God & Country USA for Real Conservatives

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Comment by HELEN on February 17, 2013 at 11:15am

The Wisdom of Lord Acton

Absolute monarchies are those in which all power is given to or, as is more often the case, taken by, the monarch. Examples of absolute power corrupting are Roman emperors (who declared themselves gods) and Napoleon Bonaparte (who declared himself an emperor).
"Absolute power corrupts absolutely" arose as part of a quotation by the expansively named and impressively hirsute John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, first Baron Acton (1834–1902). The historian and moralist, who was otherwise known simply as Lord Acton, expressed this opinion in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887:
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."
The text is a favourite of collectors of quotations and is always included in anthologies. If you are looking for the exact "power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" wording, then Acton is your man. He didn't invent the idea though; quotations very like it had been uttered by several authors well before 1887. Primary amongst them was another English politician with no shortage of names - William Pitt the Elder, Earl of Chatham and British Prime Minister from 1766 to 1778, who said something similar in a speech to the UK House of Lords in 1770:
"Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it"
Acton is likely to have taken his lead from the writings of the French republican poet and politician, again a generously titled individual - Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine. An English translation of Lamartine's essay France and England: a Vision of the Future was published in London in 1848 and included this text:
It is not only the slave or serf who is ameliorated in becoming free... the master himself did not gain less in every point of view,... for absolute power corrupts the best natures.
Whether it is Lamartine or his anonymous English translator that can claim to have coined 'absolute power corrupts' we can't be sure, but we can be sure that it wasn't Lord Acton.
Editorial Comment
Whenever the too much power is concentrated into the hands too few individuals a situation exists that leads to tyranny. When power is diffused over many the potential for the abuse of power is greatly diminished. Is justice likely to take place in a society where 9 lawyers appointed by the President and confirmed by a Senate have the ultimate authority to decide what is right and what is wrong.
The power of the Supreme Court to interpret the meaning of the Constitution was not granted to it in the Constitution. The Supreme Court was given the task to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. In 1803 Chief Justice John Marshall in the Marybury versus Madison decision declared that the Supreme Court had the lawful authority to be the final arbiter of the Constitution. This power was not delegated to the court, it was an implied power.
This unauthorized assumption of power has led to the concentration of power into to the hands of Justices that are not accountable to anyone. If the Supreme Court makes a mistake, who is there to prevent a miscarriage of justice? If they people are sovereign then the people should be the ones to decide what is just and what is unjust. Since we live in a Republic the spokesmen for "We the People" is the County Sheriff. When the Sheriff takes office he or she swears to uphold the Constitution. How is it possible for a Sheriff to honor his oath when he is subject to the authority of the 9 justices on the Supreme Court.

Visit Constitutional Sheriff's Association at: http://constitutionclub.ning.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

Comment by Patty Parrett on September 24, 2012 at 1:21am

Glenn Beck Free Tele-Townhall on the importance of the Catholic vote

Tuesday Sept 25th at 8:30pm EST

Sign up at:

http://www.glennbeckcall.com/

Comment by RON DYCUS on June 3, 2012 at 4:56pm

we own this country they work for us and its time we fire some people .we will not stand if we dont stand together..

Comment by Patty Parrett on June 1, 2012 at 12:25am

Please forward this message to all of your contacts and then start making calls (I am not with the campaign):

Everyone agrees that Tuesday June 5^th is an important election day. Help support Governor Scott Walker in his Wisconsin recall election and also send a strong message to President Obama. We need every last voter at the polls.

Make calls from home anywhere across the country.

Sign up at:

http://my.scottwalker.org/an/landing

After you sign up, you will have to verify your account by an email. Once you are signed up, go to edit my profile and click on “How do you want to get involved”? Check the box “Make Phone Calls” and click save interests. Someone from the campaign will add the phone bank calls, instructions and the script to your dashboard and then you can make the calls.

You will not receive an email when the calls are added; you will have to check the site. If you have any problems or need more phone calls added, leave a message on the dashboard comment page or email info@scottwalker.org

 

This system does require you to use your own phone minutes or long distance.

 

Please get involved and make the calls. When we work TOGETHER across the country, we win elections!!!!!!

Comment by Emil J Milano on May 1, 2011 at 3:08pm

Consider it done, Tony.  God Bless

Comment by Emil J Milano on May 1, 2011 at 1:46pm

Excellent post, Tony, I would like to copy and paste it into my main site if you do not mind. Credit will be given to both you and G&C @ Real Conservatives.

God Bless.

 

Comment by Emil J Milano on September 28, 2010 at 10:07pm

Thank you Patty, just today I posted a reply at our home site that all politicians should have to have seen military service before they can hold office and that if they decide to go into any military action, their first born should also be enlisted in a field of action. In this way we can insure that our troops will get the best of the best equipment and support from the politicians in Washington!

Comment by Patty Parrett on September 28, 2010 at 6:46pm

Please help rid America and Florida of Alan Grayson’s representation.
I think that WE THE PEOPLE can agree that Alan Grayson must NEVER again walk the halls of Congress.
And Alan’s commercials against Daniel Webster are the lowest, most disgusting attacks against an upstanding American citizen that I have ever seen. Grayson has NEVER served a day in the military yet he accuses Daniel of being a draft dodger which is an outright lie. Grayson stoops to an even lower level by ending another commercial with the words “Taliban Daniel Webster.” Grayson’s ads have been proven wrong, yet he continues to blast them across the airwaves.
Daniel Webster needs donations to win in November. This race needs to be top priority.
Please help Daniel Webster at:
http://electwebster.com/

Comment by Maureen Gerrish on May 25, 2010 at 9:39am

Transcript of 2000 speach by Alan Keyes:
God Bless America (Sadly, still true 10 years later)

Go Digg This! God Bless America -
ALAN KEYES: http://digg.com/d31S1yV?t

Comment by Emil J Milano on May 15, 2010 at 9:56pm

Please be reminded, this is a non-denominational site.
God Bless you all, all believers in Christ Jesus are part of the Body of Christ and there is to be no devision in the Body for we are ALL members in particular of the Body.
Blessings.

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