Not only has the idea of democracy been around for thousands of years, it has been tried many times. In a pure democracy, the citizens have the entire power. The writers of our Constitution learned from history that such power will first be abused, and eventually lost, if it is committed to an unwieldy or half-educated or degenerate multitude.
That is why they established a republic.
Yet, there is danger in a republic as well. It depends on the virtues of the representatives elected by the people. Alexi de Toqueville (Democracy in America 1842) thought that the American Republic would last only until Congress discovered that it could bribe the people with their own money.
That trick has long since been discovered and played. Political Pork of all varieties is everywhere to be found---far beyond that necessary to help those who can't help themselves---with the result that incumbents serve virtually for life (as long as they spend most of their time raising money instead of governing). That money is best raised with a bribe from the public treasury. This has been done promiscuously and has left the people blindly loyal to their own representatives; while loathing the rest, and regretting that Jefferson's plea for term limits was disregarded.
Bribery is certainly not for the virtuous; only scoundrels will do it; and so only scoundrels (whores actually) serve in Congress---and their already bad morals have degenerated---for now they have moved on from mere bribery to virtual treason by mortgaging our children's future to borrow the money needed to buy votes from an addicted public as necessary to stay in office.
Obviously Jefferson was right. Term limits only can save the country the Founding Fathers left us. But too many have come to love the Government Tit.
Our only hope for now is to slow and eventually stop the profligate spending, balance the budget, and start paying off the pernicious debt these whores have run up.
Can we do it with a Congress full of whores and a socialist in the White House?
I hope so, but I am harassed by doubts.
_____________________
*My apologies to the real whores out there for comparing them to Members of Congress.
That is why they established a republic.
Yet, there is danger in a republic as well. It depends on the virtues of the representatives elected by the people. Alexi de Toqueville (Democracy in America 1842) thought that the American Republic would last only until Congress discovered that it could bribe the people with their own money.
That trick has long since been discovered and played. Political Pork of all varieties is everywhere to be found---far beyond that necessary to help those who can't help themselves---with the result that incumbents serve virtually for life (as long as they spend most of their time raising money instead of governing). That money is best raised with a bribe from the public treasury. This has been done promiscuously and has left the people blindly loyal to their own representatives; while loathing the rest, and regretting that Jefferson's plea for term limits was disregarded.
Bribery is certainly not for the virtuous; only scoundrels will do it; and so only scoundrels (whores actually) serve in Congress---and their already bad morals have degenerated---for now they have moved on from mere bribery to virtual treason by mortgaging our children's future to borrow the money needed to buy votes from an addicted public as necessary to stay in office.
Obviously Jefferson was right. Term limits only can save the country the Founding Fathers left us. But too many have come to love the Government Tit.
Our only hope for now is to slow and eventually stop the profligate spending, balance the budget, and start paying off the pernicious debt these whores have run up.
Can we do it with a Congress full of whores and a socialist in the White House?
I hope so, but I am harassed by doubts.
_____________________
*My apologies to the real whores out there for comparing them to Members of Congress.
