Highspeed rail is B$it

[Reiwa]

Originally Posted by loramin [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Our whole system was designed to have bloodless revolutions every few years: that's the beauty of it. Our founding fathers knew we couldn't all just get along, and knew we would have revolutions: they counted on it.

But, they didn't want them to be violent, Revolutionary War-style revolutions: they wanted them to be peaceful ones. And that's exactly what happens: if the Democrats or Republicans don't "win" this election cycle, they just gear up for the next one.

Every few years control over power shifts: one side or the other takes over one branch of government or the other. The other side isn't happy, but they don't have a bloody revolution over it (well, Trump tried a little, but normally they don't).

Instead, they just try to win the next election, ie. have a blood-less revolution in their favor next time. Eventually they do, then the other side tries to fight back, and the cycle continues ... all without anyone killing anyone.

Go founding fathers! [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Pretty weird how they said the liberty tree needed to be watered with blood, then.

[loramin]

Originally Posted by Reiwa [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Pretty weird how they said the liberty tree needed to be watered with blood, then.

You're taking that quote out of context. He was talking about Shay's Rebellion before the USA was really a thing:

Originally Posted by Thomas Jefferson

We have had 13. states independant 11. years. There has been one rebellion. That comes to one rebellion in a century and a half for each state. What country before ever existed a century and half without a rebellion? And what country can preserve it’s liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it’s natural manure. Our Convention has been too much impressed by the insurrection of Massachusets: and in the spur of the moment they are setting up a kite to keep the hen yard in order. I hope in god this article will be rectified before the new constitution is accepted.

But he's talking about how things have been; what was so amazing about the founding fathers is that they made something new.

Years after that quote Jefferson would realize that, even though he <3 's revolutions (and he really did; he was one of the most liberal/revolutionary of the founders), he didn't exactly like the bloodshed part. So, he and the rest of the gang invented a bloodless perpetual revolution system.

[Reiwa]

Originally Posted by loramin [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

You're taking that quote out of context. He was talking about Shay's Rebellion before the USA was really a thing:

What about the Whiskey Rebellion? The USA was "really a thing" by then.

Reminder that Jefferson was an anti-federalist.