The Federalist #1

Author - Hamilton

"After a full experience of the insufficiency of the existing federal government, you are invited to deliberate upon a new Constitution for the United States of America."

WOW! Can you imagine having such an invitiation today? It's a bit scary though because people are so ignorant about the concepts of government and liberty that we would end up with a monstrosity worse than the proposed EU Constitution.

"It has been frequently remarked that it seems to have been reserved to the people of this country, to decide by their conduct and example, the important question, whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force."

We are capable of establishing such a government but we don't appear to be capable of sustaining it. The Great Experiment seems to be coming to an end.

"For in politics, as in religion, it is equally absurd to aim at making proselytes by fire and sword. Heresies in either can rarely be cured by persecution."

Bush? Are you listening? You can't impose democracy on a nation that neither craves nor understands it.

My impression so far (I've read through the first seven papers so far) is that these guys are right on track. I think they are going a bit overboard in describing the tempering spirit a union of states will engender. As I read further, I'm hoping to see them delineate the dangers of a federal governing body.