Your casual use of the term “conquered” is what separates us. I no more consider Japan a conquered nation than I do the Confederacy. Conquered,to me, is what Communist Russia did to East European countries. And try as they might, the Yankee government wants to treat the Confederacy as a conquered nation, but they won’t give in.
You are right in that there is no written provision in the Constitution. There is, however, ample room for secession in the Declaration of Independence. There is absolutely no difference between what was done in 1776 and what was done in 1861.
Most bothersome is your comment: “Generally speaking, terrible things are sometimes done in the effort to achieve a goal that is considered good. That doesn’t make the goal a bad thing - it just makes the efforts undertaken to achieve the goal bad or morally tainted.”
That is simply the end justifies the means and goes hand-in-glove with the situation ethics so prevalent since the 1960’s.
It's been an exicting back & forth that I quite enjoyed believe it or not. I look ahead to the next time we switch. =D Your casual use of the term “conquered” is what separates us. I no more consider Japan a conquered nation than I do the Confederacy.
Might I suggest that it not a casual use of the term but rather a very particular use. I believe I understand your use of the word - I think we're just applying it to different circumstances. Other than that I think we are in agreement.
There is absolutely no difference between what was done in 1776 and what was done in 1861.
I do see a difference though. I do not believe that the Confederacy expanded liberty when it seceeded.
That is simply the end justifies the means and goes hand-in-glove with the situation ethics so prevalent since the 1960’s.
I was attempting to be very careful NOT to say that. The ends do not justify the means. Nor, however, do illegitimate means discredit a moral end. We are constantly tempted to sink to lowly means to achieve a lofty goal. If we avoid that temptation we bring honor to ourselves. While we dishonor ourselves if we sink to lowly means we do not discredit the ends.