This country has been hanging by a thread ever since its inception in 1776. We’ve been divided ever since. The Revolution barely got off the ground due to the southern states and their dependency on slavery and unwillingness to be a part of anything that would threaten their way of life. New York was concerned that due to their harbors they would be a major target. All the colonies were leery of a centralized government and concerned about their own sovereignty.

In the end a series of compromises lead to the Declaration of Independence in which the 13 colonies asserted their freedom from the crown of England. By 1789 The Constitution was ratified with a series of compromises that kicked slavery down the road for 90 years until a boiling point was reached culminating with the Civil War.

It seems our country has been entering states of crisis repeatedly ever since 1776 forcing many to wonder if the United States would ever survive. Through WW1, WW2, the Japanese Internment, the Red Scare, the McCarthy hearings, and the Civil Rights movement, in the end, calmer, rational heads prevailed. Through it all The Constitution was the beacon that lead the way for all Americans so that:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

I’m always reminded of what Henry David Thoreau wrote in Walden. He said that during the Revolutionary War 1/3 of the people were for it, 1/3 of the people were against it, and 1/3 of the people didn’t even know a revolution was going on. During the war there were those who profited by selling weapons and supplies to the Red Coats. Many wealthy merchants and businessmen were against the war as it was bad for their business. The Loyalists also feared Britain would crush the rebellion thus they thought they were picking the winning side.

Most of the Founders were wealthy businessmen and plantation owners themselves. But for the sake of the future of the colonies they put aside their own personal wealth and power status. If they were caught by England they would be hanged. If the Revolutionary War was lost they would have been hung as traitors. Many of the Founders if they had remained loyal to Britain could have secured powerful positions within the crown. Instead they put principle before their own interest.

That’s something we don’t see much of today in my opinion. Instead what I see are wealthy businessmen and merchants who act and behave more like the Tories of 1776. They infiltrate government with power and influence via lobbyists and campaign contributions then use that influence to enrich themselves. I see very few these days who are willing to put aside their own wealth and stand on principle in order to do what is right by America as our Founders did.

That’s how we end up with horrid and wretched legislation like the so-called Patriot Act or this new Congressional cave-in on FISA. Our current leadership can’t see past their re-election campaigns and their own power advancement. They can’t see past the influence peddlers and the corporations they represent. They’ve abandoned America and The Constitution when we are at a time possibly of our greatest need for leadership.

Instead Tories like John McCain and George W Bush, name sake of King George III, are busily pushing for the drilling of oil offshore. They do this under the guise of promoting the general welfare by saying it will help reduce gas prices. Really their concern is for the oil industry and not the American People. Oil companies are sitting on thousands of leases to drill for oil on public land and refuse to do so. They don’t want the price of oil to come down. The only reason why they want to secure offshore oil rights is to help them secure future oil profits.

And still after all that has happened, 29%, nearly 1/3 of America STILL thinks King George is doing a wonderful job as President. These people are from the same stock that were loyal to the crown in 1776 and remain loyal to the crown today. It’s always 1/3. What’s even more sick and sad as that these people pass themselves off as patriots. Unfortunately they confuse patriotism with blind loyalty, flag pins, and supporting any type of military action.

Indeed in 1776 the loyalists thought of themselves as patriotic for remaining loyal to the crown “God Save the King” and all that nonsense. No doubt during the Civil War southerners thought of themselves as patriots “Long Live the Confederacy” and all that nonsense.

The term patriot has been hijacked these days to mean anyone who is loyal to King George Bush. These 29% that support the Administration should be known by what they are, Loyalists. Every single elected official takes an oath to preserve, protect, and defend The Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. There is no religious test to hold office. One’s loyalty is supposed to lie with The Constitution and nothing else. No Administration is supposed to be above The Constitution.

Instead we get Tory kooks like Newt Gingrich who twist and torture The Constitution to serve their own political agenda. Instead we get Tories like Alberto Gonzales who contrive torture memos in order to justify violating The Constitution. George Washington would be ashamed to know that the example he set by not torturing British soldiers during the Revolution was being violated.

Instead we get Loyalists like Mukasey who refuses to honor and enforce Congressional Subpoenas. Why? Because his allegiance is to King George Bush NOT The Constitution.

It seems the history of the United States has been one of dragging along this 1/3 of America that is Tory in nature and more concerned with their own power and wealth than America and The Constitution. How many in America to this day long for England and the monarchy? I guess in 2008 as in 1776 we will just have to continue dragging this dead weight along. What we really need to end though is this faux patriotism the 1/3 cling to.

It’s not enough to fly a flag. It’s not enough to cheer lead a war from a barcalounger while sipping a cold beer. The 1/3 need to be re-educated about what America stands for and what The Constitution actually means to this country. They need to be informed that yes government exists for the purpose of establishing Justice, insuring domestic Tranquility, and promoting the general Welfare.

Far too many of these Tory right wing kooks think government has “no right” to, for example, build a freakin’ highway, rebuild towns devastated by natural disaster, or provide public education. It’s called promoting the general Welfare in order to insure domestic Tranquility. It’s mandated in the Constitution. But we’ll save this discussion for another time.