There seems to be a general viewpoint that we should change the Constitution in one way or the other……change it to reflect the pro-life stand or maybe to make sure that sharia law does not take hold or maybe we should change it to truly reflect equality that was promised (we can debate that part at a later date)….why not change the constitution? Why not crap on the ideals of the founders?
I know…I know…that was a bit too much….but is it really? There is a wealth of people out there that would change it in a second……but now ask what would we gain?
But if we try to change the constitution too much we could have the authoritarian rule that some are searching for……take a look at what Hungary has done when they fundamentally changed their constitution……
The new constitution will give Hungary, which currently holds the presidency of the EU, a legal framework in which nationalist and religious factors are decisive. The constitution reeks of Christian fundamentalist and nationalist ideology, which Fidesz calls the “national creed”. Hungarian lawyers have warned against underestimating the scope of the changes.The right to utilise a referendum to oppose political decisions has been considerably restricted. Generally, a referendum can no longer be instigated by popular demand, but only through a majority in parliament. Referendums calling for constitutional changes or to amend election law are completely excluded.
The most far-reaching change is the curtailment of the powers of the Supreme Court. In future, all Hungarians will not have recourse to this court, and access to it is also closed to local authorities. Only the president, the government or a group of at least a quarter of parliamentarians can demand a review of legislation by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court judges will no longer have any authority on matters of the state budget and taxes. The judges of Hungary’s highest court can now be re-elected following the end of their term of office, which was not possible before. This aims to ensure that the judicial system is permanently controlled by Fidesz, as is the case in the media and other bodies.
Europe is dealing with the rise of the nationalistic fervor…..and this success will crap all over the common person and give all the advantages to the rich and the corporations….wait! Does that sound familiar? Just as the authoritarian fervor rise in Europe, it is doing so here in the good old U. S. of A. If the American people are not vigilant we will have to deal with this type of changes to our beloved constitution…..
There is an article I recent came across that covers this subject pretty good…..warning…it is a fairly lengthy article but an excellent read on the Constitution…….
While we were asleep……we will lose a good portion of the rights and freedoms that our Founding Fathers want us to have…..can anyone say…..”tyranny of the minority”?
Yes. Good post. I think though you are wrong to concentrate on the rich and the corporations as you often do – the problem is THE ELITE – regardless of who they are. Of course, the elite always BECOMES wealthy and gains great power, but it doen’t matter whether it is the rich, the corporations, the outwardly pious, or even the “the workers” (or their representatives) – ALL are to be abhorred as an elite – and THERE lies the problem…
A good post, though, as I said. Change just for it’s own sake is never good and those who want to modify your constitution so that things can be more “liberal” should also consider that, “If YOU can, then THEY can!” – in other words, they would be setting a dangerous precedent and one change will open the door to others that they might not like so much.
My advice (for what it’s worth) to all those seeking change is: leave well alone if you possibly can – work around your problems – because the very best argument against the authoritarian gang is, “WE didn’t, though we’d have liked to **** (insert whatever), so YOU wind your necks in and work with what the founders gave us just like we have!”
There is a disconnect….when I use rich/corporations I am speaking of the elite…..that is the modern definition, at least in my mind…..and I agree…the Constitution was written by smart dudes even though they were the elite of the day……they had a pretty good idea but that idea is losing some of its luster….at least I some corners…..
Did you get a chance to read the link? How about the one on Osama’s will?