So Much for Democracy
Americans seem to think that they are citizens of a self-governing democracy. Actually, democratic self-government is not possible in a regime where
- immense wealth and influence are concentrated in a few hands
- an unelected, irresponsible, and heavily biased mass media control public discourse
- the political process is dominated by advertising men
- the population is rapidly changing from the massive immigration of foreigners
- the most important decisions are made by courts and the executive rather than the lawmakers
- much of government activity is secret
- much of the public has a childish attention span
- the education system turns out large numbers of people who lack both genuine learning and common sense, who think they are more intelligent and knowledgeable than they are.
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Consider when I first voted an average House district had two-thirds as many voters as today and when my father first did, maybe half as many. The math marches on as the number of seats was frozen last century. The Framers generally doubted such a thing as a "large" republic could exist. Leaving the states mostly alone--my shorthand for federalism---is the only available way to have an American democracy but that constitutional requirement has been inexorably erased by our governing elites or the people generally or both. In a month or so, it will be seriously argued before our now far too powerful Supreme Court that states have no ability to limit marriage to a man and woman. This preposterous notion may very well be imposed by five people with little to argue but what they and their like friends believe to be polite. There will be the inevitable attack on God or whoever presumes to set rules the five don't like. Once again the people, especially of the great majority of states who may have their laws and constitutions so amended, and of all the states all of whom will lose remaining sovereignty, can rise up or acquiesce. And if we acquiesce, who do we blame?
Americans foolishly think they live in freedom. I'm not really sure what an American is anymore.
Bryan Fox
I used to very naively believe that America with traditions,customs and habits rooted in the the classical and Christian West would outlast the political entity which had usurped the name "these United States" and turned it into "the United States." I was wrong; America is gone. We are "held together" by the bruit forces and ignorance which Dr. Wilson outlines above. There might be a glimmer of hope that dormant vestiges of America will sprout on the ruins of that,whatever it is, which now lords over us. We must nurture what we can where we are.
Mr. Fox, you say, "Americans foolishly think they live in freedom. I'm not really sure what an American is anymore."
Exactly so! When everything and everybody is an American, nobody will be! Certainly, the America we knew - or thought we knew - is indeed gone. I still hold out hope, however, that the necessary and coming collapse of the current order resulting from its arrogant flouting of God and His reality presents a hope - not a certainty, mind! - but a hope for those of us who still believe in the ". . . dormant vestiges of America . . .," to which Dr. Peters refers, that ". . . will [indeed] sprout on the ruins of . . . whatever it is, which now lords over us."
May it be!
Professor Wilson, please forgive the off-topic post but the proper one is long gone. Previously you recommended two books on Southern History (with reservations). They were volumes VIII and IX of A History of the South by The Littlefield Fund for Southern History of the University of Texas. Do you recommend any or all of the remaining volumes of the series?
I would add that the government activity that is not secret is just for show. Yesterday, I sat through hours of hearings on a gun control measure being pushed through by Governor O'Mally (in opening his 2016 Presidential campaign) debated by the Maryland House of Delegates. There was some excellent testimony by opponents of the measure, especially by various (elected) county sheriffs and county commissioners. All of this testimony will be to no avail. The paper reported that opponents out-numbered proponents 46-1 at the hearings. I and a friend were to be opposition witnesses #957 & #958. They were calling witnesses 30-60 at 5:00 pm. At 60 witnesses per hour (1 minute allocated for each witness) we had a long wait, longer than we could stay. I got an email shortly after midnight indicating there were still 50 or so witnesses waiting to testify. I am confident that the measure, which has already been approved by the State Senate (my senator opposed), will easily be passed by the House. Many of the proponents of the measure prefaced their testimony by saying that we could save lives without infringing on anyone's Second Amendment rights, and then proceeded to outline how they wanted our rights to be restricted. It was all for show.
Mr. Van Sant, as things go these days, that series is not too bad, at least for the wealth of information, and some of the early volumes, like Alden and Craven (and Coulter, of course) are good.
Thank you for your response, Professor Wilson.
All of the books in the series are available (at very reasonable cost) through Abe Books, except the last volume by Rupert B. Vance.