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1、HowtheMagnaCartabecameaMinorCarta
2、NoamChomskyArarecopyoftheMagnaCartainNewYorkSotheby's,auctionedofffor$19min2007.Photograph:MichaelNagle/GettyImagesTheMagnaCartawasamilestoneincivilandhumanrights.Canwestopitsprinciplesbeingshreddedbeforeoureyes?Downtheroadonlyafe
3、wgenerations,themillenniumofMagnaCarta,oneofthegreateventsintheestablishmentofcivilandhumanrights,willarrive.Whetheritwillbecelebrated,mourned,orignoredisnotatallclear.Thatshouldbeamatterofseriousimmediateconcern.Whatwedorightnow,orfailtodo,willdeterminewhatkindof
4、worldwillgreetthatevent.Itisnotanattractiveprospectifpresenttendenciespersist–notleast,becausetheGreatCharterisbeingshreddedbeforeoureyes.ThefirstscholarlyeditionofMagnaCartawaspublishedbytheeminentjuristWilliamBlackstone.Itwasnotaneasytask.Therewasnogoodtextavail
5、able.Ashewrote,"thebodyofthecharterhasbeenunfortunatelygnawnbyrats"–acommentthatcarriesgrimsymbolismtoday,aswetakeupthetasktheratsleftunfinished.Blackstone'seditionactuallyincludestwocharters.ItwasentitledTheGreatCharterandtheCharteroftheForest.Thefirst,theCharter
6、ofLiberties,iswidelyrecognisedtobethefoundationofthefundamentalrightsoftheEnglish-speakingpeoples–orasWinstonChurchillputitmoreexpansively,"thecharterofeveryself-respectingmanatanytimeinanyland."ChurchillwasreferringspecificallytothereaffirmationoftheCharterbyParl
7、iamentinthePetitionofRight,imploringKingCharlestorecognisethatthelawissovereign,nottheKing.Charlesagreedbriefly,butsoonviolatedhispledge,settingthestageforthemurderouscivilwar.HowtheMagnaCartabecameaMinorCarta
8、NoamChomskyPage2of11AfterabitterconflictbetweenKingand
9、Parliament,thepowerofroyaltyinthepersonofCharlesIIwasrestored.Indefeat,MagnaCartawasnotforgotten.OneoftheleadersofParliament,HenryVane,wasbeheaded.Onthescaffold,hetriedtoreadaspeechdenouncingthesentenceasaviolationofMagnaCarta,butwasdrownedoutbytrumpetstoensuretha
10、tsuchscandalouswordswouldnotbeheardbythecheeringcrowds.Hismajorcrimehadbeentodraftapetitioncallingthepeople"theoriginalofalljustpower"incivilsociety–not
