Interesting article from "The Economist":

[damonm]

http://www.economist.com/node/17103701?story_id=17103701&fsrc=scn/tw/te/rss/pe

...The Declaration of Independence and the constitution have been venerated for two centuries. But thanks to the tea-party movement they are enjoying a dramatic revival. The day after this September’s constitution-day anniversary, people all over the country congregated to read every word together aloud, a “profoundly moving exercise that will take less than one hour”, according to the gatherings’ organisers. At almost any tea-party meeting you can expect to see some patriot brandishing a copy of the hallowed texts and calling, with trembling voice, for a prodigal America to redeem itself by returning to its “founding principles”. The Washington Post reports that Colonial Williamsburg has been crowded with tea-partiers, asking the actors who play George Washington and his fellow founders for advice on how to cast off a tyrannical government.
(snip)
...
Accept for argument’s sake that those who argue this way have identified the right problem. The constitution, on its own, does not provide the solution. Indeed, there is something infantile in the belief of the constitution-worshippers that the complex political arguments of today can be settled by simple fidelity to a document written in the 18th century. Michael Klarman of the Harvard Law School has a label for this urge to seek revealed truth in the sacred texts. He calls it “constitutional idolatry”.

The constitution is a thing of wonder, all the more miraculous for having been written when the rest of the world’s peoples were still under the boot of kings and emperors (with the magnificent exception of Britain’s constitutional monarchy, of course). But many of the tea-partiers have invented a strangely ahistorical version of it. For example, they say that the framers’ aim was to check the central government and protect the rights of the states. In fact the constitution of 1787 set out to do the opposite: to bolster the centre and weaken the power the states had briefly enjoyed under the new republic’s Articles of Confederation of 1777.

[JNelson6563]

1. lolz

The Washington Post reports that Colonial Williamsburg has been crowded with tea-partiers, asking the actors who play George Washington and his fellow founders for advice on how to cast off a tyrannical government.

Asking the actors what to do?!?! :rofl:

[izquierdista]

2. The same could be said of a similar tome

'The Wealth of Nations', that sacred book of capitalist idolaters, has had similar supernatural powers attributed to its main character and deity, The Invisible Hand.

[unblock]

3. this all sounds funny, but it is profoundly dangerous

it is the bringing of the religious fundamentalist thought process into the realm of public policy. they look to religious texts for clear-cut answers to complex problems, and take simplistic answers as divine and unquestionable and any suggestion of debate is viewed not as respectful disagreement but as heresy.

this has happened many times in history and the results have never been good.


we must make sure that this attitude is and remains seen as a lunatic fringe view, and antithetical not only to the vision of the founders, but to a healthy government and society today.

[okieinpain]

6. exactly. it is truly a frightening problem. n/t.

[Shanti Mama]

4. Along side "biblical idolatry"

No non-fiction document -- from the teachings of the Buddha to the bible to AA's Big Book -- needs to be read in the context of present time and knowledge. I'm not a big relativist. I believe in right and wrong, that not all beliefs have equal merit. However, I believe that all beliefs, all writings, need context. The world has learned so much, has evolved (not an acceptable word in their circles) such that wise people along the way need to reflect and interpret as best they can, given the context of that time.

[BeyondGeography]

5. "Infantile"

Thank you.