Tuesday, September 22, 2009
BASIC PRINCIPLES
Basic principles of US Constitutional government, from The 5,000 Year Leap:
1 The only reliable basis for sound government and just human relations is Natural Law.
2 A free people cannot survive under a republican Constitution unless they remain virtuous and morally strong.
3 The most promising method of securing a virtuous and morally stable people is to elect virtuous leaders.
4 Without religion the government of a free people cannot be maintained.
5 All things were created by God, therefore upon Him all mankind are equally dependent, and to Him they are equally responsible.
6 All men are created equal.
7 The proper role of government is to protect equal rights, not provide equal things.
8 Men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.
9 To protect man's rights, God has revealed certain principles of Divine Law.
10 The God-given right to govern is vested in the sovereign authority of the whole people.
11 The majority of the people may alter or abolish a government which has become tyrannical.
12 The United States of America shall be a Republic.
13 A constitution should be structured to permanently protect the people from the human frailties of their rulers.
14 Life and liberty are secure only so long as the right to property is secure.
15 The highest level of prosperity occurs when there is a free-market economy and a minimum of government regulations.
16 The government should be separated into three branches--legislative, executive, and judicial.
17 A system of checks and balances should be adopted to prevent the abuse of power.
18 The unalienable rights of the people are most likely to be preserved if the principles of government are set forth in a written constitution.
19 Only limited and carefully defined powers should be delegated to government, all others being retained in the people.
20 Efficiency and dispatch require government to operate according to the will of the majority, but constitutional provisions must be made to protect the rights of the minority.
21 Strong local self-government is the keystone to preserving human freedom.
22 A free people should be governed by law and not by the whims of men.
23 A free society cannot survive as a republic without a broad program of general education.
24 A free people will not survive unless they stay strong.
25 "Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations--entangling alliances with none."
26 The core unit which determines the strength of any society is the family; therefore the government should foster and protect its integrity.
27 The burden of debt is as destructive to freedom as subjugation by conquest.
28 The United States has a Manifest Destiny to be an example and a blessing to the entire human race.
1 The only reliable basis for sound government and just human relations is Natural Law.
2 A free people cannot survive under a republican Constitution unless they remain virtuous and morally strong.
3 The most promising method of securing a virtuous and morally stable people is to elect virtuous leaders.
4 Without religion the government of a free people cannot be maintained.
5 All things were created by God, therefore upon Him all mankind are equally dependent, and to Him they are equally responsible.
6 All men are created equal.
7 The proper role of government is to protect equal rights, not provide equal things.
8 Men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.
9 To protect man's rights, God has revealed certain principles of Divine Law.
10 The God-given right to govern is vested in the sovereign authority of the whole people.
11 The majority of the people may alter or abolish a government which has become tyrannical.
12 The United States of America shall be a Republic.
13 A constitution should be structured to permanently protect the people from the human frailties of their rulers.
14 Life and liberty are secure only so long as the right to property is secure.
15 The highest level of prosperity occurs when there is a free-market economy and a minimum of government regulations.
16 The government should be separated into three branches--legislative, executive, and judicial.
17 A system of checks and balances should be adopted to prevent the abuse of power.
18 The unalienable rights of the people are most likely to be preserved if the principles of government are set forth in a written constitution.
19 Only limited and carefully defined powers should be delegated to government, all others being retained in the people.
20 Efficiency and dispatch require government to operate according to the will of the majority, but constitutional provisions must be made to protect the rights of the minority.
21 Strong local self-government is the keystone to preserving human freedom.
22 A free people should be governed by law and not by the whims of men.
23 A free society cannot survive as a republic without a broad program of general education.
24 A free people will not survive unless they stay strong.
25 "Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations--entangling alliances with none."
26 The core unit which determines the strength of any society is the family; therefore the government should foster and protect its integrity.
27 The burden of debt is as destructive to freedom as subjugation by conquest.
28 The United States has a Manifest Destiny to be an example and a blessing to the entire human race.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
CROSSING THE RUBICON
On January 10th of the year 49BC, Julius Caesar led an army legion across the Rubicon River in northern Italy toward Rome, in defiance of the Roman Senate. The river had previously been designated as an important boundary across which no army general would be allowed to pass. Caesar's act of crossing the Rubicon prompted his famous remark Alea iacta est ("the die is cast"), since he knew that this act would mark the beginning of civil war in the Republic. In modern English usage, the phrase "crossing the Rubicon" is used to mean passing a point of no return.
Today there is another Rubicon River west of Lake Tahoe which has lent its name to the most famous off-road vehicle (ORV) trail in the world. The trail is generally rated as one of the most difficult ORV trails, due to the need to negotiate across constant large boulder fields, ledges, and tight passages. While in theory a stock 4x4 vehicle might negotiate the trail, various vehicle modifications are generally deemed necessary, such as a body or suspension lift, protective side rails and bumpers, and axle-locking mechanisms. Such modifications are necessary to avoid substantial body damage to the vehicle, and to avoid becoming irretrievably stuck. Chrysler has used the trail as a testing ground for its Jeep models, and there is a model of the Jeep Wrangler called the Rubicon, which can be identified by the name emblazoned on the side of the hood of the vehicle.
The main ORV portion of the trail begins at Loon Lake, at the eastern edge of California's Gold Country. There is a staging area here where vehicles can stop and deflate their tires to improve traction. The first part of the trail is referred to as "the Gatekeeper". There used to be an actual boulder obstacle by that name here; it has been demolished, but the name is still appropriate since a vehicle that is unable to navigate this first trail section will not be able to pass the rest of the trail.
After the gatekeeper section, the trail passes over a relatively flat, solid section known as the Granite Bowl. While this is the only section devoid of large rocks and boulders on the entire trail,
there are still some ledges here that require careful maneuvering.
After the Granite Bowl, the trail resumes with two obstacles known as Walker Hill and the Soup
Bowl. These obstacles consist of climbs, ledges, and narrow notches that must be passed with walls and boulders and each side.
The next and most famous obstacle on the Rubicon Trail is called Little Sluice. Fortunately there is a bypass around this section, since it is only possible to traverse Little Sluice in a vehicle with highly specialized modifications.
Other obstacles in this region are called Toyota Rock and Thousand Dollar Hill. The trail then proceeds toward Buck Island Lake. The lake
is a popular place to camp for the night. After the lake the trail continues on through some tight passages, and then makes an abrupt turn to the north and proceeds downhill toward Rubicon Springs.
This downhill section contains the obstacle known as Big Sluice. Here there are numerous boulders, drop-offs, and ledges. There are also off-camber sections where the trail tilts to one side, forcing the driver to risk a tip-over or risk scraping boulders and trees along the side of the
vehicle. These places require scouting and trial-and-error to navigate.
After this long downhill section the trail crosses a bridge and passes through Rubicon Springs. This is an old abandoned resort that is now a popular camping area. There are a few helicopter landing pads here that can be used in emergencies. After Rubicon Springs the trail climbs Cadillac Hill and gains elevation rapidly. Cadillac Hill is composed of numerous rocky ledges and off-camber tight squeezes that must be negotiated with a steep cliff on the passenger side of the vehicle.
After Cadillac Hill there are some more rocky technical sections, but no more large obstacles. Drivers can get out at Observation Point and look west to see a nice Sierra Nevada panorama.
From here there are some more rocky sections, but the trail becomes flatter and leads to the paved McKinney-Rubicon Springs Road and the southwest shore of Lake Tahoe.
A map of the trail can be found here.
An informational brochure is here.
Here are a few more photographs:
Today there is another Rubicon River west of Lake Tahoe which has lent its name to the most famous off-road vehicle (ORV) trail in the world. The trail is generally rated as one of the most difficult ORV trails, due to the need to negotiate across constant large boulder fields, ledges, and tight passages. While in theory a stock 4x4 vehicle might negotiate the trail, various vehicle modifications are generally deemed necessary, such as a body or suspension lift, protective side rails and bumpers, and axle-locking mechanisms. Such modifications are necessary to avoid substantial body damage to the vehicle, and to avoid becoming irretrievably stuck. Chrysler has used the trail as a testing ground for its Jeep models, and there is a model of the Jeep Wrangler called the Rubicon, which can be identified by the name emblazoned on the side of the hood of the vehicle.
The main ORV portion of the trail begins at Loon Lake, at the eastern edge of California's Gold Country. There is a staging area here where vehicles can stop and deflate their tires to improve traction. The first part of the trail is referred to as "the Gatekeeper". There used to be an actual boulder obstacle by that name here; it has been demolished, but the name is still appropriate since a vehicle that is unable to navigate this first trail section will not be able to pass the rest of the trail.
After the gatekeeper section, the trail passes over a relatively flat, solid section known as the Granite Bowl. While this is the only section devoid of large rocks and boulders on the entire trail,
there are still some ledges here that require careful maneuvering.After the Granite Bowl, the trail resumes with two obstacles known as Walker Hill and the Soup
Bowl. These obstacles consist of climbs, ledges, and narrow notches that must be passed with walls and boulders and each side.
The next and most famous obstacle on the Rubicon Trail is called Little Sluice. Fortunately there is a bypass around this section, since it is only possible to traverse Little Sluice in a vehicle with highly specialized modifications.
Other obstacles in this region are called Toyota Rock and Thousand Dollar Hill. The trail then proceeds toward Buck Island Lake. The lake
is a popular place to camp for the night. After the lake the trail continues on through some tight passages, and then makes an abrupt turn to the north and proceeds downhill toward Rubicon Springs.This downhill section contains the obstacle known as Big Sluice. Here there are numerous boulders, drop-offs, and ledges. There are also off-camber sections where the trail tilts to one side, forcing the driver to risk a tip-over or risk scraping boulders and trees along the side of the
vehicle. These places require scouting and trial-and-error to navigate.
After this long downhill section the trail crosses a bridge and passes through Rubicon Springs. This is an old abandoned resort that is now a popular camping area. There are a few helicopter landing pads here that can be used in emergencies. After Rubicon Springs the trail climbs Cadillac Hill and gains elevation rapidly. Cadillac Hill is composed of numerous rocky ledges and off-camber tight squeezes that must be negotiated with a steep cliff on the passenger side of the vehicle.After Cadillac Hill there are some more rocky technical sections, but no more large obstacles. Drivers can get out at Observation Point and look west to see a nice Sierra Nevada panorama.
From here there are some more rocky sections, but the trail becomes flatter and leads to the paved McKinney-Rubicon Springs Road and the southwest shore of Lake Tahoe.A map of the trail can be found here.
An informational brochure is here.
Here are a few more photographs:
