The American experiment isn’t done, because a complete rebuild was always going to be necessary.

The founders themselves saw the flaws, and fought tooth and nail over the “right” ways to fix them, but eventually compromised on short-term solutions that they knew would eventually fail. They themselves were just as flawed, but they were still radical.

Their constitution and government was nothing more than a model for future generations, a design for an experiment that was ongoing. It never should have been a long-lived foundation which would undergo centuries of institutional rot, let alone deified into the false idol that it is today.

No matter what they built, it was unfortunately always up to the next generations to rebuild it and figure things out for themselves. You can’t build a system - any system - that someone else can’t break down after you leave.

Jefferson - The Earth belongs always to the living generation. Any law or constitution expires, and if it is enforced longer than a generation, it is 'an act of force.' (paraphrased)

We seem not to have perceived that, by the law of nature, one generation is to another as one independant nation to another…

On similar ground it may be proved that no society can make a perpetual constitution, or even a perpetual law. The earth belongs always to the living generation…

Every constitution, then, and every law, naturally expires at the end of 19. years. If it be enforced longer, it is an act of force and not of right.

Washington - But the Constitution which at any time exists, ’till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole People, is sacredly obligatory upon all. The very idea of the power and the right of the People to establish Government presupposes the duty of every Individual to obey the established Government.

All obstructions to the execution of the Laws, all combinations and associations, under whatever plausible character, with the real design to direct, controul counteract, or awe the regular deliberation and action of the Constituted authorities are distructive of this fundamental principle and of fatal tendency. They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force—to put in the place of the delegated will of the Nation, the will of a party; often a small but artful and enterprizing minority of the Community

The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissention, which in different ages & countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism.

Madison - A standing military force, with an overgrown Executive will not long be safe companions to liberty.

The means of defence against foreign danger, have been always the instruments of tyranny at home. Among the Romans it was a standing maxim to excite a war, whenever a revolt was apprehended. Throughout all Europe, the armies kept up under the pretext of defending, have enslaved the people…

Franklin - “[the constitution founded] a Republic, if you can keep it.”

The truth is they didn’t keep it. We don’t have a democracy, or any system of self-rule. The first trial failed. But the experiment isn’t over. As long as people are willing to overthrow tyrants and rebuild something better, then the experiment can continue.