01-22-2010, 02:55 PM
Quote:Who knows what would emerge from that?Good question. But the existing politics is not polarized for esoteric reasons - it largely represents the divisions of the population. It's very easy to call for a new Constitution when, in one's own mind, the result is that you get the Constitution you want. It's not so easy when you have to actually wrestle with the real opinions and interests of fifty very diverse states, with three hundred million very diverse people - most of whom do not agree with each other on much of anything. This is the problem with "motivation" - what motivates some people is loathsome to other people - think of the "motivation" of the Obama campaign, vs. the "motivation" of the Tea Partiers. It's nice to think that there is a mass of "people" who are largely in agreement on everything, and who could change things if only they'd get off their butts - but I don't think that majority actually exists.
If there'd been a mechanism for periodically revising the constitution since the beginning, then there would probably have evolved an understanding of how to manage the process. But right now? It'd be a dog's breakfast.
-Jester