Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, a German philosopher, once said, “The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history.”
I am currently reading a book called “The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, & Indian Allies,” by Alan Taylor, and in it is this interesting insight.
Britons charged that Americans compounded the weakness of their government by the immorality of their souls. In the pervasive commercialism of American life, Britons saw a cunning greed that sacrificed integrity for rampant speculation in land and banks. Augustus Foster, a well-known British writer of the time, concluded that “from the Province of Maine to the borders of Florida, you would not find 30 men of Truth, Honour, or Integrity. Corruption, Immorality, Irreligion, and above all, self-interest, have corroded the very pillars on which their Liberty rests.” Britons charged that the republic promoted legal chicanery and corrupt juries, which rewarded cunning cheats, undermining the legitimate property of respectable men.
Yes, both sides of the aisle are guilty!
Sound familiar? Some things never change!
Ron Perry
Canyon Country