by Mitch Cook | May 6th, 2010
So, what sort of Government was created by the Constitution? A representative Government is what we have. With rights and Guarantees protected by the Constitution of the United States. It truly is a peoples Government. One of our own creation. A Democratic Republic.
Why a Republic? The Founding Fathers wanted republicanism because its principles guaranteed liberty, with opposing, limited powers offsetting one another. They thought change should occur slowly, as many were afraid that a “democracy”- by which they meant a direct democracy-, would allow a majority of voters at any time to trample rights and liberties in the “heat of a moment”. They believed the most formidable of these potential majorities was that of the poor against the rich. They thought democracy could take the form of mob rule that could be shaped on the spot by a demagogue.
Some would suggest that America is not what it was originally; that we have slipped. Others would say that we are not the same but have simply grown; grown into something better. I argue that this is the base difference that makes one either conservative or liberal in today’s political debate. Conservatives believe we have slipped and liberals feel we have grown. Are these points of view wrong? Are they right? Yes and yes. They are both.
We have slipped into something the originators of our country would not be so agreeable to. Our size of Government to be specific; it is a behemoth. It requires vast resources to operate and is very slow to move. Very little is accomplished anymore. The cost of running the Government itself prohibits growth as it can not keep up with its own inflation. No business on earth could operate with such losses. Budgets are stuffed with pork and tax loopholes and lawyers have made millions for very few. Misguided attempts at social reform have been only successful in small bursts.
We have also grown. This, the Founders would approve of as it shows how well they set the soil so that the seeds could germinate and flourish. America is a great bastion of freedom. It is a beacon of hope recognized globally as such. It is an immigrant nation. The diversity of American life is vast and varied. Our industries have benefitted from these varied sources of inspiration and we are considered the richest country on earth. The Great War Machine of World War Two is the perfect example of the determinism of America to dig deep, make sacrifices for a greater good, and find new and efficient ways to produce. We didn’t so much beat the Axis in battles as much as we out produced the GLOBE. (Of course a little solid butt kicking didn’t hurt.)
So how is it that we have such wide divides in our classes, our political debate, and how did we let it all go so far off the rails? Didn’t we have protections and guarantees and rights as citizens? Didn’t we, on many occasions, come together to defeat evil and rise above the temptations of dictatorship and feudalism?
Looking to the past mythology of an idealized version of America is a mistake. Looking back hoping to find a template for our future is not a mistake but using the myth is misguided and foolish. We can see the many times we got things very right and when we got them very wrong. We argue and debate about the wrongness or rightness but on the whole, we know what worked and what didn’t.
The historical evidence shows us that we have always had these problems. The only solutions that have ever worked have come from cooperation and compromise, not absolutes and dictatorship. Absolutism is what leads to nothing. “If you are not with me, you are against me.” This can only lead to disaster since it leaves no room for cooperation. Hence, no compromise, hence no progress. That is how the country was formed.
We desperately need conservative fiscal values and smaller Government as well as progressive social policy in America. A balance is what is needed and should be sought. But don’t take my word for it. Do your own homework. Look back with a critical eye on America’s past successes as well as the failures. Avoid the myths and seek the realities. No one person or source has all the answers. Even my own personal investigations have flaws and biases but I try hard to “see” things as they were. I admit I am not always successful, but I try and will continue to try. I only ask that you do the same. We don’t have to agree all the time, and we rarely will, but if we can agree to follow some rules of engagement we might actually make progress in spite of it all.
So, at my next political debate, I am going to skip the kool aid.
- MRC
