Posted on 06/15/2015 11:46:38 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
MAGNA CARTA, on which King John placed his seal 800 years ago today, is synonymous in the English-speaking world with fundamental rights and the rule of law. Its been celebrated, and appropriated, by everyone from Tea Party members to Jay Z, who called his latest album Magna Carta Holy Grail.
But its fame rests on several myths. First, it wasnt effective. In fact, it was a failure. John was a weak king who had squandered the royal fortune on a fruitless war with France. Continually raising taxes to pay for his European adventures, he provoked a revolt by his barons, who forced him to sign the charter. But John repudiated the document immediately, and the barons sought to replace him. John avoided that fate by dying.
The next year, his young son reissued Magna Carta, without some of the clauses. It was reissued several times more in the 13th century the 1297 version is the one on display in the National Archives and embodied in English law. But the original version hardly constrained the monarch.
A second myth is that it was the first document of its type. Writing in 1908, Woodrow Wilson called it the beginning of constitutional government. But in fact, it was only one of many documents from the period, in England and elsewhere, codifying limitations on government power.
A third myth is that the document was a ringing endorsement of liberty. Even a cursory reading reveals a number of oddities. One clause prevents Jews from charging interest on a debt held by an underage heir. Another limits womens ability to bear witness to certain homicides. A third requires the removal of fish traps from the Thames.
Why, then, is Magna Carta so revered?
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The Magna Carta wasn’t perfect in it’s inception, and the men who wrote it/enforced it weren’t perfect so it has no value. Typical liberal working to uproot the foundations of Western Civilization. So once you eliminate all respect for Christianity, marriage, the founding fathers, the Constitution and the Magna Carta, WITH WHAT DO YOU REPLACE THEM?
If the Magna Carta is/was a failure, why is it after 800 years we still celebrate it? Please name something else from 1215 we should better celebrate or from any year a century each way? Please JD Berkeley Law Degree, give us something better!
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Not a date from a hundred years either way, but an enormous date in history that should be recalled today is October 10th, 732.
It was the day Charles Martel, “the Hammer” threw the Muslims out of France at the battle of Tours.
The Magna Carta wasnt perfect in its inception, and the men who wrote it/enforced it werent perfect so it has no value. Typical liberal working to uproot the foundations of Western Civilization. So once you eliminate all respect for Christianity, marriage, the founding fathers, the Constitution and the Magna Carta, WITH WHAT DO YOU REPLACE THEM?
ANY dictator, take your pick: Hitler, Mao, Mussolini,Pol Pot, Obama....ANY of the “great leaders of men” so revered by the left wing idiots and their Muslim Brotherhood cohorts who are driving the Western world to destruction.
Obviously (In my mind at least) I was referring to an equivalent legal event or other document since that was the 'expertise' of the NYT opinion writer. However, in line with your response, the naval battle of Lepanto (August 1571) is actually closer in time than Tours and it destroyed the Ottoman Naval power and was, with Vienna II (1683), the end of aggressive Ottoman Islam.
Obviously (In my mind at least) I was referring to an equivalent legal event or other document since that was the ‘expertise’ of the NYT opinion writer. However, in line with your response, the naval battle of Lepanto (August 1571) is actually closer in time than Tours and it destroyed the Ottoman Naval power and was, with Vienna II (1683), the end of aggressive Ottoman Islam.
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Excellent post. We need to pay attention to these occurrences in history and remind people that there is NO end to aggressive Islam by whatever name. Islam just keeps on trying.
“Why, then, is Magna Carta so revered?”
Because it is an early embodiment of the principle that no man is above the law, and that there are things the government is not allowed to do.
No mention of Divine Right of Kings -— like the Clinton’s seem to assume.
The Magna Carta put the first hole in that dogma. No wonder the Times dismisses it.
The second most inspired... The US Consitiution!!!
The third most... the Declaration of US Independence!!!
The fourth most... The Magna Carta!!!
I particularly like #8;
The Dutch here shall enjoy the liberty of their consciences in Divine Worship and church discipline.
The New York (Carlos) Slim-Slimes is pathetic.
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