In Book 4 of the "Politics, [Aristotle] lays it down that of "the diverging systems of government" (parekbasis), tyranny is the worst, oligarchy is somewhat better, and democracy is the most moderate or least worst. Regrettably, as our low-and-no information voters, subject to the extremophiles who dominate the culture, make alarmingly clear, democracy is no panacea. As James Lewis wryly puts it apropos the Progressivist power complex and its deluded victims, "Great power goes together with great stupidity." Later historians, if there are any, will probably describe the years we are living through now as the Age of the Dummy -- indeed, an age that has spawned those aptly named books "for Dummies," an era facile, ludicrous, puerile and moronic."The Reign of Collective Stupidity." By David Solway, American Thinker, 1/18/14.. . . The consequence of collective stupidity that causes political, social and economic collapse may be not reconstruction but archeology.
(a.k.a. Bastion Of Liberty)
"Keep clear of the dupes that talk democracy,
And the dogs that bark revolution.
Drunk with talk, liars and believers.
I believe in my tusks.
Long live freedom and damn the ideologies!"
(Robinson Jeffers)
Fortunately, we don't live in a democracy which is "one man, one vote" but rather we live in a Constitutionally limited representative republic.
ReplyDeleteThe "Constitutionally limited" part is very important. Just because a majority of people want the government to do something to the rest of us does not mean the government has the authority.
Black codes in the north and Jim Crow in the south are examples of the dangers of democracy and the need for a Constitution to set limits on the power of government.
Of course, if the courts won't perform their duty and the population won't demand that the Congress and the President do their duties then you end up where we are today.
"Constitutionally limited" is honoured now only in the breach.
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