On this Constitution Day, it’s worth considering how it is that the so-called “strict constructionists” or those who strive to find the “original intent” of our founding document might interpret the following passage from the preamble:
…to promote the general welfare…..
as:
“you’re on your own, bitch”
Just a thought as we consider the way forward in our developing society. Ironic that those who presume to have the received wisdom have an interpretation surprisingly close to their own worldview.
A very simple observation, and one that seems to stand up under the weight of a good deal of recent scholarship: now the the religious fundamentalists in our society have less power and influence, the grip of the religious fundamentalists in Persian society (and in much of the rest of the world) is weakening as well. The ability for fundamentalists in each society to create fear and hatred of the other has diminished- and that attenuation is certainly not coincidental.
As has been suggested here in the past, the “clash of civilizations” is not one between Islam and Christianity, but between fundamentalism and religious tolerance. On that score, citizens of both Iran and the US are in much better shape than they were 3 years ago, though both societies have a long road ahead to step back from theocratic impulses that still rage.