“Good article.”
While I wholeheartedly agree that our government has gone off the rails (with not much hope of sanity anytime soon), I’m not so sure the 17th amendment is the problem.
After all, look around the world at so-called democracies; they are all in steep decline. To name a few, that list includes the UK, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, France, Italy, and on and on and on.
And then take a look at history. Since we started this journey of civilizations 5,000 or so years ago, not one civilization has lasted forever. No, not one. They all spiral into oblivion sooner or later. Some more soon than others. Actually, China is the longest-surviving civilization/country on the planet, and they did this by reinventing themselves numerous times over the years — sometimes it was for the better and sometimes for the worse.
It has become clear that our form of government is clearly not immune to collapse/failure. So, that begs the question, what is the best form?
I’m certainly not smart enough to answer that question. But there has to be something better than waiting until we pass from this earth to reach true peace and contentment.
>>It has become clear that our form of government is clearly not immune to collapse/failure. So, that begs the question, what is the best form?
There are two semi-stable forms of government: monarchic and oligarchic. The monarchic form is stable due to an alliance between the strong central leader and the lower classes. The oligarchic form is stable due to an alliance between a reasonable number of powerful leaders and the middle class.
Historically, a people oscillate between the two. A Charlemagne comes along, consolidates power, and becomes the great leader of the nation. His successors are weaker, tend towards incompetence, and power diffuses to the barons, supported by the nobles.
Power only devolves to the lower classes during revolutions, and then only temporarily until a Napoleon, Stalin, or Mao appears on the scene.
The US Constitutions shows an attempt to create a middle ground balancing the monarchical aspects of the President with the baronial aspects of the Senate and House. US participation in wars always shifts power to the President. That had occurred during the Civil War, but the Senate had reclaimed power during the last half of the 19th Century, supported by the robber barons. However, the Spanish-American War, the acquisition of American colonies, Teddy Roosevelt’s “progressive” Republican Party, and the looming conflict between European Empires shifted the power towards the presidency.
Note that the 17th Amendment, the income tax act, and the Federal Reserve System all happened in 1913.