A possible lesson from history - The Darien Scheme.

[Derek]

Hi All,
I have "known" vaguely of this for some time.
The idea that Scotland was almost bankrupted by a failed big idea, or rather colonial ambition,
and so the English had to bail Scotland out.
OK, so not an exact "interpretation", of events, or intentions, but, well,
are there any big ideas about at present that may just fail..
If so, what does history teach us..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dari%C3%A9n_scheme
The Darien scheme
Wiki..
Excerpt,
" As the Darien company was backed by about a quarter of the money circulating in Scotland,
its failure left the country - which had suffered a run of bad harvests
almost completely ruined and was an important factor in weakening resistance to
the Act of Union (finally consummated in 1707) among the political elite. "

and,
" Scotland was almost bankrupted by the "Darien Fiasco".
Some Scots nobility petitioned Westminster to wipe out the Scottish national debt and stabilise the currency.
The first request was not met though the second was and a Scottish Pound was given the fixed value of a shilling.
Personal Scottish financial interests were also involved. Scottish Commissioners had invested heavily in the Darien Scheme and
they believed that they would receive compensation for their losses.
The 1707 Acts of Union, Article 14, granted £398,085 10s sterling to Scotland
to offset future liability towards the English national debt. "

The effects of this debacle may well have been overlooked over the years.
As this six part A History Of Scotland documentary hints at.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m4Oop0QWb8
A History of Scotland - S02E03 - The Price of Progress - Part 1/6

It seems it could be said that either directly because of the way the Scottish elites sold out the Scottish peoples rights in the Act of Union,
or because of the success of the Scots slave (ie, sugar) plantations in English colonies, some very influential people were, well, influenced.
It seems Weatherspoon, Adam Smith, Benjamin Franklin and many others (principally ex students of Princeton's Weatherspoon),
could all be included in this group of influential people effected by The Darien Schemes failure and what entailed.

The possible lesson then is that elites have sold out the rights of the people in exchange for
the promise of politicians to preserve their own monies, especially when Ponzie schemes head south.
It seems a lesson the American constitution was at least partially drafted for,
it would certainly seem to have been written in the awareness of such dangers to the peoples freedoms and rights.

If AGW is a great big ponzie scheme (that's a no brainer), who will bail out who, and,
what price of freedom will the people be forced to pay, without their consent. ?

Is it any surprise then that the EU (and the UN) is so pro AGW...