In these days blogs and websites where everyone seems to be letting himself go, I keep remembering BenjaminFranklin’s words at the Constitutional Convention onSeptember 17, 1787 at the age of 81:“ … for having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged, by better information or fuller consideration, to change opinions even on important subjects, which I once thought were right, but found to be otherwise. It is therefore that the older I grow the more apt I am to doubt my own judgement, and to pay more respect to the judgement ofothers. Most men indeed as well as most sects in religion, think themselves in possession of all truth,and that wherever others differ from them it is so fare rror….”
He goes on to say:“… I agree to this Constitution, with all its faults, if they are such; because I think a general government necessary for us, there is no form of government but what may be a blessing to the people if well administered; and I believe further that this is likely to be well administered for several years, and can only end in despotism as other forms before it,when people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic government, being incapable of any other.”
I wonder whether some form continuous revolution building social capital through citizen forums is the only hope.
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Dear Gaddeswarup:
I got to your blog through your comment on my blog. I am great admirer of US constitution. I lived in US for about nine years and I am back in India now. I liked this posting. I am going to use the quote from Benjamin Franklin in my post. I am a great admirer of the founding fathers of US and their idealogies- most important being their ability to debate on sensitive issues with composure.
Sujai
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