The Constitution has seen better days.
So begins a provocative article in The New York Times (6-Feb-12). Until the 1980s, democratic constitutions around the world were more similar to that of the United States than not. That has changed. Newer constitutions tend to protect more rights, are easier to change, and are replaced periodically. That makes the U.S version as poor a model for a new constitution as using Windows 3.1 to inspire the development of a modern operating system.
The U.S. Constitution Is Yesterday’s News
American artillery captain John Henry, the twenty-year-old son of Virginia governor Patrick Henry, had distinguished himself in battle [at Saratoga in 1777]. After the cataclysm died down, he wandered the field, staring at the faces, the blue lips, dead staring eyes and glistening teeth, of men he had known. The sight unhinged him. He broke his sword in half and went raving mad.
He disappeared for months and never fought again.
Band of Giants: The Amateur Soldiers Who Won America’s Independence (2014)