Clipmarks | publicola85's 'government' clips

Political Philosophy with Cows

Thu, 08 May 2008 04:51:26 GMT

clipped by: publicola85
clipper's remarks: A great way to learn about different types of regimes using cows!

Clip Source: federalistnowandforever.wordpress.com

republicanism: You have two cows, you vote someone into office that will tax you and force you to sell one cow.

democracy: You have two cows, you vote to raise your own taxes that force you to sell one of the cows.

Lockeanism: The government gives you two cows, they then become your property.

Communism: You have two cows, out of the common good you give both for the use of the society.

Marxism: You have two cows, the government takes both and gives the milk away.

Socialism: You have two cows, the government takes one and sells it.

Fascism: You have two cows, the government takes both and shoots one while selling you the other.

Nazism: You have two cows, the government shoots you and takes the cows.

Tags: cows, government, politics, nazism, monarchy, democracy

Plato And Aristotle: Regimes

Thu, 08 May 2008 04:50:25 GMT

clipped by: publicola85
clipper's remarks: A great synopsis of the regime forms found in Plato's Republic and Aristotle's Politics

Clip Source: federalistnowandforever.wordpress.com

There might be some confusion concerning the nature of politics and the type of regimes. Today we tend to think of a number of regimes, although many of them are simply the same regime with a different title. We call the government in England a Constitutional Monarchy, yet it simply is a Monarchy. China we say is a Communist regime, yet really all the political form of Communism is Oligarchy. All the regimes currently in use today can be boiled down to a list of just a handful. These regimes were originally defined and stated by Plato and Aristotle, two classical Greek philosophers who concerned themselves heavily with the nature of the polis. To get an idea of what the regimes are, this essay will attempt to outline the various forms of government as laid down by both men. In order to deal with the two authors it will be prudent to describe Plato’s regimes first followed by Aristotle.

Tags: politics, republic, aristotle, plato, regimes, timocracy, aristocracy, oligarchy, democracy

Locke's First Treatise Chapter II

Wed, 07 May 2008 06:08:26 GMT

clipped by: publicola85

Clip Source: federalistnowandforever.wordpress.com

Having completed his introduction of Sir Robert Filmer’s work Patriarcha, Locke endeavors to explore the arguments made by Filmer. The first argument made is that of Paternal and Regal power. The argument for absolute monarchy according to Locke is far above anything man can think of, so high in fact “that Promises and Oaths, which tye the infinite Deity, cannot confine it.” This is a curious way of describing the idea behind absolute monarchy but upon further inspection one might find that even God cannot be described as an absolute Monarch in the manner in which Filmer uses the words. But if Locke is able to demonstrate that the logic used for absolute monarchy is faulty, then man can start a new with government by consent; Locke ends with “using their Reason to unite together into Society.”

Tags: john locke, first treatise, government, consent, regal power, paternal power, adam, eve, bible, genesis

John Adam's Letter to Samuel Adams in 1790

Mon, 05 May 2008 04:12:07 GMT

clipped by: publicola85
clipper's remarks: This is a great observation of the letter John Adams sent to his cousin Samuel Adams about the best way to maintain the American republic.

Clip Source: federalistnowandforever.wordpress.com

Secondly, the people are the worst protectors of their own liberty: Thus a regime based on the power of the people would appear as the most unable to protect liberty. How republic can maintain liberty is discussed later by Adams through the implementation of two exterior checks. For now Adams argues that government must cultivate knowledge and benevolence as a method of maintaining liberty and piety within the people.

Tags: republic, virtue, benevolence, knowledge, government

John Locke's First Treatise Chapter I

Mon, 05 May 2008 04:04:47 GMT

clipped by: publicola85
clipper's remarks: An interesting perspective on the first chapter of John Locke's First Treatise on Government

Clip Source: federalistnowandforever.wordpress.com

Authors of the generation in which Locke is writing, and the previous generations are said by him to have “flatter[ed] princes with an Opinion” this opinion being that despite the laws which constituted their authority, and are to govern under, they have absolute power under the title of Divine Right. They are not restrained by “Oaths and Promises” because their authority does not come from those, whom they govern, or from the laws but rather from God Himself.

Tags: government, politics, movies, john locke, england, enlightenment, liberal, conservative