Comments on: Give me, give me, give me http://politicalchase.com/2007/09/19/give-me-give-me-give-me/ Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:13:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: David Pleasant http://politicalchase.com/2007/09/19/give-me-give-me-give-me/#comment-294 David Pleasant Thu, 20 Sep 2007 18:42:05 +0000 http://politicalchase.com/2007/09/19/give-me-give-me-give-me/#comment-294 Squib - It is not easy to balance the two, which was a major concern expressed by the Founding Fathers, as evidenced in the Federalist Papers, and other related writings they used to document the "hows and whys" they applied when writing the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. One of the primary things they were concerned with, as history and their contemporaneous environment showed them, was the propensity for the Executive to seize extraordinary power during times of war. Kings, dictators, etc. have shown throughout history how they have increased their power through war to the detriment of their people, and to accommodate their desire for power more than temporarily accommodating tactics to fight a war. Furthermore, fear-mongering by leaders instills unwarranted fear in the people, which makes the people tend to accept unwittingly what the leader wants. The notion plagued FDR. He made perfectly clear the trouble fear could bring ("The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.") However, FDR exercised an unprecedented level of authority during war time and clearly the Japanese concentration camps proved how wrong that was. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend reading Charlie Savage's book "Takeover." Squib - It is not easy to balance the two, which was a major concern expressed by the Founding Fathers, as evidenced in the Federalist Papers, and other related writings they used to document the “hows and whys” they applied when writing the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. One of the primary things they were concerned with, as history and their contemporaneous environment showed them, was the propensity for the Executive to seize extraordinary power during times of war. Kings, dictators, etc. have shown throughout history how they have increased their power through war to the detriment of their people, and to accommodate their desire for power more than temporarily accommodating tactics to fight a war. Furthermore, fear-mongering by leaders instills unwarranted fear in the people, which makes the people tend to accept unwittingly what the leader wants.

The notion plagued FDR. He made perfectly clear the trouble fear could bring (”The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”) However, FDR exercised an unprecedented level of authority during war time and clearly the Japanese concentration camps proved how wrong that was.

If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend reading Charlie Savage’s book “Takeover.”

]]> By: NationalSquib http://politicalchase.com/2007/09/19/give-me-give-me-give-me/#comment-293 NationalSquib Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:38:53 +0000 http://politicalchase.com/2007/09/19/give-me-give-me-give-me/#comment-293 I understand people's worries about the govt listening to their phone calls and reading thier emails. But I also worry about terrorist cells here in our country plotting to kill as many of us as possible. There has to be a solution. I understand people’s worries about the govt listening to their phone calls and reading thier emails. But I also worry about terrorist cells here in our country plotting to kill as many of us as possible. There has to be a solution.

]]>