The Left have a theory of legitimate government to suit any Statist taste. One day they posit that legitimate government and Just powers are derived from the idea: "That which we do together is what we call government." from Elizabeth Warren, to Barack Obama's: "It's about what can be done by us, together, through the hard and frustrating but absolutely necessary work of self-government."

The left are always explaining their rationale for legitimacy. And a lot of people buy it because it sort of sounds like the Framers idea that only a government by the consent of the governed is legitimate government. But it's not the same. The Framers did not reject majority rule as a legitimate form of government and then turn that idea on it's head by saying legitimate government is that government that gets voted on, re: the Constitution. To understand the American idea of legitimate government and consent of the governed you must ask and answer the question: What can you rightfully consent to?

The American idea of consent of the governed as the foundation of legitimate government isn't about voting and majority rule, it is an idea whose roots are to be found in natural rights and natural law. To understand "consent of the governed" is to understand limited government.

But now Barack Obama is rationalizing a whole new theory de jour of legitimate government:

EMBEDDED VIDEO NO LONGER AVAILABLE

According to this new idea a rule of first foot-steps on land and never-ending-inheritance-by-those-of-proper-birth is the foundation of legitimate government.

This begs the question: If the United States government has no legitimacy on immigration because there were people on the continent before there was a United States of America, in what exactly is the government of the United States to be considered a legitimate government? Does this not mean that the office of President of the United States itself is illegitimate? By Barack Obama's own theory de jour of legitimate government should we not consider him to be illegitimate?

And further: what of every other country in the world? By this definition of legitimate government every government on earth is illegitimate.

we are well into crazy town at this point.

Dear Leader has seen fit to publickly refute the bald-faced lie of the "genetic scientists" (pfui!) that there existed no "native Americans" before they crossed the Bering Land Bridge in the last glaciation. Bravo, Dear Leader! And done without any evidence to support your position!

=============================

"What about the noble warriors and hunters of the Great Plains?"

"Well, what about them?" he asked. "The culture they now revere and think of as ancient did not exist and could not have existed before the coming of the Europeans because their own ancestors had hunted the American horse to extinction - hardly good environmental management, in my opinion. And the firearms they used to defend their territory - bravely - against encroaching whites were all bought or stolen from those same whites, because they did not know how to make them for themselves."


- Harry Turtledove, "The Toxic Spell Dump"

Lev Termen wrote:Dear Leader has seen fit to publickly refute the bald-faced lie of the "genetic scientists" (pfui!) that[highlight=#FFFF00] there existed no "native Americans" before they crossed the Bering Land Bridge in the last glaciation. [/highlight]Bravo, Dear Leader! And done without any evidence to support your position!

Preposterous! Who do those silly Teabaggers think built the casinos and started The National Indian Gaming Association - Italians?

Karl Marx Treatment Center wrote:......what of every other country in the world? By this definition of legitimate government every government on earth is illegitimate.

You are entirely correct, comrade. No government is legitimate except that of which The Party™ approves.

This is why we need the UN to issue statements of approval to the various peoples of the world so that they can know whether or not those peoples are legitimate or illegitimate. Any people who approve of unapproved government are, therefore, denounced as illegitimate peoples and eradicated by their approved neighbours.

This is how we shall achieve peace, prosperity and equality for all peoples.

FORWARD!

Kapitan Kangaroo Kourt wrote:

Karl Marx Treatment Center wrote:......what of every other country in the world? By this definition of legitimate government every government on earth is illegitimate.

You are entirely correct, comrade. No government is legitimate except that of which The Party™ approves.

This is why we need the UN to issue statements of approval to the various peoples of the world so that they can know whether or not those peoples are legitimate or illegitimate. Any people who approve of unapproved government are, therefore, denounced as illegitimate peoples and eradicated by their approved neighbours.

This is how we shall achieve peace, prosperity and equality for all peoples.

FORWARD!

But first we must be sure the UN has been approved as legitimate. Do we still have the paperwork signed by Comrades Stalin and Hiss?

RedDiaperette wrote:

Kapitan Kangaroo Kourt wrote:

Karl Marx Treatment Center wrote:......what of every other country in the world? By this definition of legitimate government every government on earth is illegitimate.

You are entirely correct, comrade. No government is legitimate except that of which The Party™ approves.

This is why we need the UN to issue statements of approval to the various peoples of the world so that they can know whether or not those peoples are legitimate or illegitimate. Any people who approve of unapproved government are, therefore, denounced as illegitimate peoples and eradicated by their approved neighbours.

This is how we shall achieve peace, prosperity and equality for all peoples.

FORWARD!

But first we must be sure the UN has been approved as legitimate. Do we still have the paperwork signed by Comrades Stalin and Hiss?

If not we can create........ah.......locate it, comrade. Birth certificates, driver's licenses, social security cards, credit cards, green cards. You name it! If it's lost or simply can't be located in a timely manner, the tireless workers, with their photographic memories, in the various relevant bureaucracies, across the fruited plain (and in the extra-contiguous states and territories), will be able to produce exact copies of the relevant missing, misplaced or unlocated documentation, as deemed necessary and expedient, before any legitimate questions can be asked regarding the where abouts of said missing, misplaced or unlocated documentation. Fear not! The Party™ is in control!