Pushing Truth

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George Washington’s Farewell Address is so beloved that it has been read in the halls of the Senate every year since 1896, even up to the present day. This speech was delivered to Congress in written format rather than read aloud. Fellow founding fathers James Madison and Alexander Hamilton had roles in helping Washington create this masterpiece of political philosophy.

A Short History of Washington:

The American Revolutionary War began on April 19, 1775 with the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the Siege of Boston. Congress created the Continental Army on June 14, 1775, and Samuel Adams and John Adams nominated Washington to become its commander in chief. 

After the war, at the Constitutional Convention Benjamin Franklin nominated Washington to preside over the convention, and he was unanimously elected to serve as president general.

After the constitutional Convention, Washington was elected the first President of the United States of America. The delegates to the Convention anticipated a Washington presidency and largely left it to him to define the office once elected.

Thus, from the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775 to his retirement in 1796, Washington held the highest office of power in the nation and steered the young nation. Renowned for his fairness and honesty, such parting words hold extra weight. A man who clearly cared about the good of America and had the experience of leading it for more than 20 years – his Farewell Address should not be taken lightly.

Short Version

Don’t try to talk me out of it.

Long Version

I’ve thought about this long and hard. I’m not doing this because I’m mad or something.

Short Version

I mean, I’ve wanted to do this for a while.

Long Version

I mainly stuck around because it seemed like you really wanted me to. It has been a sacrifice, to be honest. And many times I wanted to retire. Heck, I even wrote the first draft of this address before the last election was even held. But my friends talked me out of it.

Short Version

And now is a darn good time to do it.

Long Version

I think America is in a good position to transition to a new President. And if you are grateful for what I’ve done, then please show that gratitude by not resisting me on this.

Short Version

And you guys will be better for it. I sincerely tried my best, but I wasn’t perfect.

Long Version

I tried to be up front and honest about what I was going to do as President before you elected me, and then I did my best to stick to my word. But I know that I’m not the best one suited for this kind of work. And I really do believe that you’ll find someone that is better than me.

Short Version

Whatever success we’ve had, I give all the credit to Congress. You backed me even when I screwed up. I’m grateful for that.

Long Version

I look forward to retirement, but not because I am ungrateful to you guys. You deserve the ccredit for our accomplishments. We inherited a difficult task together, but your faithful support for me as a leader helped us all to get past the hardest challenges. I will always be grateful for that and wish the best upon you. That your dealings with one another will be cordial, that you will uphold the Constitution, the government will run smoothly, and that people in America will be so happy with their lives that all other nations around the world will start governments similar to ours.

Short Version

I’ve got some advice for you all. I’ve thought about this for a long time, and I have no ulterior motives. This comes straight from the heart.

Long Version

I could stop here without making recommendations, but I care about you guys too much. So I hope you really do reflect on what I’m about to say, because I think it’s important. I’ve thought about this for a long time. And because you know that I am retiring, you can be sure that I’m not saying this stuff out of selfishness or political posturing.

Short/Long Version

First, LIBERTY. It’s great. We love it. I could make a big speech about how important it is, but I’d just be preaching to the choir. So lets move on.

Short Version

National unity is important. And I’m pretty sure that it’s going to be attacked.

Long Version

The idea that we need to be united permanently as one nation is really important. If we lose that idea, then we can lose our country. I think it will be challenged by people within our nation. And if we don’t stand united, it will be a vulnerability that enemy foreign nations can exploit to weaken us. So we really need to be committed to seeing this thing through no matter what. And actively do the things that will preserve the unity. Like not alienating any states, and not even entertaining the idea of breaking the states into their own nations.

Short Version

MERICA.

Long Version

We built a great nation, guys. It’s really something. But it wasn’t easy. So you really need to value it, take pride in it, and fight to keep it.

Short Version

The different regions of America need one another, even thought they are different.

Long Version

You think it would be better to be split up? Think again. Being united as one nation gives us a big advantage. Unhindered trade between the East and West means farmers getting the equipment they need, and merchants getting their wares. It means pooling our resources for military, and not getting into a naval arms race with each other. We would be nowhere near this efficient if we weren’t united as one nation.

Short Version

The benefits of avoiding war cannot be overstated. And when America is united, it discourages war. Also, an overgrown military is bad.

Long Version

The benefits of avoiding war cannot be overstated. And when America is united, it discourages war. This means no internal wars on with each other,  and no wars of invasion from other continents. We’ll all be safer, and we won’t slip into the trap of overspending on the military.  Overspending on the military has corrupted every type of government, but our type of government is especially vulnerable to that kind of corruption. An overgrown military establishment is the enemy of our liberty.

Short Version

Persevere though the bumps in the road. Lets give this experiment a try.

Long Version

We can make this work. Look at what we’ve accomplished so far. It’s working. And it will work even better once we iron out the kinks.

Short Version

Political parties will try to divide you geographically. Don’t fall for it.

Long Version

One of the most likely reasons for America to fall apart is if we start to become divided by geography. If we think Norther Americans are different than Southern ones, Easter Americans are different than Western ones. Political parties have traditionally spread this kind of idea because it helps them gain power. Guard yourself against it. And for added proof, remember there were several times here recently where the Western US got what it wanted only because the Eastern US was involved.

Short Version

Two things: (1) We need a central government, not just an alliance of states. (2) Because our nation is built entirely around the Constitution, its laws should be obeyed by everyone.

Long Version

Being united as one nation is way better than having all the states allied to each other as independent countries. It is even better than the Articles of Confederation.

We’ve accomplished something truly amazing – we’ve established a government that is truly of the people. The people created and ratified the Constitution, and the people are able to change it with amendments. And because it derives its authority from this kind of democracy, its laws should be obeyed by all of us.

Short Version

Political parties and other factions are bad for our form of government.

Long Version

When people segment themselves into political factions, they can start to undermine democracy. Instead of being honest, they may sabotage the plans of the other side – even if it hurts the citizens – to help them win in the future. They will focus their message on wedge issues to try to divide people up. And instead of trying their best to govern for the good of the people, they will treat it like a game. This will cause your government to become corrupt and inefficient.

Short Version

They will basically destroy what we’ve built by consolidating power and then undermining the Constitution whenever they want.

Long Version

You may think it is useful to have these political factions, and they may help you accomplish some things, but in the long term they will become corrupt. The wrong kind of people will climb the ranks and once they are at the top, you wont be able to stop them. They will corrupt the whole government and turn our democracy into something more like a dictatorship.

Short Version

A strong federal government is important. And don’t be too quick to change the Constitution.

Long Version

Not all change is progress. As we continue to improve upon this government we’ve made, there will be a temptation to abandon the foundational principles we all agreed to and to go in a different direction. Beware of that tendency, because we really need to give our government some time before we know how well it works and what needs to be fixed. Some people may even plot to change the government over time by first sabotaging its effectiveness before then presenting their fix. Watch out for that.

Short Version

Ok, now let’s get back to the topic of political parties and why they are bad.

 
Long Version

I told you about how political parties tend to divide America, pitting North vs South, rural vs urban. But that is just the tip of the iceberg on why political parties are bad. So let’s get back to the topic of why I hate political parties.

Short Version

It preys on our worst instincts.

Long Version

Tribalism or the “spirit of party” is a temptation that we all have to deal with because it is part of our biology. In some governments it can be mostly controlled, but in Democracies like ours it can really get out of control.

Short Version

Parties make you hate the other group. They drive you to constantly oppose the other group. And this creates a cycle of revenge and hatred that just makes everything worse.

Long Version

Parties make you hate the other group, drive you to oppose them, and it just goes back and forth. Then in revenge they will sabotage each other\’s plans so nothing gets done. Eventually, people seek a strongman to fix it rather than relying on the democratic tools we are supposed to use. And once they get that strongman, he will take more power for himself at the expense of our basic liberties.

Short Version

And even if you could prevent all that, parties would still be bad.

 
Long Version

You don’t think your parties could become corrupt in this way? Used as a tool for authoritarians to rise to power? That’s a dangerous assumption to make. But even if this extreme case never happens, the culture that parties promote is divisive and conniving. And is itself dangerous to our country. Wise people should be against this kind of partisan thinking.

Short Version

Parties distract people from more important issues. They kindle hatred and division. And they are vulnerable to foreign influence.

Long Version

Parties plot to make government less effective at what it does. They will deceptively present information to win an argument. They have a vested interest in keeping us divided. They fan the flames of division. They will even be a conduit by which other nations will try to influence our laws. If another nation secretly controls the prevailing party, we’ll basically be a vassal of that nation.

Short Version

People will tout the benefits of party, but I want you to know that it\’s playing with fire.

Long Version

The tendency of parties to form mobilize groups to advocacy is probably good in a Monarchy, but not in a Democracy. Some of this kind of division can be good, and will occur naturally, but too much and it quickly becomes destructive. By embracing the divisive \”spirit of party\” we are playing with fire and in danger of getting burned.

Short Version

It is really important to preserve the separation of powers. Power corrupts. Use amendments if you want to change something in the Constitution rather than just letting politicians get away with it.

Long Version

We\’ve set up the three branches of government to each have their spheres of power and to be checks on each other. This is a wise way to do it, as evidence all throughout history.

But human nature being what it is, people are going to want to undermine that system and consolidate power into fewer hands. Don\’t let them. This is a slippery slope. Even if they use their new authority to accomplish good things, it sets us on the path to tyranny. If we let them ignore the Constitution even once, it will lead to many more allowances. It will no longer be a government beholden to obey the citizens. It will destroy our form of government.

Instead, if you want to change the checks and balances, then do it the right way – with a Constitutional amendment.

Short Version

Political prosperity is impossible without morality, which is itself impossible without religion.

Long Version

Political prosperity is impossible without morality, which is itself impossible without religion. Sure, you could argue that there are some moral atheists out there, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

Short Version

It will lead to tyranny if you elect people who aren\’t moral.

Long Version

A democratic government needs to be run by ethical people. Unethical people will try to undermine the principles of Democracy.

Short Version

Democracies put the people in charge. We need people to be educated so they can make the best decisions. So use the government to spread good information.

Short Version

Since Democracies are run by the people, those people really should be informed generally and especially about the what the government is doing. So you should support government transparency and organizations that spread knowledge. This is extremely important.

Short Version

Avoid Debt. Avoid War. When it comes to the military, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Hold politicians accountable for reckless spending!

Long Version

Don\’t overspend if you don\’t have to. Only use debt when you absolutely need to. But don\’t get me wrong – keeping a strong military is important. So always make that a part of your budget. Not only should you avoid debt by being thrifty, but you should be very quick to pay off debt as soon as possible. Unavoidable war is a reason why our nation may go into debt. So in times of peace, make sure to pay off that debt as fast as possible. Because it is immoral for us to force our children, future generations, to pay off our debts. We borrowed it and we should pay it back.

Now people generally don\’t like the government to stick to a budget or think long term like this. So it could be politically costly for someone to govern wisely and ethically in this manner. Be aware of that, and award the politicians who do the right thing. Don\’t give in the selfishness that would cause you to deficit spend and pass the debt to future generations. Tax as much as you spend. And if you don\’t like the taxes, then decrease spending rather than spending in debt.

Short Version

Don’t manipulate with diplomacy! Be on good terms with every nation.

Long Version

Short Version

Don’t play favorites either.

Long Version

Short Version

Alliances are a bad idea.

Long Version

Short Version

Meddling with other nations opens us up to foreign influence and propaganda.

Long Version

Short Version

Again, just don’t play favorites in diplomacy. Don’t do it.

Long Version

Short Version

We need to stop getting involved in big international agreements. They do us no good.

Long Version

Short Version

If we can do that, we’ll develop a good reputation.  And when we really do need to make a demand of another nation, they will be more likely to listen and give us what we want.

Long Version

Short Version

No alliances. Period.

Long Version

Short Version

Stay honest and fulfill our international obligations. But stop getting us into these deals!

Long Version

Short Version

When the situation is dire, then sure, we can make a temporary alliance to help us defend ourselves.

Long Version

Short Version

Remain neutral to nations and remain neutral to industries too.

Long Version

Short Version

My three main topics: (1) There’s problems with political parties (2) keep America diplomatically neutral and (3) we must stay united under a single federal government.

Long Version

Short Version

I’m not lying. I’m speaking from the heart.

Long Version

Short Version

Neutrality toward European nations has worked well for us so far.

Long Version

Short Version

Neutrality toward European nations has worked well for us so far. (Paragraphs 45-47)

Long Version

Short Version

Neutrality toward European nations has worked well for us so far. (Paragraphs 45-47).

Long Version

Short Version

By staying neutral, we had some “me” time.

Long Version

Short Version

I wasn’t perfect, but I tried my best.

Long Version

Short Version

Now I’m going to go enjoy this great country we’ve built. GW Out!

Long Version

Short Version

Neutrality toward European nations has worked well for us so far. (Paragraphs 45-47)

Long Version

Short Version

Don’t let selfishness get in the way of patriotism.

Long Version

If you think short-term, then you may be tempted to abandon national unity for some other benefit. But such a benefit is small in comparison to being united as one nation.

Short Version

I’m retiring, guys.

Long Version

A Presidential election is approaching, and I don’t plan to be a part of it.