That "My Super Ex-Girlfriend" was a wonderful movie that I thoroughly enjoyed. Thaaaaat's right.
Actually, I find myself enthralled by the Founding Era and the continual development of the Constitution after this course. Aside from the absolute unlikelihood of having such a brilliant group of individuals gathered together in creating this system, the richness of the intellectual history and the radical twists, turns, leaps, and modifications made by the Framers were so well-articulated (and so mistaken in many ways) and incredible. Of course out of the Constitutional Convention, only a handful were driving the creation of the Constitution...but the intense philosophical and political battles fought over ratification are just amazing to soak in and ponder. I will say outright that I am simply stunned at the level of discourse over the Constitution...completely awed by the brilliant works that were dashed off and published in newspapers, and the depth of engagement and principle that was at the heart of the battle. Simply amazing. Amazing.
I've actually come under the spell of the exaltation and glory that we shower on these Founders...and I am totally among the ranks of elementary school teachers who constantly talk about how important these men were. I passed it off previously as the sort of American patriotic crap we're so often exposed to, and assumed that the way things are just makes sense, that it was all fairly logical, and that they just happened to be in the right place at the right time. ..and that we glorified some sort of myth. But, hot diggity damn. These guys were AWESOME. Even more interesting is how deeply flawed and human they are...for example, this giant of a man, James Madison (my new personal hero) was 5'4" 100 pounds, sickly, awkward, and apparently a terrible public speaker with a thin, reedy voice that didn't carry well. For some reason that inspires the hell out of me.
And then there's Alexander Hamilton, who spent his bitterly cold and brutal nights in Valley Forge in his tent reading Montesquieu, Adam Smith, English Constitutionalism (while taking copious notes about sexual positions and sex details out of other books)...and writing a letter to finance minister of the colonies (amounting to 38 pages typed) laying out a new, revolutionary plan for financing the rebellion (which eventually led to the foundation of American finance)...all at the age of 24. And then...at the Battle of Yorktown...as a colonel...personally charged at the head of an elite infantry unit in a daring, dangerous, and bold attack that took out the last British force and ending the war. (and then of course there was the whole constitutional convention, Federalist Papers, first Secretary of the Treasury, and the duel with Aaron Burr over honor...and all that nonsense.) Enough said. The dude was awesome. I just bought that Alexander Hamilton biography that took the country by storm a few years ago (it's huge)...and I'm excited.
I need to be re-inspired...and I never thought it would come from the Founding Fathers...but it truly is awe-inspiring.
I've also gotten the urge to name my daughter Madison if that day ever comes...but I really don't want to because it's the third most popular name for new girls in 2005 (followed strangely, by Abigail). Even more annoying? It has been in the top 10 most popular names for girls since 1996. He's MY hero! (What does that leave? Hamilton, shortened to Ham? no thanks. Maybe Alexandra...)
Anyway...that's enough for today. Be warned, I will probably be prattling off about this stuff as I keep reading through it...but I figure if you're on this blog in the first place, you probably already gave up on content and substance.
4 comments:
I am very fond of Jefferson, myself--he had some fun ideas like "generational sovereignty" where the gov't would just become invalid after 20 years or so, allowing each new generation to decide what they thought the gov't should do.
And please, please don't name your child Madison--it rivals Morgan as my most hated name for little girls. Trust me: they are going to be the Brittanys and Tiffanys of the future. This is what I think about in my spare time.
-M.
I won't name my kid Madison. Though more because I find the frequency of the name annoying more than not liking the name itself. I wonder why it's suddenly so attractive though...is it just the upper-crust sort of classy name they want? Or are so many people so cool as to like James Madison?
As for Jefferson, I still don't quite know what to think about him. The more I read about him from the Constitutional perspective, I find him fascinating and brilliant, but he seems quite radical to me. He's sort of this radical libertarian, no government type thinker which I can't square myself with. I think the idea that generations can't bind each other into the future is really interesting (I think he said 19 years...), but it also seems completely in opposition to the rule of law.
You're fairly libertarian though right?
Yeah, I guess I would say I'm a Libertarian (based on my sketchy knowledge of gov't and the economy). My dad is libertarian (and votes libertarian too, which I find amazing), so a lot of it is absorption of his ideas, but I also feel like the Libertarian party combines a lot of what I like from the two major parties.
I got interested in Jefferson a while ago after visiting Monticello, which was wildly impressive, and picked up American Sphinx, which focuses more on Jefferson's ideas than his actions in office. It was very well written--I definitely recommend it to you if you're interested in him.
-M.
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