One of our Founding Fathers, and first President, George Washington gave us tremendous advice on defending the nature of our republic at his farewell address. He described a set of problems and how to address them that we still struggle with today. And, I think it would be good to look at what he had to say, and see how it still applies.
“A return to first principles in a republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example.”
–Niccolo Machiavelli
The main items Washington warned us about:
- Foreign involvements (both trade and war)
- Political Factions (mainly, parties)
- Sectionalism (division by region)
I think it’s time we stand up and say, “STOP.” We must destroy the means of division that lead to our loss of liberty. Instead, we should unite under the founding principles, and stand for what’s right so that we can live free and pursue happiness for ourselves in the way our founders envisaged.
I’ve written and spoken on the issues facing our society extensively the last few years, and I would argue that most issues are at least partially caused by one of these items listed above.
And what were his solutions? He prescribed religion, morality, and education as a cure for the rising political ills. In the end, it comes down to what the individual does, as Machiavelli said in today’s quote.
How do we defend the American republic? Our first President had some great advice in his farewell address. Hear what Washington prescribed and how it’s still relevant. https://conversationofourgeneration.com/2020/07/13/134-how-to-defend-america/
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