To the degree that governments and/or 'we the people" don't take care of nature...is the degree to which both the government and the heath and prosperity of the people are simply unsustainable.

Yes!  To the last sentence.  In regard to his previous shallow ideas...every individual right ends when it violates the rights of others.  The Laws of Nature are clear.  Violating them... endangers life.  The laws of Nature's God are also clear.  Take care of each other (the golden rule) by being virtuous.  Virtue is the key retaining both your freedom and your security.   Read "Thomas Paine's 'common sense'!   No one is independent.  Everyone is interdependent.  Take care of nature and each other...or prepare for the consequences. 

This quote reflects the mind of an honest but ignorant person.  When people are in 'need' to protect themselves or their loved ones, they will use any means of obtaining what is needed.  Which includes theft, with or without violence (war if needed).  More importantly, nearly every human need is premised on the fact that every person needs clean air, clean water, affordable nutrition, and shelter from nature's extremes to survive and thrive.  If any government fails in its policies to ensure 'liberty and justice for all' it has failed its only legitimate purpose...according to Thomas Paine...to protect the freedom and security of people.  And when a mass of people have disregarded "the Laws of Nature and Nature's God" do NOT expect those people (or anyone with them) to survive and thrive sustainably — regardless of the form of government the majority has approved...and attempts to maintain.  This should be a "self-evident" "truth".  And only a selfish people lacking virtue would conceive of and insist on keeping such a fundamentally flawed form of government as the US constitution has been since its deviation from the fundamental universal principles clearly written into our Declaration of Independence.   

Centralized government power is essential for preserving and maximizing freedom and security (and prosperity) in the face of global biosecurity threats.  The global eradication of small pox did more to end human suffering and death than were caused by all the wars, revolutions, genocides and homicides during the last century.   The best results in fighting the the Covid19 pandemic will require similar centralized and even globalized government power.  

Its tragic when journalists advocate for progress.  They should just stick to informing us of the failed systems we keep trying to tweak...or pray that they go away. 

Nuclear weapons can do that. Madison should have codified the "Laws of Nature and Nature's God" into the Constitution instead of following the path of least resistance and basing the Constitution on the illusion of independence (state sovereignty). 

Madison’s prediction #2 has never happened. #1 is insane. #3 is nature and human nature. #4 is a fundamental human right

There is a profound difference between political principles and fundamental principles (self evident truths that only a fool would argue against).  Our Declaration of Independence offered such truths...that all people are endowed with certain God given rigths...   The founding father's asserted that these 'self-evident truths' came from the "Laws of Nature and Nature's God".  Yet they created a constitution that violated both.  I accept their Fundamental Principles without question.  And I assert that nearly every problem political parties fail to address today, is because they firmly believe their political (party) principles are superior to those inherent in nature and and all faiths (the Golden Rule). 

Nationalism causes mass murder.  The current world paradigm that puts national sovereignty superior to the protection of human rights is the fundamental flaw in our global governance system.  The framers of our Constitution made the same mistake in moving forward with the protection of slavery under States rights.  That fundamental flaw was contrary to the "Laws of Nature and Nature's God" that were recognized as "Self-evident" "Truths"— and led to a civil war that killed more Americans than all the wars since then combined.  Keeping this 400 year old concept alive in today's world is suicide given the proliferation of WMD and multiple other powerful dual use technologies capable of mass slaughter that guns or independent governments cannot protect us from. 

The end result of this quote would be the same if you dropped the word Socialism...and changed 'national' to 'nationalism.'  

It is not possible to keep an oath to "support and defendthe Constitution ...[and] the principles in our Declaration ofIndependence.  The Constitution is based on a mythical ideal of independence which exists no where but in our minds. Protecting our freedoms and security depend on being responsible in how our government uses its power here AND aboard. It (we) have failed miserably in our devotion to justice for all.  It is better to be rich and guilty in this nation than innocent and poor.  And if you are not a US citizen...our government has no respect for your inalienable rights.  The very principle the Declaration gives for the creation of our government...