MR Bodkin has, admittedly, been known to share a common American admiration (idolatry?) for Thomas Jefferson. TJ is unquestionably one of the favorite, sometimes THE favorite, of the Founding Father. (He has his own MONUMENT, after all!)
Nevertheless, if you consider these factors:
1) TJ's vision of the USA was as an agrarian utopia. His home was Monticello, a working farm. He favored a small national government with power reserved to the states. He did not trust or approve of banks. He opposed the borrowing of funds by the government.
2) TJ's great political rival, Alexander Hamilton, favored a strong national government. AH was a New York lawyer. He was the primary force behind the establishment of a national bank. He proposed that the national government assume the debts of the states and wanted to delay payment of national debts.
3) Think about it. Is the USA agrarian? This was recently very much an industrial nation, though it seems now to be more a nation of pencil pushers. (No offense intended. I spent many years earning my pay as a pencil pusher.) Agriculture is unquestionably an important, vital part of the national economy, but the yeoman farmer is not the current American Idol. Do we have a small national government? Ever heard about a thing called the Federal Reserve? The National Debt?
TJ certainly seems to be a pretty good candidate for the USA's Biggest Loser.
No comments:
Post a Comment