Posted on 02/13/2021 1:01:47 PM PST by Jacquerie
Few politicians comprehend the historic lessons in organizing and maintaining republics. Oh, they might know of them, but not with true understanding. They know incidents and events at a superficial level. To the extent they think at all, they disregard imitation as not only difficult but impossible; they disbelieve the constancy in human nature since antiquity.
“Men,” wrote Machiavelli, “aren’t to be trusted except out of fear, not love.” This dim view has a bright side, for it means men’s actions are somewhat predictable and the essentially repetitive nature of political actions can be a guide to contemporary events. While I don’t know the extent of President Trump’s grasp of history as a vast reservoir of models and guides, one thing is certain. President Trump knows human nature.
Machiavelli:
It is necessary for anyone who organizes a republic and establishes laws in it, to take for granted that all men are evil . . . and when any wickedness remains hidden for a time, it arises from a hidden cause . . . What he meant by hidden wickedness arising from a hidden cause perplexed me for years. Its cryptic meaning wasn’t clear until Donald Trump’s candidacy, which sparked the hidden Deep State to rise up, expose itself, and fight for its survival. While constitutional conservatives cheered candidate Trump’s powerful speeches promising to drain the swamp, Deep State operatives and globalists knew exactly what Donald Trump meant; if elected, he intended to destroy them.
A long chained beast, wrote Machiavelli, once set free in an open field, will not know what to do, and will soon be recaptured. Like beasts, few peoples released from harsh rule can keep their freedom. Early Rome, released from monarchy, was an exception. The Romans kept their new freedom because they were not thoroughly corrupted before setting themselves free.
Machiavelli dismissed saving a thoroughly corrupt society. It cannot live free, not even for a moment. He analyzed societies tainted, though not yet rotted through, when released from under the government of others. His turn of the phrase, “under a government of others” implies a people denied representation, yet exist under less than crushing servitude. At campaign rallies candidate Trump often called out the real sources of power in Washington DC. These others, outwardly under the forms of Constitutional government run the show and make the law and regulations for their benefit, not ours. In this sense, voting for congressmen and senators is akin to a charade, a placebo, in which we are led to believe our vote matters.
Against the odds in November 2016, in anticipation of releasing itself from a government of others, America soon exploded in prosperity and renewal.
Yet Machiavelli warned that should society revert from freedom and go back to a government of others, it is “under a yoke which is, in most instances, heavier than the one (before).” Yikes.
Here’s why. When society wrenches free government from a government of others, it creates both friends thankful for release, as well as enemies. Those whose previous advantages and wealth suddenly end or are threatened are now opponents. Having lost unearned honor and privilege, this Deep State will move heaven and earth to retrieve their previous status and money-train. They can never become classic citizens interested in the general welfare; they are pure partisans out for themselves. Should the Deep State reclaim power after President Trump, it will not make the mistake of losing it again.
What to do with this enemy within, those who claim the protections of citizenship yet plot to destroy society and overthrow the republic? In the tiny city-state of early Rome, the answer was simple: kill the conspirators. Anyone, wrote Machiavelli, “who undertakes governing a multitude of people . . . under a free system and does not protect himself from the people who are hostile to the new order, creates a state of short duration.”
Today, as in republican Rome and other ancient cities, a freed people want two things: 1.) Revenge on those who oppressed them. 2.) Continuation of liberty.
Even without major media coverage of Obama’s Deep State high crimes, the appeals to President Trump and Attorney General Sessions to prosecute these people grows daily. Seditious enemies within must, per Machiavelli, be put down.
As for restoring liberty, Machiavelli again demonstrated a thorough understanding of human nature and political science. Among the multitude desirous of freedom, a small portion of them also wish to command, to have the honor of leading free people. No matter the size or organization of the republic, no more than forty or fifty dedicated men are qualified for the task. Machiavelli advised putting these people to good use. President Trump appoints solid supporters to cabinet positions and holds huge rallies for supportive congressmen, senators, and governors. The vast remainder of the people, those outside the forty or fifty, simply want to live in peace and pursue happiness. To satisfy them, President Trump, per Machiavelli, should lead efforts to reform our governing institutions so that another Obama or Hillary cannot assume tyrannical powers.
Machiavelli closed this chapter with a summary that mirrors the efforts of the Convention of States movement. A free, yet insecure republic must correct its perilous situation. We must reform our institutions to keep free government. Those who allow the opportunity to pass will repent too late for not having done what should have been done. Unless we reform our institutions through a COS, we can count on the eventual return of a Deep State government of others. And next time, it will not repeat its failure in 2016.
Unlike Machiavelli, whose reading seems to be mandatory for political leaders around the world, the American founding fathers held an almost unique view.
Unlike most nations of the time, they rejected the view that a nation, its leaders and government and laws, are selected in Heaven, and are thus only capable of being changed by themselves or by Heaven. And to oppose such leaders or bad laws was somehow offensive to Heaven.
Instead, they adopted the notion that, even if following religious principles, our laws are written by men, and as such are imperfect, so can be changed by men.
Western political philosophy typically takes one of four forms. Idealistic or realistic; and optimistic or pessimistic.
Europe had been tormented by war for well over a thousand years, so for the most part, its idealism had been burned out of it. Likewise had its optimism. Instead their collective opinion was that “Things will go on like this for a long time, slowly getting worse.” So they tended to have a Realistic and Pessimistic political philosophy, which still predominates today.
America was bright, fresh, and full of optimism. But while there were some who were Idealistic about it, most Americans were very Realistic in their political philosophy, and we still are today. (There are enough Idealistic Pessimists to form their own political party, but most people don’t care for that sort of thing.)
In any event, the American Founding Fathers considered some of the great philosophical questions of their time, and reached some unique conclusions.
“Is mankind inherently good or evil?”
If you believe either side of this question, it will impact your views of government. If people are inherently good, then the government they create will also be good, so the more government, the better. (You can see how this can backfire.)
If people are inherently evil, then government will also be evil. So you want a small, weak government, that can never be trusted or relied on. (Also problematic.)
So instead, the Founding Fathers concluded that mankind was *neither* good or evil, but instead, that they were *weak*. This meant the government they designed strove to never give anyone or any group too much power, and should have other groups with different interests, to act as checks and balances on each other.
Looking at our Constitution, it is quite clearly an effort to create such checks and balances at every opportunity. And this has proven to be both stable and durable over time.
Why didn’t you put this link in the box instead of the link you put? Most people are not going to see it down here.
My big oops.
OTOH, I posted the squib in its entirety.
They have made that abundantly clear. Anyone who denies that fact is either delusional or an enemy of the Republic.
I hereby call on all red states legislatures to start the Constitutional Convention process, now!!!!!!!!!
Yeah, but lots of us like to share with others we know, who are not visiting this board, and apparently have no desire to. Yet they still appreciate things we talk about. 8>)
I promise not to screw up again.
It just doesn’t make sense to take on our enemies on their home turf. They run DC, the admin state and the courts. Elections alone will not displace them.
President Trump and We the People behind him could begin the renewal of the American republic.
So I guess I am the one that should apologize for not seeing the hidden wisdom you chose to employ. 8>)
I agree wholeheartedly. The time has come to invoke a Constitutional Convention and take back the Republic, or create a new Republic, and install President Trump as our 1st President in the newly established Republic. 8>)
Okay - what H double toothpicks is going on with the center justified text?
Okay - what H double toothpicks is going on with the center justified text?
Nevermind
Curious, posting seems to have corrected it?
Thanks. Most of my posts are old Obama-era stuff. You should blog.
Well done, Mr. Dodsworth. BTTP
Does the party corruption run so deep that even the state legislators are also members of the Deep State that we need to vanquish?
We NEED a new party Trump is the ONLY ONE who can accomplish this the only one!!!! Trumps support is MASSIVE they all know it this election was beyond fraudulent they can’t let a third party happen they KNOW it will destroy the GOP!!
To Robert DeLong, <>Does the party corruption run so deep that even the state legislators are also members of the Deep State that we need to vanquish?<>
I set aside such concerns. The whole point of course is to reestablish self-government, which doesn't exist Congress. Scotus makes awful rulings that are outside the reach of the people. Imagine the change in scotus if they knew a COS could overturn their decisions.
Should we make a mistake, like the 17th Amendment, We the People can make corrections.
States will send delegates with limited commissions. They are just as aghast at Washington DC as we are. A COS meets, suggests amendments, then its members scatter.
I doubt the first COS will propose anything at all. That's okay, because it will prove the meeting didn't run away.
My thoughts on matter from five years ago:
Well my point it, if they are indeed corrupt, would they even consider calling a COS?
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