We forget that one "triumph" of early-modern liberalism was to convince the powerful and wealthy not to *defy* legal statutes but to *exploit* them. Just as the 'rising tide raises all boats', we are all equal under the Laws: "[T]he legal system treats financial products as contracts rather than products. The laws of consumer finance are basically the same as they were in the 1600s, built on the assumption that two equal parties are haggling away, coming to an agreement, which the law should enforce. The law assumes that the average Joe is on the same footing as a trillion-dollar bank, and can simply bargain over double-cycle billing or the arbitration clause." - Amelia Tyagi, “Financial products need new regulation.” *Marketplace* (22 Dec. 2008): 19:15. Web.
Just a couple of thoughts: I believe America invented what I call Religious Accommodation (possibly historians have another name for it). People were discouraged from getting too territorial about religion, especially different sorts of Protestantism. It was a major and effective method of preventing religious war.
It wasn't stable because one of the human defaults, perhaps especially for Abrahamic religions, is to get territorial about religion, and people won't be denied their fun forever.
Other thought: Someone, possibly Elaine Pagels, said she tried to find primitive Christianity, but no matter how far back in time she looked, all she saw was people arguing with each other.
We forget that one "triumph" of early-modern liberalism was to convince the powerful and wealthy not to *defy* legal statutes but to *exploit* them. Just as the 'rising tide raises all boats', we are all equal under the Laws: "[T]he legal system treats financial products as contracts rather than products. The laws of consumer finance are basically the same as they were in the 1600s, built on the assumption that two equal parties are haggling away, coming to an agreement, which the law should enforce. The law assumes that the average Joe is on the same footing as a trillion-dollar bank, and can simply bargain over double-cycle billing or the arbitration clause." - Amelia Tyagi, “Financial products need new regulation.” *Marketplace* (22 Dec. 2008): 19:15. Web.
Just a couple of thoughts: I believe America invented what I call Religious Accommodation (possibly historians have another name for it). People were discouraged from getting too territorial about religion, especially different sorts of Protestantism. It was a major and effective method of preventing religious war.
It wasn't stable because one of the human defaults, perhaps especially for Abrahamic religions, is to get territorial about religion, and people won't be denied their fun forever.
Other thought: Someone, possibly Elaine Pagels, said she tried to find primitive Christianity, but no matter how far back in time she looked, all she saw was people arguing with each other.