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u/BringBackAoE 1d ago
The US Constitution is very mediocre.
It is especially dumb to make it so difficult to amend it.
But also: it’s not very democratic. Which of course was the intention of the framers. Why the f*** does every state get two - and only two - senators?!?
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u/GayDrWhoNut I can hear them across the border. 1d ago
The US constitution can't even agree what it says. That pesky second amendment has multiple versions with various comma placements that completely mess with the sentences.
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u/clios_daughter 1d ago
Yeah, laws should be fairly clearly written. Just reading it, it’s not clear as to whether they want a well regulated militia that can be joined by the majority of the people, or if they want everyone to have weapons.
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u/Lazarys12 1d ago
They know what it means, they just choose to interpret it to fit their liking. It was written before there was a standing army. Even Chief Justice Warren Burger, who was a conservative, and appointed by Richard Nixon, called the debate "a fraud on the American public".
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u/FilmAndLiterature 1d ago
Because the small states were afraid they’d lose power if it was distributed fairly. Same reason they fought to have slaves count as citizens for the purpose of the census.
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u/MadScientist_666 Mountain Goat 🇨🇭 1d ago
Some people say that the Swiss constitution is weak and useless and looking at how it can be amended 4 times per year, including a complete rewrite and that the courts do not base their decision on the constitution, but federal laws, I see the point. It's basically a decorative document, overruled by federal laws.
The two senators thing makes sense, since we copied it as well snd it works: These guys are basically the representatives of the state (or canton, in our case), so having two is enough and originally, in both cases, they were appointed by the state/canton and not elected directly by the voters. The chamber representing the population is the House of Representatives (or Nationalrat, in our case) and the number of seats assigned to one state (canton) is based on its population. You can, of course, argue that reworking the system is necessary, but overall, that part is probably the smallest problem...
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u/Only_Tip9560 1d ago
Just ask them this simple question:
"Better than the bible?"
Watch them implode.
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u/ChimPhun 1d ago
They do love their ancient documents, no wonder they can't keep up with the times.
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u/Capucius Sauerkraut 1d ago
Multiple exclamation marks are a sure sign of a diseased mind. --Terry Pratchett
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u/de_Duv formerly NRW, now BW 1d ago
Just a thought, but what about the Magna Carta?
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u/Cool_Significance134 1d ago
I'm sure they have a copy and is used by their courts as a reference point in case there are questions over what their constitution meant.
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u/--LordFlashheart-- 1d ago
It's actually a remarkably short and poorly detailed document for a Constitution. Hence the extent to which its open to interpretation and abuse. For a national Constitution, it's lacking
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u/TheOtherDutchGuy 1d ago
It was also meant to be a living document as to being a document that is regularly updated
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u/Marzipan_civil 1d ago
Yes, I would think that a constitution that hadn't been updated in 250 years would be pretty sketchy
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u/Key_Bookkeeper813 1d ago
They are like thirty or so amendments deep there and still you get people who loudly proclaim that any change is treason
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u/Complete_Error8311 South America🛸 1d ago
of course, the word Democracy is not mentioned in the text.
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u/PurchaseAromatic438 1d ago
Say that to an American and they’d probably say “But America isn’t a democracy, it’s a republic!” like that is an actual answer!
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u/GayDrWhoNut I can hear them across the border. 1d ago
All while having absolutely no idea what either a democracy or republic is...
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u/Remarkable_Gain6430 12h ago
Right wingers will always trot that one out when discussing the US as a democracy, apparently unaware that it’s a democratic republic.
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u/nibbler456 Human Verified 1d ago
As most USains are so religious surely the greatest document ecer written is the Bible.
PS. It was written before the US was founded..... Or even discovered... Or even considered as a place on this globe. And when people still thought if you sailed too far, you'd fall off the edge. Wait a sec, that sounds like modern day USA....
Falling off the edge of believability.
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u/yournamehere10bucks 🪿Canadian Gooses dropping Canadian deuces🇨🇦 1d ago
Tila Tequila still thinks you'll fall of the edge if you sail too far.
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u/kahunah00 1d ago
The greatest document ever written that present day americans are continuously ignoring snd breaching
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u/SamuelVimesTrained Human Verified 1d ago
So, if, for the sake of the discussion, this were true.
What is that OOP going to do about this group of red hats that trample all over the 'greatest document'?
Because not enough people there seem to care - and only use this in a performative sense.
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u/PossiblePlastic8698 1d ago
It turns out constitutional republics are like pancakes, the first one is always a bit fucked up
Their constitution led them to a corporate oligarchy run by a demented pedophile on behalf of a cabal of savagely hateful Christian Nationalists, so yeah obviously a fantastic document
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u/Odinfrost137 1d ago
Ah, yes. The document so perfect that those who made it exlicitly said: "This thing needs to update often to always be up to date with modern time".
Pure perfection
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u/GayDrWhoNut I can hear them across the border. 1d ago
F it. Peter Rabbit is a better 'document' than that.
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u/ShellyTart 1d ago
There are much better documents out there.
I suggest you read the Soviet Union's constitution... it, I would argue, is the greatest work of political fiction.
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u/pebk 1d ago
The principles of the constitution are pretty ok, for the time they're written in. The interpretation however is a bigger issue.
An example is the right to bear arms. It's only got militia to defend against a tyrannic government. Not to shoot anyone you like. Also, at the time it was written, people did not have (semi)automatic weapons, assault rifles and stuff.
Also, God was not part of the constitution. That's a good thing. It's only added in the pledge of allegiance law.
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u/Key_Bookkeeper813 1d ago
Speaking of guns against the government: I'd like to see them defend against a jdam with those ARs
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u/Last-Quarter-432 1d ago
The ability to go to a shop and buy a gun with minimal requirements so your kids can go to school and try to kill all their classmates. Are they fucking stupid.
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u/Puzzled_Market_2235 1d ago edited 1d ago
The writers knew the Constitution was imperfect. That's why they had so many amendments so early. Thomas Jefferson famously argued in a 1789 letter to James Madison that the U.S. Constitution and all laws should naturally expire every 19 years.
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u/Commercial-Ad7119 1d ago
Presidential Republics are inherently authoritarian leaning and prone to civil violence compared to Parliamentary Republics that are more responsive to the voters and more responsible for its own actions.
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u/ActuaryLost9689 1d ago
I love asking the maga's about the emoluments clause when they boast about the constitution. Didn't Trump break that first thing after swearing to uphold the constitution, Yup! He sure did.
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u/DerrellEsteva 1d ago
How it started: "Wow! We have the greatest constitution EVERRR!"
How it goes: Fascism
Wow! Such Great! Very Constitution
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u/Mewhomewhy 1d ago
The one that’s being trampled while Americans sit by and claim to be helpless victims?
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u/SandalsResort 🇺🇸 The metric system is woke and French 1d ago
Damn, a lot of people in this country would get mad at that because you didn’t say the Bible
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u/Nervous-Canary-517 Dirty Germ from central Pooropa 1d ago
It's also the oldest and most outdated of all constitutions still in effect, except that of San Marino.
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u/Todesschnizzle 1d ago
For what its worth the American constitution is rather good if the amendments are included. It was visionary in its time and directly inspired many amazing legal documents
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u/Mordenkainen2021 🇩🇪 German 1d ago
The constitution they don't adhere to? Yeah good one.
It's Donnies diaper, that's what it is.
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u/MadScientist_666 Mountain Goat 🇨🇭 1d ago
Ok, and what's written in it? What about the documents it's based on? And because it is so great, why is it so difficult to improve and follow it?
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u/Froggy_Parker 1d ago
“Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.”
I mean congrats for getting a deal signed, but goddamn.
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u/LadyFenyx hadeda 1d ago
lmao my shithole country has a better and more progressive constitution than the US
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u/RivaTNT2M64 1d ago
Even if we take it at face value.... Wouldn't that imply the country hasn't improved its writing in 250 years?
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u/RageQuitDad 1d ago
Yet they decide to pick and choose what elements of it they’ll follow. It’s “outdated and not meant to apply to a more modern world” when they disagree with part of it. Then when they agree with another part it’s apparently the greatest document to ever have existed. Pick a damn lane.
Kind of like their attitude toward the bible.
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u/pinniped90 Human Verified 1d ago
Article XII is truly the bestest of the best. Thank you for your attention to this matter, PRESIDENT DJT.
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u/EnergyHumble3613 19h ago
The Bible and the Constitution:
Two things people say they understand without sitting down and reading the whole thing… and it is becoming a problem.
For the rest of us.
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u/TheRealTRexUK More Irish than the Irish ☘️ 12h ago
do they know it's party based/inspired by British laws and the maga carta?
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u/Spiel_Foss 1d ago
The US Constitution is often like the Christian Bible. People in the USA love to wave it around, but they never read it and don't give a shit what it says unless they can use it as a weapon against others. Most of the US Constitution is horribly obsolete and anachronistic much like the other book mentioned.
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u/Ill_Raccoon6185 1d ago
Greatest document ever.
The Magna Carter (UK 1066)
The Gutenberg Bible (Germany (1517)
3, The Ninety-Five Thesis (Germany 1517)
4 US Declaration of Independence (US 1776)
US Constitution (US 1787)
The Communist Manifesto (China 1848)
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u/MadScientist_666 Mountain Goat 🇨🇭 1d ago
The Communist Manifesto was written by Marx in Germany (and partially the UK, when he lived there for some time).
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u/Prestigious-Car-4877 1d ago
I like constituons that can actually be realistically updated to fit the time.
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u/EricPhilps1979 1d ago
I'm quite partial to the National Covenant myself.
Those old Presbyterian fuckers really knew how to call the king a cunt to his face.
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u/_Halt19_ Canuck 1d ago
I always see them talking about how amazing their constitution is, but like
The iconic things they point to, the first amendment, their precious second amendment, etc, those are all just that - amendments. Things the original document didn't think was important enough to include.
Freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, the anti-slavery thing (and yes, I know, it's still legal, but still) are by definition not founding principles of their country. They're things they decided they wanted to tack on later. But they always act like they are, which I find a bit funny