Since its creation, the United States of America has sought to find a balance between federal power and state power. All with the belief that a government EXISTS to protect the rights of the PEOPLE. This was a radical concept.
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After the failed fractured government of the Articles of Confederation, men like Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington knew that the country needed a national leader and a federal government.
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At the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, the framers argued ferociously over how to strike a balance between state and federal powers, while maintaining that government exists to protect individual rights.
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In the end they decided that what was best for the plantations of South Carolina, or what was best for the shipping industries of the north, was NOT necessarily best for ALL Americans.
They did something that would be unthinkable today, they compromised.
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They did something that would be unthinkable today, they compromised.
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Rather than blow up the country over their small differences, they compromised and formed the greatest system of government the world had ever seen.
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They compromised and created a framework that allowed for self-correction.
They compromised and created a government structure that divided power to avoid too much power falling into one person’s hands.
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They compromised and created a government structure that divided power to avoid too much power falling into one person’s hands.
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They compromised to make sure that regardless of whether you live in South Carolina, New York, Alabama or Virginia, you had the SAME RIGHTS, and those rights were protected by the FEDERAL government.
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While State’s rights have contributed to horrors, they have also led to positive protections of rights, and interpretive decisions for new issues.
States have also abused the rights that our government was created to protect.
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States have also abused the rights that our government was created to protect.
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Jim Crow laws were an abuse of this power. Pennsylvania’s current attempts to restrict the people’s ability to vote by mail is an abuse of this power.
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What happens when the federal government supports the abuse of this power. What happens when the Federal government chooses not to protect rights? What happens when you have a president whose main focus is protecting HIMSELF?
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Remember, Alexander Hamilton and George Washington both felt that American government EXISTED to protect rights. Compromise requires collaboration with both political parties. Trump is poisoned to compromise.
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The death of American compromise was already strongly underway due to the obstructionist actions of Mitch McConnell, who ignored the democratic mandate of tens of millions of voters who elected AND re-elected Obama. Trump is pouring salt in the wound.
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The tyranny of Mitch McConnell’s obstructionism of the will of a majority of voters is just what people like James Mason warned about, ironically in a defense of the southern states. Defying the will of the majority of Americans is anti-democratic.
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The founders created a division of power, unknown in the world. It was a radical attempt to prevent the concentration of power. This was done in spite of Hamilton’s desires for an even stronger Federal government and smaller states’ complaints over more populated states.
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The seperation of powers was meant to prevent the consolidation of power.
Under Trump, we have seen a collapse of the boundaries of the separation of powers. We watched Senators cede Congress’ Constitutional duty to provide oversight, and allow Trump to defy oversight.
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Under Trump, we have seen a collapse of the boundaries of the separation of powers. We watched Senators cede Congress’ Constitutional duty to provide oversight, and allow Trump to defy oversight.
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We have watched while lines were blurred that never were before, as the AG operated hand in glove with the president, including to attack his political rivals and to kill investigations into the President’s illegal and corrupt activity.
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We have seen that a Senate Majority Leader like #MoscowMitch, can consistently use his powers to stop the will of the people. He prevented Pres. Obama from seating a judge, and he has presented a Democratically elected House from accomplishing anything much legislatively.
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The America that was built on compromise and a balance of powers can not survive 4 more years of Trump and McConnell. It will be unrecognizable.
These men do not share the concerns of the founders. They are concerned with power and wealth.
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These men do not share the concerns of the founders. They are concerned with power and wealth.
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Trump doesn’t care about anything but himself and his bank account.
#MoscowMitch and the GOP have demonstrated that their principles are flimsy. They will abandon their morals for power, which makes those morals and principles worthless.
They can not be depended on.
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#MoscowMitch and the GOP have demonstrated that their principles are flimsy. They will abandon their morals for power, which makes those morals and principles worthless.
They can not be depended on.
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The rules #MoscowMitch applied to Obama do not apply to Trump. The rules for Trump will not apply to Biden. We have seen this play out.
His word means nothing.
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His word means nothing.
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.@threadreaderapp unroll please.
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