[quote]ZEB wrote:
From the greatest modern day President Ronald Reagan:
“We must reject the idea that every time a law is broken society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.”
How appropriate given our current political climate.[/quote]
The modern presidency ranges from FDR to Obama. Was Reagan greater than FDR, who led America through the Great Depression and World War II? No president faced a more daunting task than Truman when he came into office. What about Eisenhower? As good as the Gipper was, one could cogently argue that Clinton should be ranked higher than Reagan (not that I believe that to be the case).
“A prince being thus obliged to know well how to act as a beast must imitate the fox and the lion, for the lion cannot protect himself from snares, and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognise snares, and a lion to frighten wolves. Those that wish to be only lions do not understand this. Therefore, a prudent ruler ought not to keep faith when by so doing it would be against his interest, and when the reasons which made him bind himself no longer exist. If men were all good, this precept would not be a good one; but as they are bad, and would not observe their faith with you, so you are not bound to keep faith with them.”
[quote]ZEB wrote:
From the greatest modern day President Ronald Reagan:
“We must reject the idea that every time a law is broken society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.”
How appropriate given our current political climate.[/quote]
The modern presidency ranges from FDR to Obama. Was Reagan greater than FDR, who led America through the Great Depression and World War II? No president faced a more daunting task than Truman when he came into office. What about Eisenhower? As good as the Gipper was, one could cogently argue that Clinton should be ranked higher than Reagan (not that I believe that to be the case).
An interesting article in presidential rankings. [/quote]
Interesting article.
I am not a big Ike fan for many reasons. And I also think Clinton was a reasonably good President who should be ranked higher. If you take away the Monica Lewinski incident he really was not bad at all. Of course Ronald Reagan was the greatest President who ever lived.
“Catholicism is the law of life, the life of intelligence, the solution of all problems. Catholicism is the truth, and everything that departs from it one iota is disorder, deception and error.”
Juan Donoso Cortes, Marquis of Valdegamas
“It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government. But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions.”
?Was, then, the American Revolution effected, was the American Confederacy formed, was the precious blood of thousands spilt, and the hard-earned substance of millions lavished, not that the people of America should enjoy peace, liberty, and safety, but that the government of the individual States, that particular municipal establishments, might enjoy a certain extent of power, and be arrayed with certain dignities and attributes of sovereignty??
