4 ms·

and yet now the constitution bans slavery i find the "but the founding fathers had slaves" to just be nihilistic nonsense the united states was a manifestatio

and yet now the constitution bans slavery i find the "but the founding fathers had slaves" to just be nihilistic nonsense the united states was a manifestation of enlightenment philosophy that persists to this day (despite attacks on it)

nickdurfe 4mo ago
"and yet now the constitution bans slavery" Unless you're a prisoner convicted of a crime. Stating that the founders of the United States owned slaves is not "nihilistic nonsense", it's an important distinction to note that they sought political power for themselves, and no one else. The phrase "all men are created equal" should be interpreted as "all white land-owning men are created equal"
- pipes 4mo ago
  But the constitution doesn't say: "all white land-owning men are created equal" It said "all men are created equal". It took a long time to get to this point in human history and it's worth defending.
  - amanaplanacanal 4mo ago
    That was the declaration of Independence, not the Constitution. It has no force of law, but is certainly asperational.
    - whateveracct 4mo ago
      the declaration of independence has some weight in the common law
  - nickdurfe 4mo ago
    Your elementary school social studies teacher failed you; the statement you referenced is written in the Declaration of Independence, not the US Constitution. The parent OP that I first replied to stated that "Owning money should allow you more representation than not owning money". This is a position not at all worth defending, and completely at odds with the concept of "all men are created equal".
    - pipes 4mo ago
      To be fair. I grew up in Ireland and have never lived in the USA. I just admire the protections for the individual that your country aims for. Anyway I appreciate the correction :)
- tychez 4mo ago
  This is such an embarrassingly childish viewpoint. Stop embarrassing yourself.
watwut 4mo ago
It took literal war to get there.
- whateveracct 4mo ago
  it also took a war to reify enlightenment philosophy as our government

nickdurfe 4mo ago

"and yet now the constitution bans slavery" Unless you're a prisoner convicted of a crime. Stating that the founders of the United States owned slaves is not "nihilistic nonsense", it's an important distinction to note that they sought political power for themselves, and no one else. The phrase "all men are created equal" should be interpreted as "all white land-owning men are created equal"

pipes 4mo ago
But the constitution doesn't say: "all white land-owning men are created equal" It said "all men are created equal". It took a long time to get to this point in human history and it's worth defending.
- amanaplanacanal 4mo ago
  That was the declaration of Independence, not the Constitution. It has no force of law, but is certainly asperational.
  - whateveracct 4mo ago
    the declaration of independence has some weight in the common law
- nickdurfe 4mo ago
  Your elementary school social studies teacher failed you; the statement you referenced is written in the Declaration of Independence, not the US Constitution. The parent OP that I first replied to stated that "Owning money should allow you more representation than not owning money". This is a position not at all worth defending, and completely at odds with the concept of "all men are created equal".
  - pipes 4mo ago
    To be fair. I grew up in Ireland and have never lived in the USA. I just admire the protections for the individual that your country aims for. Anyway I appreciate the correction :)
tychez 4mo ago
This is such an embarrassingly childish viewpoint. Stop embarrassing yourself.

watwut 4mo ago

It took literal war to get there.

whateveracct 4mo ago
it also took a war to reify enlightenment philosophy as our government