thoughts.on.code

I read Inventing a Nation, by Gore Vidal this weekend. This book was given to me as Christmas present a couple of years ago by my Mother-in-law. I had always intended to read it, but for one reason or another I have not gotten to it until now.

It is an easy read, and is very interesting in the context of just finishing up the Signature Series at Bellevue. This book walks through the formative years of our country, from 1775 to 1800, and describes the attitudes and thoughts of some of the most important people in the history of the US: Washington, Adams, Jefferson. It also sheds light on other illuminaries: Franklin, Hamilton, and Madison.

Some things that struck me (not being as well versed in our history as I should):

1. As soon as the nation was bound to the constitution, the people who were instrumental in its creation started to try to undermine it. I am especially talking of Hamilton, who according to this book was trying to become the “Napoleon of the West”.
2. One of the first acts of the new Congress was to line their pockets with proceeds from buy the states’ war-time junk bonds, and then turning around and honoring them at the Federal level.

I guess I should not be suprised by this, but I (and many, many other Americans, I presume) have always thought that our forefathers were somehow over all of that BS. But apparently not. They were as deep in the muck as today. In some senses that is a little reassuring. If we have been able to get through 200+ years of this type of politics, maybe we can go longer?

One thingI didn’t know before: apparently Jefferson wanted to “throw out” the constitution every 20 years or so, and write a new one that pertained to the current environment. I think this would have been suicide for the nation a long time ago, especially with the new light that I have seen of our forefathers. However, it still intrigues me, as it seems to me that Jefferson’s intent was to “steer the car” (to use a Kent Beck metaphor), and keep it on the center line. Jefferson the first XP practitionor?

I wish that people (in general) could be capable of being the ideal that Jefferson obviously would have needed to make that concept work for the betterment of all.

Anyway, it was a good read.