I began reading "The Federalist Papers" yesterday. The series of articles was written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in 1788 as they were trying to convince New York voters to elect representatives favorable to adopting the new Constitution. These words appear in Federalist #1, written by Alexander Hamilton:
"A dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people, than under the forbidding appearance of zeal for the firmness and efficiency of government. History will teach us that the former has been found a much more certain road to the introduction of despotism than the latter, and that of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people."
Wow! Was he studying the past or the future? It is amazing to me that in the 220 years since Federalist #1 was written, history continues to repeat itself and those words apply today. You can see what happens today when you stand up to those who wish to destroy majority rule (with minority rights) and replace it with minority rule (with mandated majority silence)...
"Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" (Baron John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, 1887). We'll see what the present holds for America...
Oddly enough, Alexander Hamilton was accused of being power hungry and ambitious in his own time.
Thoughts?
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ahhh. but we do evolve. you will admit that right?
ReplyDeleteMaybe, but something gave the original spark of life. And something gave humans the ability to be... human. I call that something "God."
ReplyDeleteIt seems all he's saying is that populist demagoguery is a surer path to despotism than a politician who advocates increased powers for government. I'm not sure of how you move from there to a lesson on majority rule/minority rights in today's world. What say you?
ReplyDeleteYou got the first half right. Populism can give us wonderful people like Lenin, Hitler, Castro, Chavez, and the leader Uraguay (or Paraguay?). Publius (Alexander Hamilton in this case) was warning us against those who prey on the fears and anger of a population to get into power, then keep it and grow it. Eventually (or sometimes immediately), they become despots.
ReplyDeleteThis is opposed by someone who sees government as a necessary evil and distrusts it. This person tries to keep gov't out of people's lives and out of the free market. This person sees the need for a firm and efficient government, and nothing more than that -- not increased powers as you say.
Government is an unfeeling, uncaring behemoth. These traits grow exponentially the further removed it is from a locality (i.e. city, then county, state, and federal).
This is why the Founders tried to limit the federal government by turning most of the day-to-day power over to the states and the people. The Feds have done their best to ignore this for the last 100 years or more. Constitution? It's just a suggestion to them.
Majority Rule is practiced at the ballot box and the laws and courts are supposed to protect minority rights. Majority rule is why gay marriage fails every single time on state ballots.
ReplyDeleteMinority rule in America is despotism through the courts by fiat (not the car company). If you can't win through the will of the people, just file a court case and some unelected moron makes it happen.