Its amazing how the American media works. We have lost fifteen more American service people over the last couple days, and what is getting attention? Its just another sex scandal. And it wasn't even real sex.

Florida Republican Rep. Mark Foley's instant message records indicate he is a dude who gets off on fantasy cyber sex with teenaged boys. I believe this is the first virtual sex scandal in Washington DC political history.

Back here in the real world, American men and women are killed, maimed and scarred, both physically and emotionally every day. War is hell. Finally, the mainstream media is beginning to support our troops by speaking the truth about their sacrifices. more

As a Political Science teacher I am often amazed at freshman who have no sense of American history. However, I am equally amazed as they embrace understanding with enthusiasm.

When discussing State: a political unit ultimately responsible for its own affairs, i.e., government, I include Nationalism: An emotional attachment used by the state to manipulate people in the service of "their" cause.

Nationalism can create patriotism and it can also create sepratism. However, when seen in the context of ideology and political party some things come to light that leave the students amazed and some disturbed.

The executive or President, having sovereign authority outside the borders of America,1 has the duty and obligation to export republican virtue, ? the desire to do good. How is America represented in the world? Is America admired for serving the ?republic humanity? of President Washington?2

Having discovered this my students began to believe that there is little they could do. As to public choice and public action I ask them who put control of the purse in the hands of a president, himself a victim of nationalism becuase of undue influence? Another way to explain what is happening is the President can declare war anytime for any reason. However the legislature decides if the "state" is going to finance the war. Therefore if a legislature is controlled by a majority of ideologues and demogogues, it is a sure bet, that any presdient, sharing or manipulated by such ideology, will (and has) acted with impunity.

Vote, Vote, Vote, get involved, know what is really going on. Share your thoughts, talk to people, show some interest other than the market place. You might be interested in Campus activism so go here: http://www.campusactivism.org/
or read The Never Realized Republic: Political Economy and Republican Virte. You will discover that it was the 1790's not the 1990's that created a central authority from a central government; and in the process revised history and forever altered the vision of the Revolutionary generation.

Book: http://www.amazon.com/Never-Realized-Republic-Political-Republican/dp/0615121144/ref=sr_11_1/104-9929634-8650302?ie=UTF8

1?In an era that could quite sharply distinguish action abroad from action at home, the unique posture of the President with regard to foreign affairs was proclaimed by the then representative John Marshall: [Chief Justice, 1801 - 1835], ?The President is the sole organ of the nation it its external relations, and its sole representative with foreign nations.? Tribe, American Constitutional Law, 163. See also 164, fn., 4, ?Clearly, what Marshall had foremost in mind was simply the President?s role as instrument of communication with other governments.?

2?I am a philanthropist by character,? wrote Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette, ?and a citizen of the great republic humanity at large.? Washington to Lafayette, August 15th, 1786, in Padover, ed., The Washington Papers, 120.

Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)

(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)

URL:
Remember me? YesNo

Subscribe to this comment thread.

Comments: