Our rulers have not announced nor openly admitted the moral code under which they find themselves feeling good about what they are doing. Since it places them above us, and in America that is not functionally possible under the constitution, they may never admit it.
For to admit they have assumed superior status automatically delegitimizes them under the oath they took to the constitution, a constitution that begins with "We the people." Once any elected official believes himself above it all and unaccountable, he is no longer honoring his oath.
Compile the evidence. See if it is or is not mostly true that our leaders have assumed a superior status. Show that their acts are applied not equally under law, but arbitrarily to favor those who help them gain power. Show by a predominance of evidence which of the following is an accurate conclusion.
- They see themselves as having been elected to a position above equals in sovereignty to be the servants of the sovereigns, and not to rule,
- Or they have assumed for themselves the power of a sovereign over the many, seeking to control every facet needed for the individual to be secure in his life, his liberty and his seeking of happiness.
***Update***
In comments, Og demonstrates the quick way to review the circumstances, discards the ruler's claim that all his pee is only rain, and concludes:
Anti-constitutional? You betcha. An American Monarchy? Got-damned right. Evil, on it's surface and in substance? Probably. Curable?Anyone??
Bueller?
And Joan of Argghh! is passing out banners.
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Our little republic has been through some trials, certainly. The whole point of it was to try to avoid the rule of kings, which turned out to be a disaster, and the purely democratic "rule of the people"(an even greater disaster) and instead make all humans subject to a Rule of Law to which we are both the contributors and the (supposedly) willing subjects. When the process gets hijacked by people who believe they were elected to rule, and not just govern, well, there's that "belief" again.
ReplyDeleteThe whole Crowley "Do as thou wilt shall be the whole of law" is the final outcome of Anarchy, otherwise Anarchy would have some merit. Anarchy doesn't mean chaos, any more than fuel and a match means fire. Anarchy means "No ruler" and "no ruler" is a clusterfuck. And of course the "Rule of law" is a rule by definition, and exists outside of anarchy, again, by definition. There have to be rules, and those rules need to be agreed upon by the governed. Trouble is special interest has given kinglike power to a select few, who establish rules and governance based on the desires of their kingmakers.
Anti-constitutional? You betcha. An American Monarchy? Got-damned right. Evil, on it's surface and in substance? Probably. Curable?
Anyone??
Bueller?
I am afraid Og, the only "cure" for our current malady, would be much the same as you would do to any malignancy which seeks to take over its host. We need to do some very radical surgery (though "chemo" and "radiation treatments" arguably have potential).
ReplyDeleteIf a modern day Lot was pleading with God to spare all the government types in DC, could Lot find even 10 in order to forestall the emanate destruction of this nations capital city? I think he might find 5 ... maybe 6 ... but I think the smart money would be that God would have to unleash the fire and brimstone.
I would morn the loss of the Smithsonian, and various other monuments...and that would be all.
Oh, it's curable, if the cure doesn't kill us first.
ReplyDeleteA fine essay, as ever, Pascal. So many in synch this morning. . .
Congress is demanding the WH guest log book. Good for them. They deserve a sticky note badge of honor for it!
ReplyDelete:)
Now that it's been scrubbed clean? Too late? How exactly are most in the District of Corruption not behaving like rulers too? Obama is merely their titular head, their front man, their puppet of they who cast Plato's shadows.
ReplyDeleteI think Guy is onto something here. Abraham would have a heckava time finding 10.
"How exactly are most in the District of Corruption not behaving like rulers too?"
ReplyDeleteExactly what I thought when reading the above, though I was thinking in terms of the highly (retch) placed civil servants and you might well have been thinking of the power lawyers, money men, etc.
Somebody somewhere, probably more than one person, suggested that civil "service" should have finite terms of ten years or less, just as politicians aside from the President should.
There's part of your cure, Og. Maybe. Another essential part is devolution of power to local entities. Good luck to us.
Daniel K Day