I have been listening to a book-on-disk that examines John Locke's Two Treatises on Government. It has been very interesting and enlightening. I had thought I was getting the actual treatises, but am satisfied with this examination, as it sets out the background for when Locke wrote them.
The first treatise is a refutation of a treatise written by another gentleman about how the right of kings to rule descended from the right and authority given to Adam to reign over the earth by God. Some other principles were also examined. This treatise is much more local in its scope (since most kings have passed to history, and the rest save a few are titled 'Dictator'), and rarely addressed today, save for its historical value. I still found much satisfaction in the use of the Bible as a source of principles by which to form a society.
The second treatise is the one people spend time with today. I will not spend much time going over it, as i still have not yet been over its whole scope myself, and am only drawing on the examination of others. Of the ideas that I did pick up on, I take space to only mention a few.
Life is existence, and granted by God.
Liberty is power to maintain existence, and is given from God.
'Property' is power to affect things: to use and dispose of them.
Estate is ones possessions.
Legislators do not have power to impoverish.
Legislators do not have power to be arbitrary.
Legislators do not have power to take property, without the consent of the possessor.
Taxes must be at the consent of the people.
When a government strays from its appointed job, from its defined bounds, they give up their legitimacy and are thereby effectively dissolved, the power returning to the people to create a new government.
An oppressive government is at war with those it oppresses.
Five ways a king can dissolve a government:
1) set up his arbitrary will, in place of law
2) interfere with the proper functions of the legislative branch
3) manipulate elections to place his cronies into office
4) sell out his country to a foreign power
5) fail to execute the law of the land
I digress here, and ask, how many of these has the current administration accomplished:
1) set up a shadow government of advisers and czars without any congressional over site or input. Ruling through Executive Order, and simply putting bits and pieces of his agenda in motion in the agencies and bureaus of the government via regulation.
2) the latest budget super-committee is a good example, where he has not done his part
3) cronies in office: this has been the political spoils system since Martin Van Buren. Who was Van Jones, and when did you meet him?
4) George Soros, and the multi-year world apology tour.
5) It is the job of the Federal government to police and maintain the boarders. The Illegal Alien issue has the lack of enforcement as one of its corner stones.
Do any of these constitute high crimes, or misdemeanors, sufficient for impeachment?
I am less concerned with the rise and fall of political structures. I am concerned that the principles of the truth be taught, and these principles are not.
Time to go find the treatise and print and read it for myself.
To close:
What are the duties of citizenship?
Awareness of the government's activities
Acting to keep government officials in line, or punished accordingly
Payment of just taxes
Obedience to the just laws enacted by the government
Fealty to the government
Participation in the rites of citizenship
Participation in the Militia, defending the community from external threat
Participation in the Posse, defending the community from internal threat
What are the rites of citizenship?
Voting in election of officers
Voting in initiative/referendum issues
Participation in Jury Duty
Making an Oath of Allegiance: "I swear allegiance to the flag of..."
Birth to a Citizen
Any more that can be thought of?
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