IdT

The Institute for domestic Tranquility takes its name from the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States. An examination of the preamble shows six conditions the Constitution is to address, in the establishment of the Federal Government. These are to:

Form a more perfect Union; establish Justice; insure the domestic Tranquility; provide for the common defence; promote the general Welfare; secure the Blessings of Liberty.

Form a More Perfect Union.

The Constitutional Congress was called because the Articles of Confederation were failing and needed to be patched up. The States had reduced themselves to petty squalling — greedy governments interested in their own self interest — rather than sharing concern for the nation as a whole. In their disorganized condition they would have been easy prey to European intrigue and mischief. The Convention realized it was exceeding its charge when it threw out the Articles and wrote a new constitution from scratch, It resolved to move to strengthen the Union. The Civil War quelled internal dissention by force and established the principle of a Federally superior union, once and for all. The task of perfecting the Union, is not complete and requires the wisdom of intelligent people.

Establish Justice

A judiciary which is not independent can not protect the natural rights of the sovereign, in our case the people of the United States. The Soviet Union has splendid words in its constitution, but since its judiciary is not independent, the words are meaningless. The Federal judiciary is appointed and serves for life because the men and women appointed to the bench are supposed to bring with them wisdom, not a popular mandate.

The Supreme Court must establish the lead is protecting the natural rights of the sovereign. It's acquired duty of reviewing constitutionality of American law should supplement its main duty to oversee the protection and extension of the unalienable rights to all citizens. The Court must assiduously guard the Constitution and assiduously promote the enfranchisement of all citizen sovereigns of the nation.

Insure the domestic Tranquility.

The domestic Tranquility is the neglected force for the empowerment of individual citizens to take their rightful places in a popular democracy. Full support for the pacific arts and sciences together with a free and uninhibited expression of the unalienable rights will add the necessary ingredients to make the United States a true democracy not just a nation with a democratic form of government.

Provide for the common defence.

We fomented a rebellion against the mother country and won. We subdued the Indians and by manifest destiny annexed a large part of Mexico. Efforts to do the same in Canada failed. We fought a civil war and the Union forces prevailed. We fought on the side of the Allies in World War I and helped save the world for democracy. We emerged from World War II as the leader of the free world. Providing for the common defence no longer means the defence of the 13 original or the 50 present states but the common defence of the free world. Since we have voluntarily assumed the burden of defending the free world, we are paying the price of empire in which to exert our political hegemony. It is not only time for the United States to share the burden of paying for the common defence of the free world, it is time to start sharing the leadership role for the defence of the free world. Along with shared leadership will naturally follow shared costs. We as a nation can not claim to have all the answers, although we have a lot of them. We can not either be the policeman, the teacher, the ag extension agent, or moral philosopher for the free world.

When we learn to share the authority and the responsibility we will find our partners (not client states) sharing the burden and the whole world will have grown up a little bit.

Promote the General Welfare

I believe this promise of the Preamble is widely misunderstood today to refer to our social welfare programs. Our social welfare programs would be largely obsolete if all citizens were enfranchised with their unalienable rights, which are rights not welfare. As long as we deliberately weaken, enervate, and disenfranchise our citizens, we will need social welfare programs.

Secure the Blessings of Liberty

What is liberty? Without an ecologically humane ecosystem, without domestic Tranquility, without the unalienable rights liberty is at a minimum. How do the disadvantaged, the poor, the ignorant or the sick exercise their liberties? Liberty and freedom are conditions founded upon other conditions of ecological and economic equity. The great moral systems are based upon the concepts of good, right and just. The good, right and just do not flow from morality, morality flows from good, right and just. Good can be conceived as the product(s) of the processes of humane ecosystems. Right can be considered the unalienable rights and just can be conceived as the ecological equity of the humane ecosystem. Taken together, when good, right, and just form the basis of human society liberty and freedom are the logical outcome.

The Institute for domestic Tranquility

IdT promotes the pacific arts and sciences as the basis of domestic Tranquility. IdT promotes re search and education into the ecological aspects of human society to promote the understanding and the acceptance of ecology as a means of understanding and therefore hastening the development of the processes of humane ecosystems. IdT sees the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution as two great foundations stones upon which the edifice of a humane morality can be built.

Join with us in teaching (preaching) ecology, perfecting the Union and redeeming (saving) ourselves, the nation and the Earth. IdT needs your philosophical and scientific support. Help us think these things out. IdT needs your commitment. Write to us and tell us your ideas on ecology and human society. IdT needs your financial support. Write or call Bob Linn with your contribution or pledge today. Help us build the concepts then help us get out the word.

... Ted Sudia ...

© Copyright 1989
Institute for domestic Tranquility