Old Gadfly: Gentlemen, is there anything in
particular about the presidential campaigning that concerns you?
AM: Two quick observations: First, one party seems
unified in its political ideology while the other shows a diversified set of
candidates. Second, it amazes me that
there is so much support for a self-proclaimed socialist and for an individual
who appears to be above the law.
Old Gadfly: What is wrong with socialism?
AM: Gadfly, you and I each served over 30 years to
defend our Nation against the inevitable tyranny that stems from socialism. Socialism, which is advanced by intellectuals
as a form of utopia this side of death, is not sustainable. It is a transition phase that transforms into
either communism or fascism. Just look
at all the promises being made by some of the candidates? How can an economy generate enough wealth to sustain
this volume of welfare? We already have
nearly $20 trillion in public debt, not to mention the unfunded liabilities
that are five to six times the public debt.
Old Gadfly: Go to my bookshelf and pull down Democracy in America by Alexis de
Tocqueville. Good, now locate the chapter
entitled, “What Sort of Despotism Democratic Nations Have to Fear.” Read the first sentence out loud.
AM: “I had remarked during my stay in the United
States, that a democratic state of society, similar to that of Americans, might
offer singular facilities for the establishment of despotism; and I perceived,
upon my return to Europe, how much use had already been made by most of our
rulers, of the notions, the sentiments, and the wants engendered by this same
social condition, for the purpose of extending the circle of their power.”[1]
IM: Amazing. Tocqville wrote this book between 1835 and
1840.
Old Gadfly: Notice Tocqueville’s observation
of how rulers exploit “notions, sentiments, and the wants” of other members of
society “for the purpose of extending the circle of their power.” Incidentally, another great mind who is less
recognized and appreciated is another Frenchman, Frédéric Bastiat, who in 1850
published an important rebuttal to the socialistic thinking that dominated
Western Europe. His book, The Law,
argued for the importance of laws in protecting and enabling individual liberty.
IM: Combining the observations and
arguments of Tocqueville and Bastiat, it appears that a ruling class in a
socialistic society is above the law. They
must be in order to have power over the masses.
Despite the concerted and complicit suppression of important news within
the mainstream media, there is one candidate right now who denies any criminal
behavior despite the growing body of evidence to the contrary.
AM: Yet, many of her followers dismiss
this as a fabrication of a “right wing conspiracy.”
Old Gadfly: The notorious tyrants of the
recent past (Stalin, Hitler, Mao, etc.) knew that narratives did not need to be
true, but merely plausible. People are
inclined to believe what they want to believe.
AM, now locate the fifth paragraph in the chapter about despotism.
AM: Here it is. I’ll insert some editorial
comments within brackets:
After having thus successfully taken each
member of the community in its powerful grasp, and fashioned them at will, the
supreme power then extends its arm over the whole community. It covers the surface of society with a
net-work of small complicated rules [i.e., promulgated by an unelected
bureaucracy via administrative law], minute and uniform, through which the most
original minds and the most energetic characters cannot penetrate, to rise
above the crowd. The will of man is not
shattered, but softened, bent, and guided:
men are seldom forced by it to act [the Affordable Care Act is such a
case], but they are constantly restrained from acting [e.g., IRS censorship of
certain voices]: such a power does not
destroy, but it prevents existence [e.g., Dinesh D’Souza prosecution and
conviction]; it does not tyrannize, but it compresses, enervates, extinguishes,
and stupefies a people, till each nation is reduced to be nothing better than a
flock of timid and industrious animals, of which the government is the
shepherd. I have always thought that
servitude of the regular, quiet, and gentle kind which I have just described,
might be combined more easily than is commonly believed with some of the
outward forms of freedom; and that it might even establish itself under the wing
of the sovereignty of the people. Our
contemporaries are constantly excited by two conflicting passions; they want to
be led, and they wish to remain free: as
they cannot destroy either one or the other of these contrary propensities,
they strive to satisfy them both at once.
They devise a sole, tutelary, and all-powerful form of government, but
elected by the people.[2]
Old Gadfly: Thank you, AM. I would encourage you to eventually read the entire
chapter, but you’ve read enough for us to get the point for now. While it is obvious that Tocqueville had a
deep appreciation for how democracy might play out in America, the
transformation to a central government controlled by a ruling class is
certainly the case for today’s America.
IM: What is the ruling class?
Old Gadfly: The ruling class comprises elected
and unelected members of government and the lobbyists that keep them there. It has grown significantly, especially since
the individual income tax was reestablished in 1913 with the Sixteenth
Amendment. Based on government data, here
is a graph that reflects my calculations for the cost of the federal government
in constant dollars (i.e., accounting for inflation) per capita (accounts for
population growth):
This graph does not reflect the most
recent budget, which would make the picture look even worse.
If one is a socialist or progressive, there
is an assumption that governments solve problems. The above graph shows that citizens have been
coerced by federal law to provide more and more of their wealth through taxes
or public debt. These resources are then
supposed to “solve problems” for society.
Recently, the noted political scientist, Francis Fukuyama, provided
extensive analysis to support his thesis that America
is in decay. This decay stems from
political dysfunction. I contend this
dysfunction reflects the progressive disdain for the Constitution and the
concept of federalism, and a passion for an unelected administrative
state. Charles Cooper, a constitutional
lawyer, presented a compelling article
on this threat to our way of life.
AM: I have a lot of friends who are
very concerned about this development.
IM: Notice that for both political
parties, most of the candidates have been elected to office—career politicians
so to speak. But there are three who are
not career politicians: Donald Trump,
Dr. Ben Carson, and Carly Fiorina.
Old Gadfly: What might we infer from their presence
and the apparent interest in these candidates?
AM: They do not represent the ruling
class that many in the public narrative call “the establishment.” This might especially explain why Donald Trump
has such a large following so far.
IM: Yet, those who denigrate Trump for
whatever reason are concerned that he may lack the experience and skills to be
effective as the President of the United States.
AM: This kind of argument assumes a
philosopher king and not the executive of a government originally designed to
be limited with enumerated powers delegated by the people [who are not timid
and industrious sheep], and balanced through checks and balances and
federalism.
IM: I think those who have confidence
in Trump see a man who has lived the American dream, a man who created jobs and
built things within a system of laws and free enterprise.
Old Gadfly: Some say he’s crass.
AM: I see a breath of fresh air in what
I consider to be authentic and sincere expression. Trump talks about ideas and issues that
concern others who want to be freer and less regulated by a ruling class. I see a man who is not timid, and who refuses
to be an industrious sheep. I see a man
who risks criticism and invests his own earned wealth to be an example for
others to have the courage to exercise liberty within a system of laws that
apply to everyone. Remember, Tocqueville
warned us: “After having thus
successfully taken each member of the community in its powerful grasp, and
fashioned them at will, the supreme power then extends its arm over the whole
community.” Trump represents a contrary
force in our society.
Old Gadfly: Good point, AM. Some in America are drawn more to rhetoric (hope
and change) as opposed to real achievement (creating businesses and jobs and
building things). IM, what do you say
about the candidates from the other party?
IM: Until he dropped out, James Webb offered a
potential candidacy that was more constitutional, and less ruling class in
nature. Unfortunately, the remaining
candidates are socialistic, even the one who denies being socialistic, yet
claiming instead to be progressive. If
we agree with Tocqueville’s observations and arguments, then I think his
prophecy was fairly accurate for those who affiliate with or submit to a
socialistic or progressive candidate.
They can be counted upon to be “timid and industrious animals” in the
progressive march toward socialism.
AM: Aren’t some Republicans
progressive?
IM: If a more centralized government is a feature
of progressivism, then yes. However, if
these individuals are truly progressive and socialistic, then they are really
Democrats in Republican clothing. On the
contrary, most Republicans who appear to support a larger and more centralized
government are more likely to have succumbed to being a member of “the
establishment” or ruling class. This may
explain crony capitalism and corporate welfare that corrupts and perpetuates
the establishment, or ruling class in both parties.
Old Gadfly: Do we have a candidate that might
have a vision and capacity for getting America out of this quagmire?
AM: Ironically, one candidate talks
about making America great again.
Old Gadfly: This is a good start. Hopefully this candidate understands that
moral and virtuous character provided the inspiration and that the Constitution
provided the structure and blue print for a once prosperous and peaceful
nation. But most importantly, the
outcome of the election will be determined by a collective “we the people” that
prefers individual freedom and the responsibility and accountability of
self-governance through a system of laws that ensures justice for all. Americans have outsourced political power
over the years and deserve the government that we have. “We the people” still have a choice: (a) to remain timid and industrious animals guided
by the recent attempt to transform America; or (b) to shape a government that
protects the real American ideal of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,
not an imagined utopia that ruling class progressives or socialists promise.
