Fred ‘08
We don’t really talk much about politics on this website. It’s not that we necessarily avoid it. We have discussed the subject on occasion and probably will a lot more at some point in the future. With the presidential election season heating up, I thought I’d share the direction in which I’m leaning. There’s a long way to go, but I like Fred Thompson. If you’re interested in the principles which motivate Thompsons political opinions you might be interested in this video and accompanying text in which he discusses federalism. Here’s an excerpt from the text:
The Framers drew their design for our Constitution from a basic understanding of human nature. From the wisdom of the ages and from fresh experience, they understood the better angels of our nature, and the less admirable qualities of human beings entrusted with power.
The Framers believed in free markets, rights of property and the rule of law, and they set these principles firmly in the Constitution. Above all, the Framers enshrined in our founding documents, and left to our care, the principle that rights come from our Creator and not from our government.
We developed institutions that allowed these principles to take root and flourish: a government of limited powers derived from, and assigned to, first the people, then the states, and finally the national government. A government strong enough to protect us and do its job competently, but modest and humane enough to let the people govern themselves. Centralized government is not the solution to all of our problems and – with too much power – such centralization has a way of compounding our problems. This was among the great insights of 1787, and it is just as vital in 2007.