Harvard Professor Preaches Historical Revisionism to Idaho Politicians, No One Notices

As the guest of The McClure Center, Dr. Moss gave a presentation in the Lincoln Auditorium entitled, “Bringing History to Life: Creating the U.S. Constitution.” Dr. Moss is the author of Democracy: A Case Study, which is an in-depth study on the history of American democracy.

Keep in mind that the people who have created their government can give to that government only such powers as they themselves have. They cannot give that which they do not possess.

In a primitive state, there is no doubt that each man would be justified in using force, if necessary, to defend himself against physical harm, against theft of the fruits of his labor, and against enslavement by another.

Indeed, the early pioneers found that a great deal of their time and energy was being spent defending themselves, their property, and their liberty. For man to prosper, he cannot afford to spend his time constantly guarding his family, his fields, and his property against attack and theft. When he joins together with his neighbors and hires a sheriff, government is born. The individual citizens delegate to the sheriff their unquestionable right to protect themselves.

The sheriff now does for them only that which they had a right to do for themselves—nothing more.

But suppose pioneer ‘A’ wants another horse for his wagon. He doesn't have the money to buy one, but since pioneer ‘B’ has an extra horse, he decides that he is entitled to share in his neighbor's good fortune. Is he entitled to take his neighbor's horse? Obviously not! If his neighbor wishes to give it or lend it, that is another question. But so long as pioneer ‘B’ wishes to keep his property, pioneer ‘A’ has no just claim to it.

If ‘A’ has no proper power to take ‘B's’ property, can he delegate any such power to the sheriff? No. Even if everyone in the community desires that ‘B’ give his extra horse to ‘A,’ they have no right individually or collectively to force him to do it. They cannot delegate a power they themselves do not have.