381
submitted 9 months ago by vegeta@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world
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[-] yesman@lemmy.world 86 points 9 months ago

I think we need to drop the premise that the Founders were geniuses who's dusty ass opinions count for jack shit.

The secret is that they were just regular politicians from a long time ago.

[-] MichaelScotch@lemmy.world 24 points 9 months ago

What exactly is your point in regards to this article?

[-] FauxLiving@lemmy.world 20 points 9 months ago

It's promoting the idea that the opinions of politicians from the 1700s carry any more weight than the opinions of doctors from the 1700s.

Adherence to "what the founding fathers wanted" is a toxic meme. They were historical figures, that's all.

The Supreme Court uses this meme as a totem to excuse motivated reasoning in their decisions and people are simply conditioned to accept the words of 300 year old politicians over the reality of the present.

We can understand the danger of Trump without quoting from old slave owners, pretending that they carry special wisdom.

[-] cheers_queers@lemm.ee 7 points 9 months ago

it's especially ironic, considering that the founding fathers themselves did not want this. they created a "living document" because they were smart enough to realize that times change and laws should change with it.

unfortunately, their biggest fans today have completely ignored that part.

[-] baronvonj@lemmy.world 14 points 9 months ago

The Electoral College was put in place, at least in part, exactly to stop the public at large from electing someone like Trump.

[-] crusa187@lemmy.ml 16 points 9 months ago

And yet, the purpose of a system is what it does.

Would love to abolish the EC and add ranked choice voting nationally.

[-] baronvonj@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago

Would love to abolish the EC and add ranked choice voting nationally.

💯 And mail-in ballots for all voters, and all races have a "none of the above" option, and an actual majority from all eligible voters is required to win, and if "none of the above" wins the election we do a new election with all new candidates.

[-] atomicbocks@sh.itjust.works 8 points 9 months ago

The purpose of the Electoral College was to guarantee that the president was elected by the states and not the people. So you are half right, the electoral college can interfere if it’s not what the states want. While there are some states that want to always go with the popular vote not all are on board.

[-] Objection@lemmy.ml 6 points 9 months ago

More like it was put in place to stop people like Lincoln and FDR. The founders were economic elites, whether slaveowners or rich capitalists, and they were afraid that "the mob" would elect someone who would persue the material interests of the common people, against them, especially in regards to slavery.

[-] EmilyIsTrans 29 points 9 months ago

Delegate John Dickinson asked a rhetorical question: “Will a virtuous and sensible people chuse villains or fools for their officers?”

[-] Dadifer@lemmy.world 11 points 9 months ago

I think the problem is as a group we are neither virtuous or sensible.

[-] Rokin@lemm.ee 23 points 9 months ago

Time to put that second amendment to use.

[-] MisterD@lemmy.ca 2 points 9 months ago

If it's not used, it will be removed

this post was submitted on 06 Mar 2025
381 points (100.0% liked)

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