All the more depressing is the fact that the people he had in mind was the artisan class, which he believed would inevitably experience hard times and turn to soak the rich demagogues.
For a dose of clinical depression, consider that he'd never heard the words "welfare state" or thought it conceivable that the franchise would be extended to the underclass with zero interest in self-improvement, productive work, self discipline, or patriotism.
For with you the majority is the Government, and has the rich, who are always a minority, absolutely at its mercy."Lord Macaulay on American Institutions and Prospects, 1860." American Digest, 1/12/12.
The day will come when, in the State of New-York, a multitude of people, none of whom has had more than half a breakfast, or expects to have more than half a dinner, will choose a Legislature. Is it possible to doubt what sort of Legislature will be chosen?
2 comments:
He wasn't wrong. Perhaps it always was a beautiful experiment, doomed to fail.
I can't see that he was wrong. Many have made the same judgment. The 2008 election and the rise of Romney show that large numbers of voters behave like Lady Ga Ga fans -- infatuated by kindergarten philosophy. Alternatively, the voters are terrified of anyone with actual opinions and a little steel in their spine. The Republicans clustered around the nondescript George H.W., Bush in '92, a man who'd warmed a lot of chairs in his political career but had no accomplishments to show for his service. Remember his famous phrase "the vision thing" and his betrayal of his hugely important campaign pledge "No new taxes"?
Romney is a nice gentleman I have no doubt. But he has no grasp of the philosophy of personal or economic freedom.
The black underclass are contemptible for being a rock solid vote in favor of looting the treasury. The white middle has been willing to tap the treasury themselves but at least they were producers.
Bottom line, voters in Western democracies were willing to reward politicians who doled out tax money to them for crazy social welfare schemes. Voters will also not support policies that cut back on public benefits.
It's just the inevitable result of democracies. Moral flabbiness in wanting to live off others. I doubt there can be such a thing as a stable democracy.
Post a Comment