True Freedom

Why would the founding fathers try to give just enough to satisfy the masses?You know what prompted that statement, right? The British Empire's unjust rule over the colonies.Freedom from them was the goal.they may have been wealthy, to americans. To brits, they would've been on the lower end. Today, they'd make up the upper end of the middle class.and how was the american government set up to promote the wealthly elites? How are they even elite? It could only be based off of wealth. In terms of intelligence, there's no one really all that great running our country. From president downward.To my first question. Anyone can runfor office in the US--your dirt poor farmer, even. They just have to be old enough, been in the state long enough, and in case of president--be natural born.
today the house AND senate are directly elected. THe president is still doneby electoral college, but they generally vote how their states did.The reason the wealthy today are the only ones running is becuase of, ironically, the media. It takes too much money to run for office. BUt if you look at our early history, we had people like, and including, Danial Boone in the House. We did actually have a backwater president--Jackson. The first cheif of justice was an infantry man during the revolution--and suffered through valley forge.The only true democracy that's ever existed was in ancient athens.
We have a republic--we vote for others to represent us.
Answer me this--in what way is our freedom restricted by the government? Do they trap our minds? Force us to believe in certain ways?Do you want to live in a world with no government? You may have discovered the ideal, but how many will follow? WHat you propose will eventually lead to anarchy.That guitar you play (assumed by the picture) isn't possible then. If no one has a job, and just sits on their ass becuase it's all pointless, no one is gonna fix that when it brakes, or make newer, better versions.YOu also forget one very important factor in all this. Human nature. it makes it impossible for what you propose.And at this point--I've kinda forgotten the points you made, and really don't feel like rereading your well thought out, but long, post.could you make a short list, then?
then I might be able to argue a touch better.

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All a man's knowledge comes from his experiences

Oh I was talking about the american history one anyway, I haven't taken government yet, I go back this monday.

You mean like an innate talent that you never got to develop because of the turns of life, but then finally get to practice?

oh, american history I got a five.
took the test last year.not bad, getting a three.

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All a man's knowledge comes from his experiences

that would be close to what he's talking about, if not it.I was trying to figure out what he meant with it, and your interpretation makes sense.either that, or there's some other kind of meaningful purpose for some of us.

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All a man's knowledge comes from his experiences

Nice man, that's sick.

You are saying that I am too idealistic, but that was part of my point. That true freedom is not something that I will likely experience unless I base my life around the search for truth, to finding the meaning of life, to answering the questions of and about our existance, because isn't that really all that matters in this world?

what can I say. my area's history. though I tend to forget good chunks of it.

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All a man's knowledge comes from his experiences

yeah, metaphysics is very important to us.I guess I'm more, damn, what are the brits called?oh yeah, pragmatic. I like things that work. mix in utilitarianism, with pragmatism, and then throw in a touch of the categorical imperative, and you've almost got my philosophy.have fun trying to become the buddha, not easy.
fun read for you might be Siddhartha, by Hesse. Little wierd, written by a german in the 60s, translated to english. that's what makes it wierd.
another one could be Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintence, which has almost nothing to do about maintaining motercycles and everything to do with how Aristotle scwered up.

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All a man's knowledge comes from his experiences

I read Siddhartha, it has definately stayed with me.

IF YOU ONLY KNEW.....him and i been recommending that book for a yr now.Hesse is quality.Have you read Demian?Altruism. Categorical imperative 1 and 2.Edited by -messenjah of one, : grammar

My cousin gave me that book to read. I was too into existentialism at that point to read it, he wanted it back anyway.

I'm going to stop hijacking Prophex's thread, sorry

unfortunately, I know only of SIddhartha by Hesse. Had to read it for my AP/IB english 12 class, and found it very good. Now that I'm at a real University, I'll try to find Demian.

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All a man's knowledge comes from his experiences

If I could only remember what existensialism was from my philosoph class.Does it relate in any way to Descarte?
I've studied it, but I just can't remember. urghtoo tired to think straight, now, too.

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All a man's knowledge comes from his experiences