"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)
I have thought for some time that the right to vote should be predicated on factors that reflect accomplishment, maturity, and wisdom. Awarding extra votes to persons who contribute more taxes than average would be a start.
Rumpole5, that would be a sensible approach. In the U.S. we give political power to people who can hardly understand the label on a gallon of milk and subsidize them in the bargain so that we can get more of them. If this is what Western civilization was aiming for all these centuries, it was a ghastly mistake.
Mr. Baird, that a real distinction but I find it hard to ignore the extent to which the lowest common denominator is able to vote to expand and protect its interests. It might be that we have a de facto democracy in that the lowest, most irresponsible class is able get the essentials of what they require to exist as parasites: cash payments, in kind transfers, housing subsidies, legal privilege. Beyond that they don't much care, and what they are after are pretty much what they would vote for if this were a democracy.
Probably this is the fatal undermining of our civilization that took place. It's reasonable to have extended the vote to working men and later to women but even these advances proved to engender problems of their own. Personally, I'd now like to keep women from voting entirely, unless they met some other sensible requirement like property ownership or payment of substantial taxes.
We've got to rethink the franchise for the underclass, clearly. Their influence is poisonous. We are, however, besotted with fairy tales about human nature, culture, and politics that tinkering with the franchise won't make much of a difference. Why deny the vote to some if the ones who still have the vote are morons as well?
“Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths -Theoretic politicians, who have patronized this species of government, have erroneously supposed that by reducing mankind to a perfect equality in their political rights, they would at the same time be perfectly equalized and assimilated in their possessions, their opinions, and their passions.” James Madison, , Federalist No. 10, “The Utility of the Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection (continued),” Daily Advertiser, November 22, 1787
“To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his father’s has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee to everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it.”—Thomas Jefferson, letter to Joseph Milligan, 1816
"All Men being naturally equal, as descended from a common Parent, enbued with like Faculties and Propensities, having originally equal Rights and Properties, the Earth being given to the Children of Men in general, without any difference, distinction, natural Preheminence, or Dominion of one over another, yet Men not being equally industrious and frugal, their Properties and Enjoyments would be unequal." --Abraham Williams An Election Sermon, 1762- Only equal before God
We have come a long way from understanding the concept of the proper functions of government, which concept is ancillary to the rights to life, liberty, and property. (It's a great shame that that unnecessary tinkering with "property" rendered it as "pursuit of happiness.") Those basic functions are taking care of the health, welfare, safety, and morals of the people, the "police" powers.
Many would now bristle at government concerning itself with morals but what sane person would not like to see welfare used to alleviate suffering due to catastrophe instead of a subsidy for bastardy and jet assist to community decay.
Anyway, to return to the point, outside of things attended to by governments exercising those police powers, the rights to life, liberty, and property should be untouched. However, we long since lost this focus and productive, disciplined, moral people are relieved of their property and freedom by a vote in an elected legislative assembly when the same measures would be a crime if effected by a fellow citizen at the point of a gun.
In short, the legislature has become an instrument of theft when taxes and fees are levied for more than those basic functions of government. This is a huge moral issue but it is accepted as normal by almost all people.
The reckoning for such moral transgression will arrive in due course, in economic collapse for one, as the legislature will come to know no limit on its ability to fleece productive people. It will also occur that the coercive powers of government will grow to the point of loss of all legitimacy.
7 comments:
I have thought for some time that the right to vote should be predicated on factors that reflect accomplishment, maturity, and wisdom. Awarding extra votes to persons who contribute more taxes than average would be a start.
Oh, that more people understood that the FUSA is(was) a Constitutional Republic, and NOT a Democracy, and what the difference is...
Rumpole5, that would be a sensible approach. In the U.S. we give political power to people who can hardly understand the label on a gallon of milk and subsidize them in the bargain so that we can get more of them. If this is what Western civilization was aiming for all these centuries, it was a ghastly mistake.
Mr. Baird, that a real distinction but I find it hard to ignore the extent to which the lowest common denominator is able to vote to expand and protect its interests. It might be that we have a de facto democracy in that the lowest, most irresponsible class is able get the essentials of what they require to exist as parasites: cash payments, in kind transfers, housing subsidies, legal privilege. Beyond that they don't much care, and what they are after are pretty much what they would vote for if this were a democracy.
Probably this is the fatal undermining of our civilization that took place. It's reasonable to have extended the vote to working men and later to women but even these advances proved to engender problems of their own. Personally, I'd now like to keep women from voting entirely, unless they met some other sensible requirement like property ownership or payment of substantial taxes.
We've got to rethink the franchise for the underclass, clearly. Their influence is poisonous. We are, however, besotted with fairy tales about human nature, culture, and politics that tinkering with the franchise won't make much of a difference. Why deny the vote to some if the ones who still have the vote are morons as well?
“Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths -Theoretic politicians, who have patronized this species of government, have erroneously supposed that by reducing mankind to a perfect equality in their political rights, they would at the same time be perfectly equalized and assimilated in their possessions, their opinions, and their passions.”
James Madison, , Federalist No. 10, “The Utility of the Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection (continued),” Daily Advertiser, November 22, 1787
“To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his father’s has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee to everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it.”—Thomas Jefferson, letter to Joseph Milligan, 1816
"All Men being naturally equal, as descended from a common Parent, enbued with like Faculties and Propensities, having originally equal Rights and Properties, the Earth being given to the Children of Men in general, without any difference, distinction, natural Preheminence, or Dominion of one over another, yet Men not being equally industrious and frugal, their Properties and Enjoyments would be unequal."
--Abraham Williams An Election Sermon, 1762- Only equal before God
Thanks Iraq03USMC.
We have come a long way from understanding the concept of the proper functions of government, which concept is ancillary to the rights to life, liberty, and property. (It's a great shame that that unnecessary tinkering with "property" rendered it as "pursuit of happiness.") Those basic functions are taking care of the health, welfare, safety, and morals of the people, the "police" powers.
Many would now bristle at government concerning itself with morals but what sane person would not like to see welfare used to alleviate suffering due to catastrophe instead of a subsidy for bastardy and jet assist to community decay.
Anyway, to return to the point, outside of things attended to by governments exercising those police powers, the rights to life, liberty, and property should be untouched. However, we long since lost this focus and productive, disciplined, moral people are relieved of their property and freedom by a vote in an elected legislative assembly when the same measures would be a crime if effected by a fellow citizen at the point of a gun.
In short, the legislature has become an instrument of theft when taxes and fees are levied for more than those basic functions of government. This is a huge moral issue but it is accepted as normal by almost all people.
The reckoning for such moral transgression will arrive in due course, in economic collapse for one, as the legislature will come to know no limit on its ability to fleece productive people. It will also occur that the coercive powers of government will grow to the point of loss of all legitimacy.
@rumpole:"Awarding extra votes to persons who contribute more taxes than average would be a start."
The endgame there is that the elites get to take over the system openly. On the one hand, that's an improvement; on the other, not so much.
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