Michael Parenti -- The Myth of the Founding Fathers 2/3

As the United States government claims to spread democracy around the world and is deeply involved in ghost writing constitutions for other countries, the spotlight falls back on this country. Is the current US system a democracy, - has it ever been one? In The Myth of the Founding Fathers Michael Parenti takes us back to the early days of the republic. Who were the founding fathers, what were their goals in writing the US constitution? Whom did they exclude and whom did they favor? What was their attitude towards slavery? How many of them actually wanted to create a monarchy? And who - in the end - ratified the constitution after it was written?

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• war
• lies
• democracy

[R3DF4C710N]

Sometimes you can't help it that reality has a socialist bent. :p

[jazzbo66zz]

The founding fathers sought to establish a white patriarchy and were successful in the endeavor. Americans have been dying in coal mines and laboring in fields while 5 percent of the population has profited from their agony. We are a system of aparthied that is not prejudiced as it discriminates against anyone who is dumb enough to work for it, regardless of race or ethnicity.

[TheForwardGaze]

I think that as an old man Madison supported universal sufferage for white men, a partial repudiation of the protection of property in his own constitution. He could have remained silent on the issue but didn't. Perhaps he was becoming a bit liberal in his old age.

[andyx1205]

@bla34112 The greatest exception is probably Thomas Jefferson, who expressed his sympathy with French revolutionaries (who btw were much more advanced than American Founding fathers, Robespierre wanted full male suffrage [advanced for his time], he wanted to give equal rights to citizens of French empire including blacks & natives, he wanted free education for all for both men and women, and wanted redistribution of wealth for egalitarianism). sadly robespierre went fanatical later on.

[andyx1205]

@bla34112 Every Founding is NOT the same, HOWEVER, the vast majority of the Founding Fathers were indeed elites that cared about protecting the rights of white- male landowners (in opposition to the vast majority...who btw made up the army in the Revolutionary War). Look at the Shay's rebellion, Revolutionary War veterans rebelling against the elites. This event resulted in Washington's belief that a stronger federal gov't was needed to protect elites, this led to formation of US Constitution

[andyx1205]

@jazzbo66zz Furthermore, look back. Look at ancient Rome, most of our history is through the elites, the reign of Caesar is mostly through Cicero. We admire Cato, the honourable and pure, and Cicero, and Brutus the hero against the dictator, yet, Caesar was fighting for the rights of the Populares...for the people, he was carrying out a social revolution, and eventually fell victim to a plot by the elites (Optimates/Patricians) that assassinated him. We admire the Optimates (today they're Tories

[andyx1205]

@jazzbo66zz If I can add, history is written mostly by the elites of the society. So we look at the Revolutionary War, a step forward for sure...a liberal revolution, but it was NOT a social revolution. American capitalist elites replaced British capitalist elites / royal&noble elites. Dont forget the Sullivan Expedition (search it, you'd think Hitler was speaking George Washington's words, wipe out the natives...even if they surrender).

[gonzopoet00]

@92Scalloped well that sounds like authoritarians. real socialism has never been put to practice and allowed to succeed as it should.

[communistfun]

@92Scalloped politics is a diverse thing man calm the hell down. not everyone that labels themselves in one way is a certain way. in fact youd say pretty much all u.s. communists , socialists, and anarchists are hippies. parties are just groupings of common ideas.

[bla34112]

i partly disagree with him here.. he is acting as if every founding father is the same.

[7jerryv7]

If you say that there are been conflict between races in the United States people will say you have a flair for the obvious. If you say that there has been conflict between classes they will say you are a flaming Marxist. Both statements are obvious.

This is my first Parenti video and I am think he is a wonderful historian.

[jaymthegenius]

Regarding the people not being unreliable or being judged: Within the context of the day they didn't have the economic, social, or cultural capital in order to have access to institutions where they could exercise the intellectual rigor to make sound decisions. Take note of how the Private educational system reinforces the very classism he speaks of. Although you will still be warned if you refer to a janitor by his first name.