Most people have realized that our country has changed over the last 220 years, but most have not realized the issues our country is facing today are issues that were recognized by our Founding Fathers during the beginning of our country. After prudently researching George Washington’s prodigious address to the citizens of America, I believe that his ideas on issues that plague our current government were spot on.
One of the most sizable issues that we could have avoided if we had listened to him, is political parties. Political parties “distract the Public Councils...agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms… opens the door [for] foreign influence and corruption”. Especially in the election of 2016, we can see the
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In the grandiose words of George Washington, we should “cherish public credit… [avoid] accumulation of debt”. Washington loathed debts, and did anything that he could to avoid debts. As you can observe in the current day, our debt can risen a huge amount over the last few centuries. On December 22nd, at 10:50 A.M, the United States was in debt by $19,944,078,298,000 and rising every second. For the US to be out of debt, each of the 325,166,983 citizens would need to pay $61,338 as of 10:52 A.M (12/22/16). This is insanity. Just 16 years ago, we only had $5.629 trillion in …show more content…
Despite their argument, I still strongly believe that the government should contain some religion and morality. If someone with vast amounts of power believes that he is the top being of all, he will not think twice about passing a law or act. If the ruler believes that there is someone higher than him, he would think about what that person would want.
In summary, we should not stray from the principles and ideals of our precedent president, George Washington. He warned us against political parties and debt. Now we are $19 trillion in debt. Political parties turn elections into a display of childlike dramatics. He stressed the importance of religion and morality in government, which would actually keep a government from becoming a tyranny. We should apply these principles and ideals back into our society and government. Maybe if we had listened to him from the beginning, we wouldn't be in the position that we are currently
George Washington himself wanted to avoid a party system in America. Unfortunately, even when saying this he was part of the beginning of one of the first parties in United States politics. There have been many different parties surface since the beginning of the American political system. They all have different thoughts, policies, and motivations. Each party has come and gone, some have made significant contributions and others have not. The first split, and beginning of the party system, came with the differentiation between the Federalists and the Democratic Republicans. These two parties were extremely different in thought, design, and status of people involved. This paper, will deal with
In his farewell address, Washington warned against political parties and foreign affairs. The first two political parties, Federalists and Democratic-Republicans, formed pretty much right after Washington left office. However, we did follow the advice to stay out of foreign affairs up until the presidency of James Madison and the War of 1812. John Adams stayed away from war with France and England and Thomas Jefferson passed the Embargo act to try to stay out of the mess of war. During James Monroe’s presidency, we have the Monroe Doctrine to warn other nations not to come and mess with the United States. The European nations heeded this warning and we stayed out of any conflict. In later years, we did not follow the advice to form political
At the end of his second presidential administration, after forty-five years serving America, President Washington did not want to leave without imparting some final guidance and wisdom. To do so, Washington, working from drafts written by James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, wrote a letter to the American people titled “The Address of Gen. Washington to the People of America, on his Declining the Presidency of the United States” and more popularly known as “Washington’s Farewell Address.”
To help us maintain the efficiency of our government, George Washington gave our country words of advice in his Farewell address. His Farewell address was in 1796, on the eve of September 19. He mentioned that he would not be running in the next election and that his time as president was up. Washington, with the country’s welfare in mind, wanted the nation to obtain and maintain felicity. He had decided that he would give the future president and the people of the nation advice based on his experiences as president. His words of wisdom consists of telling us to stay united, follow the constitution, and to stay neutral.
George Washington’s Presidential Farewell Address consisted of three critical elements that were considered vital for the functional survival of the country that had just won its independence. On September 19, 1796, President Washington advised the nation to stand together as one united country, warned the people about the dangers of political parties and he established foundational reasons for the country to not become over involved in foreign affairs. These three principles set forth an understanding that was monumental for American society. Their level of importance serves as a near perfect reflection to both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution as the building blocks to a great nation. Each of these three principles, even though they were not written as laws, went on as a tradition for this nation; each being clung to with the same level of importance and integrity as the Founders sought in the aforestated documents of freedom.
Washington saw the countries dividing along political lines, and foresaw endangers of partisan affecting national unity. He urged the American people to avoid political parties, believing that it would lead to the “ruins of public liberty (50).” He strongly believed that the political parties had “served to distract… [and] agitate the Community will ill-founded jealousies and false alarms (51).” Washington exposed the intentions of political parties by saying, “The alternate domination” of one party over another will lead to a “frightful despotism (49).” In other words, hyperpartisan, influenced by a revenge seeking spirit, will hand over trust and absolute power to the
The early issues that faced the United States did help define and set precedence for the nation and government. In the past, the United States faced many issues that caused concern for how the government should develop and define the future nation. Furthermore, many historical events influenced the future and future political advances. The early issues that faced the United States did help define and set precedence for the nation and government because Thomas Jefferson’s beliefs helped to get the common people/citizens more involved in the government, and George Washington’s farewell address conveys how the United States should avoid foreign alliances and affairs. On the contrary, others believe that the early issues that faced the United States
George Washington, the first president of the United States, had written a very important historical speech and document towards the end of his time in office. He had written the Farewell address which focused on helping America understand the importance of preserving unity, acknowledging the rise of political parties forming, strengthening religion and morality, and he stated his position on American foreign policy. He addressed these ideas with strong tone and used incredible amount of dictions that strengthens his tone as well as representing his appeal to ethos to a strong degree. However, today’s society seemed to forget Washington’s position on foreign policy and has created a new form of the policy. But nonetheless as time grew,
One of Washington’s major points is staying out of Europe’s wars and conflicts. Washington believed that we should not follow through with the strong isolationistic beliefs up to the first war. It only occurred during the World War II that we had gotten away from it. To avoid partisanship, Washington didn’t even want the political parties to follow us at all; obviously we did indeed have two strong political parties, which neither completed its responsibilities and had the encouragement of determination to solve the serious issues that shouldn’t have been about the political parties that most had belong or involved in that don’t actually know anything or about the politics of what both parties were doing.
In George Washington’s farewell address, he explains his view and perspective about foreign policy. According to his farewell address, he believes that the U.S.A should not have any everlasting alliances and should also remain neutral towards all other nations. In addition, in the farewell address it says, “The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connection as possible.” Overall, he did not want any difficulty or issues.
“Washington’s Farewell Address” is a compelling and inspiring speech that lifts the spirits of Americans while George Washington rejects taking a third term as President of the United States. This speech was never spoken to an audience, however, the speech was published in the American Daily Advertiser newspaper. This speech was created by George Washington, but James Madison and Alexander Hamilton helped Washington edit the document. It took George Washington, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton 5 years to publish the speech. The speech was finally published in 1796.
There is a saying that someone comes into your life for a reason. Today, as I was going about my business a complete stranger crossed my path and a conversation began. This man was dressed in a peculiar fashion, he spoke in a dialect of English that seemed odd, and as he looked around he appeared to be confused and staring at everyone and everything as if it was the first time he had seen any of the surroundings. His name was George Washington. As I quickly googled him on my computer I realized that this man was not just an actor or a strange man, he was the George Washington, the first President of the United States. I was in shock when I realized my new friend was known as one of the greatest Presidents of the United States. He was
George Washington had to borrow money to relocate to New York, then the center of American government. His presidential inauguration was held near New York 's Wall Street in late April 1789. A tremendous crowd showed up to see the man now known as "the Father of His Country." Borrowing a custom from English monarchs, who by tradition address Parliament when its sessions open, Washington gave a brief speech. It was the first inaugural address and the first of many contributions that Washington would make to the office of the presidency. But this would be no monarch; the new leader wore a plain brown suit.
An Analysis of George Washington's Farewell Address Carmen Williams Liberty University: GOVT 200-B102 Professor Edward Soto George Washington's Farewell Address is one of the most eloquent pieces of literature delivered. It's content and intent constitutes that of a man who was not only prophetic, but a sage. His Farewell Address was printed in the Philadelphia American Daily Advertiser on September 19, 1796. The Address was not merely a statement of resignation, but an open letter of advisement exemplifying unity, in addition to warning the American people about their long-term freedom and pursuit of happiness. There are twenty key points in Washington's Farewell Address; however the focus will be on five of these: (1) The Preservation of the Union. (2) The Danger of Factions. (3) Religion and Morality. (4) Preservation of Public Credit. (5) America's Role in the World. The Preservation of the Union. Washington's persistent theme throughout the Farewell Address is the preservation of the Union as the crux of American Nationhood. In paragraph 9 Washington notes the Union, "is the main pillar in the edifice of your real independence, the support of your tranquility at home; your peace abroad; of your safety; of your prosperity; of that very liberty which you so highly prize." Washington warns of those, internally and externally, who would covertly work to destroy the foundation on which America was built. In paragraph 10, Washington accentuates the far greater significance
Government should cut public spending and use the money to fix the accumulative debt. In societal morality, people should always return things that do not belong to them back with the sense of gratitude. And only under this equitable principle does society be able to gain trusts and get organized. In the same way, a good country should always tries its best to pay back their debt in order to fulfill the social obligations (Eisentein 1). According to some reliable sources, U.S. national debt had for the first time surpassed its GDP since World War II in the summer of 2011 (Scaliger 1). Recently, federal debts have even reached the mark of $16 trillion, and the government still looks forward to loaning more (Knudsen, Foster 1). According to the basic morality, debts should be pay back quickly, especially as credits are great intangible treasure for the government. In George Washington’s farewell address, he has stated that public credit is a “very important source of strength and security”. Otherwise Greece’s fall in the drastic debt and its social unrest would be a great example of the enormous government debt (Scaliger 1).