Wednesday, December 19, 2007

And maybe it's worth it

A 700 year old copy of the Magna Carta sells for over $21 million. "The Magna Carta came into existence when a group of English barons demanded that King John affix his seal to a list of protections at Runnymede in 1215. Those edicts were not fulfilled, but subsequent versions of the document followed for the next 80 years, until 1297, when it was codified into law."

And that was the most important thing--that a king (who, up to that time, pretty much everywhere had absolute, untrammeled power believed to be granted him by God)--had to agree to a document that LIMITED his power. There were now things that even a king could not do. It remains one of the foundations of republican government. Worth preserving, and thus very valuable...