“Actually the whole structure of the Constitution was designed to frustrate populism which the framers thought of as mob rule.
Originally, the only direct voice of the people was to be had in the House of Representatives, the Senate being elected by state legislatures. The Supreme Court was not elected at all and the President of the United States was not directly elected either but electors were elected who under the Constitution were expected to exercise their judgment in passing on the populist will.
It is the genius of the Constitution to recognize the popular will but to confine its scope by a system of checks and balances and separation of powers which were frankly designed to frustrate the popular will. That is why we call it a Republic and not a democracy.
I don’t will think you believe in the absolute power of the populist will. Are you ready to surrender your Second Amendment rights to bear arms to the Democrats when they gain a majority? I am not willing to surrender my First Amendment rights to Donald Trump if he should have populist wind at his back.”
The problem with this line of thought, however, is in this.....what if the threat to liberty doesn’t come from “the mob”, but instead it comes from a group of oligarchs? So far we’ve seen federally-mandated health insurance and gay-marriage imposed - not by popular will- but by 5-out-of-9 Supreme Court Justices.
It seems that the threat to liberty can come from both ends, namely too much democracy AND too much insulation from democracy.
The problem with this line of thought, however, is in this.....what if the threat to liberty doesn’t come from “the mob”, but instead it comes from a group of oligarchs? So far we’ve seen federally-mandated health insurance and gay-marriage imposed - not by popular will- but by 5-out-of-9 Supreme Court Justices.
Bingo.
And the power of the Congress is being usurped by an oligarchy buying them out, as well. The Mob doesn’t stand a chance...