> stands to reason that a document as old as the Constitution should be updated more often than it has been
That constitution was based off of about 2000 years of legal and political theory stretching back at least as far as the Roman Republic, and even the Greek democracies, and written with most of the intervening political history in mind. To say that 200 years makes that much of a difference needs a lot more justification than "it stands to reason".
People say technology is a factor in why we should update the document: I would respond that the human nature which necessitated the clauses assembled in that document haven't changed. Technology has simply accelerated the negative (and positive) effect of the same human tendencies the constitution is already attempting to protect against.
I would suggest that the maxim that's been mentioned on here recently, "don't tear down a fence until you understand why it's been put up" would apply. And the understanding of why the constitution is the way it is requires a breadth of reading that includes Seneca, Plato, and many others. Not to mention the documented discussions between the folks who wrote it.
That constitution was based off of about 2000 years of legal and political theory stretching back at least as far as the Roman Republic, and even the Greek democracies, and written with most of the intervening political history in mind. To say that 200 years makes that much of a difference needs a lot more justification than "it stands to reason".
People say technology is a factor in why we should update the document: I would respond that the human nature which necessitated the clauses assembled in that document haven't changed. Technology has simply accelerated the negative (and positive) effect of the same human tendencies the constitution is already attempting to protect against.
I would suggest that the maxim that's been mentioned on here recently, "don't tear down a fence until you understand why it's been put up" would apply. And the understanding of why the constitution is the way it is requires a breadth of reading that includes Seneca, Plato, and many others. Not to mention the documented discussions between the folks who wrote it.