t like it.”
Okay, amend my comment above to read “…to Hell (or Cuba)…”
As has been pointed out to you, Cuba has a constitution. So does the People’s Republic of China, and so did the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Actually, there are a number of constitutions extant and some of the free countries (the United Kingdom, for example) have some laws that are pretty unfree per our constitution here.
To answer your comment about how you can be considered totalitarian: Because you just told anyone who disagrees with the constitution to shut up.