The Federalist Papers

I've bene slowly reading the Federalist Papers over the past few months. In case you don't know what the Federalist Papers are, here's a short description from the linked page:

The Federalist Papers were written and published during the years 1787 and 1788 in several New York State newspapers to persuade New York voters to ratify the proposed constitution.

They're basically an in-depth argument for the US system of government written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. As I read them, I find myself frequently thinking that it'd be a good idea if some of our current leaders would read them (they should probably check out the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence while they're at it, too).

Anyway, I'm going to start posting a blog entry when I come upon a section that really strikes me. Like I said, this has happened a couple of times, but I'm not going to bother going back and trying to find where they were. Also, I'm not planning to comment on them much, but may as my whims dictate.

The first one comes from Federalist #10, which continues #9's topic of The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection.

Here's the section that really struck me (with the preceding three paragraphs for context):

By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adversed to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.

There are two methods of curing the mischiefs of faction: the one, by removing its causes; the other, by controlling its effects.

There are again two methods of removing the causes of faction: the one, by destroying the liberty which is essential to its existence; the other, by giving to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions, and the same interests.

It could never be more truly said than of the first remedy, that it was worse than the disease. Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an aliment without which it instantly expires. But it could not be less folly to abolish liberty, which is essential to political life, because it nourishes faction, than it would be to wish the annihilation of air, which is essential to animal life, because it imparts to fire its destructive agency.

I think the relevancy to today's environment of terrorism and the reactionary liberty-smothering of the government is obvious.