The Constitution and why it matters.

Saturday, September 17th was Constitution Day in America. Happy 235th Birthday to the U.S. Constitution! Why does the Constitution matter? Let it explain in its own words: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." The Constitution remains the greatest basis for a nation's government ever written. Many countries have borrowed from it, none have improved upon it. Strong as it is, it's only as strong as the Supreme Court Justices charged with following and interpreting it, and only as strong as the Citizens of the US are willing to allow it to be. Hopefully the next 235 years will see it remain as strong, if not stronger, as it is now. This week in JP's Dystopic Journal, we continue with our analysis of John Galt's speech from Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. One of the central themes that runs through all of Rand's writings is the idea of individualism. Growing up in the Soviet Union, she saw first-hand the evils of collectivism. John Galt's speech near the end of Atlas Shrugged serves as a manifesto of sorts for Rand's Objectivist philosophy. Rand, though Galt, lays out the principles of Objectivism in his speech, a 57-page monologue. Most if it provides justification for people to act in their own rational self-interest before anyone else's. It refutes the notion that man should be forced to live for the sake of other men. Rather than men being obligated to each other, Galt professes his preference for mutual non-obligation, he'll not be obliged to live for another person, and no other person should be obliged to live for him. Until next time, Stay healthy, happy, and free!