[quote=Allan from Fallbrook]I would point out that, in spite of our not always having a big-ass military, we haven’t hesitated to use force to advance our fortunes and this goes all the way back to policies such as Gunboat Diplomacy and Manifest Destiny. We’ve been a going concern from the jump (the original iteration of “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” was “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Property”) and we’ve always liked that particular mix of policy and bayonets.
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I found that bolded part fascinating. I’d never heard that before. It made me laugh. And head straight for google. Where I found this.
The phrase has meant different things to different people. To Europeans it has suggested the core claim—or delusion—of American exceptionalism. To cross-racial or gay couples bringing lawsuits in court, it has meant, or included, the right to marry. And sadly, for many Americans, Jefferson might just as well have left “property” in place. To them the pursuit of happiness means no more than the pursuit of wealth and status as embodied in a McMansion, a Lexus, and membership in a country club. Even more sadly, Jefferson’s own “property” included about two hundred human beings whom he did not permit to pursue their own happiness.
