Which cultures do you feel are superior/inferior to yours?

[Lev Muishkin]

Afterall the US constitution was widely ignored for over 100 years. And "We the People" seemed to mean a tiny minority of the population well into the late 19thC.

As the saying goes, "Rome wasn't built in a day". People have to be persuaded to accept a constitution and that takes time. You can't beat them over the head with it in order to comply, which would defeat the whole purpose. Moreover, America is a complex county with many diverse interests, which puts a lot of pressure on a living constitution, trying to achieve a balance. And as for the first 100 years mentioned, nation building was more on the minds of many Americans rather than on constitutional matters.

The American constitution is a utilitarian document, which was the first of its kind. Having such a constitution doesn't make it easy because it often means different things to different people, hence the infighting over it and the appearance of it being ignored.

Where are you getting this nonsense?

[Ginkgo]

Afterall the US constitution was widely ignored for over 100 years. And "We the People" seemed to mean a tiny minority of the population well into the late 19thC.

As the saying goes, "Rome wasn't built in a day". People have to be persuaded to accept a constitution and that takes time. You can't beat them over the head with it in order to comply, which would defeat the whole purpose. Moreover, America is a complex county with many diverse interests, which puts a lot of pressure on a living constitution, trying to achieve a balance. And as for the first 100 years mentioned, nation building was more on the minds of many Americans rather than on constitutional matters.

The American constitution is a utilitarian document, which was the first of its kind. Having such a constitution doesn't make it easy because it often means different things to different people, hence the infighting over it and the appearance of it being ignored.

Where are you getting this nonsense?

I think he is saying that within SCOTUS there are ideological differences. Justices tend to interpret the Constitution according to "original intent" or as "a living document. For example, someone like Justice Scalia has his chambers filled with dusty old books explaining the intentions behind the creation of the Constitution.

Liberal leaning judges on the other hand tend to interpret the Constitution in a flexible manner. The Constitution is viewed as something that should move with the times. Needless, to say decisions handed down by SCOTUS tend to be along party lines.

[spike]

Where are you getting this nonsense?

Such statements are the refuge of shallow thinkers who can't detach themselves from their own personal hang ups!

[WanderingLands]

Some may say we can always do better (or worse).

Speaking for the US, I think where we exceed would be our technology and our freedom. I already know that some will disagree. But an underlying question is how do we gauge how well we are doing? Standard of living? How many people want to move into here as opposed as to how many people want to move out of here? How do we judge? And I feel comfortable in saying that we can always improve.

What do you think about all of this?

PhilX

All cultures are interconnected and synthesized into oneness. Just compare their traditions, symbolism, religious beliefs and spiritual thoughts, etc., and you'll see that they come to the same conclusions for the most part.

[Lev Muishkin]

Where are you getting this nonsense?

Such statements are the refuge of shallow thinkers who can't detach themselves from their own personal hang ups!

Yes I know - so why are you repeating them. All you have is a bunch of high-school platitudes and propaganda statements about the good ol' USA.
So if you ain't American, then where the hell are you getting them from?

[spike]

Lev Muishkin,

Well, sometimes you can't get people to think more broadly and be more detached from personal feelings.

Philosophical thinking is about that, expanding yourself, not about reinforcing personal biases and irrational thought, which is what conspiracy thinkers do.

[Lev Muishkin]

Lev Muishkin,

Well, sometimes you can't get people to think more broadly and be more detached from personal feelings.

Philosophical thinking is about that, expanding yourself, not about reinforcing personal biases and irrational thought, which is what conspiracy thinkers do.

Try looking in a mirror.
I'm way ahead of you.

[vegetariantaxidermy]

Lev Muishkin,

Well, sometimes you can't get people to think more broadly and be more detached from personal feelings.

Philosophical thinking is about that, expanding yourself, not about reinforcing personal biases and irrational thought, which is what conspiracy thinkers do.

Try looking in a mirror.
I'm way ahead of you.

What a surprise. You know far more about American history than the American. I can't imagine anyone but an American spouting such patent crap about their country. 'Land of the free', yet it had slavery,segregation, and McCarthyism?? Free for whom? I doubt if most Americans even know what their constitution is, let alone know what's in it, apart from perhaps the second amendment (which, incidentally, doesn't mention 'the individual'). Fancy having that so high on the list anyway. It seems to me that whoever wrote it had their priorities as fucked up as whoever wrote the second commandment of the babble.

[Ginkgo]

Interestingly enough, the Bill of Rights was a type of adjunct to the Constitution. The Statists wouldn't ratify the Constitution without some type of guarantee of individual rights. The Federalists saw no need for this, but eventually agreed.

That's basically how the first ten or so amendments came about. However, I think you are right when you say this would not be common knowledge in the U.S.

[Lev Muishkin]

Interestingly enough, the Bill of Rights was a type of adjunct to the Constitution. The Statists wouldn't ratify the Constitution without some type of guarantee of individual rights. The Federalists saw no need for this, but eventually agreed.

That's basically how the first ten or so amendments came about. However, I think you are right when you say this would not be common knowledge in the U.S.

No The Bill of Rights had nothing to do with the USA as it was written 100 years before the WoInd

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_of_Rights_1689

[Lev Muishkin]

Lev Muishkin,

Well, sometimes you can't get people to think more broadly and be more detached from personal feelings.

Philosophical thinking is about that, expanding yourself, not about reinforcing personal biases and irrational thought, which is what conspiracy thinkers do.

Try looking in a mirror.
I'm way ahead of you.

What a surprise. You know far more about American history than the American. I can't imagine anyone but an American spouting such patent crap about their country. 'Land of the free', yet it had slavery,segregation, and McCarthyism?? Free for whom? I doubt if most Americans even know what their constitution is, let alone know what's in it, apart from perhaps the second amendment (which, incidentally, doesn't mention 'the individual'). Fancy having that so high on the list anyway. It seems to me that whoever wrote it had their priorities as fucked up as whoever wrote the second commandment of the babble.

I think you might need to take more care with the "QUOTES|" function as it looks like you are addressing those comments to me.
You are right to point out McCarthy etc.. you might also add the unlawful actions of US intelligence services all over the world; undeclared acts of war, killing of foreign nationals, torture, extraordinary rendition; illegal imprisonment.

[vegetariantaxidermy]

LM I was. You do know a lot more about American history than that twit. The rest is just my own observations. I was referring to the fact that he claims to not be American. Not insulting you in any way. Perhaps I need to tread more carefully.

[Lev Muishkin]

LM I was. You do know a lot more about American history than that twit. The rest is just my own observations. I was referring to the fact that he claims to not be American. Not insulting you in any way. Perhaps I need to tread more carefully.

Being American does not mean I think like a moron. I choose not the live there. I cannot love America or any country. I love my friends and people that are important to me.
I was reading a book the other day in which Einstein was quotes as saying that he'd never thought of himself as a Jew until Hitler came to power and made it a necessity, causing Einstein to flee from the threat of assassination.

I try not to too heavily align myself with any creed or country; race, or religion. I do not care what type of person I am, I only care to know myself.

[vegetariantaxidermy]

LM I was. You do know a lot more about American history than that twit. The rest is just my own observations. I was referring to the fact that he claims to not be American. Not insulting you in any way. Perhaps I need to tread more carefully.

Being American does not mean I think like a moron. I choose not the live there. I cannot love America or any country. I love my friends and people that are important to me.
I was reading a book the other day in which Einstein was quotes as saying that he'd never thought of himself as a Jew until Hitler came to power and made it a necessity, causing Einstein to flee from the threat of assassination.

I try not to too heavily align myself with any creed or country; race, or religion. I do not care what type of person I am, I only care to know myself.

I give up. I was trying to say that I like your comments on this thread. It actually didn't occur to me that you are American.

[Ginkgo]

Interestingly enough, the Bill of Rights was a type of adjunct to the Constitution. The Statists wouldn't ratify the Constitution without some type of guarantee of individual rights. The Federalists saw no need for this, but eventually agreed.

That's basically how the first ten or so amendments came about. However, I think you are right when you say this would not be common knowledge in the U.S.

No The Bill of Rights had nothing to do with the USA as it was written 100 years before the WoInd

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_of_Rights_1689

It doesn't???

http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_St ... _of_Rights