Was the Constitution Designed to Benefit the Economic Elite?

One of the great debates surrounding the American political history is whether the U.S. Constitution really was designed to protect all of the people against the power of government and its excesses or whether it was written to serve the interests of the people and groups who wielded the economic power in the United States after the Revolution. In other words was the American Constitution a democratic constitution or was it a means by which a dominant economic and social class maintained its power over a subordinate class of citizens?

The U.S. Constitution was written by men who represented money, public securities, manufacturing, and trade and shipping. In other words, Big Money and Big Business and like the "captains" of industry of today, they wanted to pay as few taxes as possible. While maintaining their status as the Elite of politics and society.

One item of great concern, In 1775 a few wealthy landowners convinced a bunch a poor non landowning people to fight a war of "Independence" for a nation in which they would not be able to vote for another 55 years. 

The "Founding Fathers" believed that voters should have a “stake in society” and believed that the vote should be restricted to those who owned property or paid taxes. White men with property had the right to vote, but even then, just being white and affluent was not enough. In some areas Catholics, Jews, Quakers and others were barred from voting.

George Washington was elected to be the first President of the United States of America by just 1.3% of the total population. 

Some consider the Federalist Papers as the ultimate CliffsNotes to interpreting the original intent of the Constitution. When in fact the Federalist Papers were little more than propaganda designed to persuade reluctant New York voters to accept a new centralized government they didn't want. Why would small farmers and debtors support a central government that would control their lives without giving them much actual representation. Anyone remember "No Taxation Without  Representation" 

The serial publication of those persuasive pieces of Rovian marketing could only be accomplished by the wealthy, very similar to how political propaganda is spread in modern times. Even back in 1787 money bought you all the free speech you could afford. 

The Constitution was born out of class struggle. Created by those with money and property to protect those with money and property. 

George Washington wrote wrote in 1787, "There are combustibles in every State, to which a spark might set fire." He wanted to create a new central government powerful enough to keep the masses controlled, but gave just enough power to them as to let them believe they were in control. Before the Constitutional Convention there were business magnates who had opposed  a strong central government, afterwards they supported an alliance with other oligarchs as a safeguard if "radicals" should capture the state governments. So they gave up "state rights" for "nationalism" without giving it a second thought. Their newly found devotion to a strong union did not come from a sense of National Patriotism. It was an expected reaction born of a common class interest.

I am not a Wacko Bird Tea Nut or a Libertarian, I actually believe in a strong Federal Government. I just want more citizens to know more about the truth of how the United States of America was created. The fairy tale of "George Washington never told a lie" and Ben Franklin, "A penny saved is a penny earned" myths need to stop. 

George Washington owned other human-beings including indentured white people and not just Africans. Ben Franklin was a globe trotting rich man who partied his ass off wherever he went. He was a known member of the “hellfire club” renowned for its hedonistic parties. Ben suffered from gout as a result of a less than frugal lifestyle.  

Perhaps I am skeptical of the lore because while the nation was being "founded" my ancestors were already hunting and farming in what would become known as the Middle Rio Grande Valley and Manifest Destiny took their land and Blessings of Liberty and Posterity from them. 

So if you are the type who likes to quote Thomas Jefferson and others of his ilk. Just remember they were not much more than who you are. They just had the wealth that allowed them to create a revolution and with that wealth came the power to influence the writing of the United States Constitution and its ratification. Keep in mind that most of them were born into that wealth. 

Every man thinks God is on his side. The rich and powerful know he is.

Original Article
Source: mrdanieldefoe.blogspot.ca/
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