Democratic Heritage

Amongst many other topics swirling around my head, I have been listening to political philosophy on my "Yes-you-are-a-nerd" Portable Professor CD series. These lectures have been sometime dry, however at times enlightening. Especially as the writers draw nearer to the American political system. Several recent lectures, discussing the emergence and development of liberty in democratic societies, have truly been a delight, and made me reflect. So if you see a 4-Runner drifting off the road, its driver lost in a far-off gaze, that's probably me. Either I'm digesting some policital maxim, or day dreaming about Amy.

I don't think I will do this philosophical discussion any justice, but felt impressed to discuss them perhaps in an essay format. Hopefully it doesn't drive you too far away. However, I strongly feel most Americans know little of our political origins, and a better understanding of our system’s origins could help us diagnose issues today.

For me it started with a discussion of Alexis de Tocqueville’s famous work Democracy in America. The short of it is these 2 volumes were designed to help the French learn from the American democracy, understand our failings and design a strong government that protected equality and liberty. He focuses on one of our failings – and despite some sensitivity I must agree – specifically a lack of real individual thought regarding politics. Mostly he highlights the greatest problem these faults raise, the tyranny of the people. Let me start at the beginning.

Hobbes first wrote about a grand, external government empowered from the people to protect our general interests, regardless of our personal values or liberties. Locke furthered this and believed we DO have firm liberties that need protection from a powerful government. The Declaration of Independence echoes of his dogmas; inalienable rights…life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These societal agreements, to cede some liberties for the better good, were designed to protect the weak from tyranny; despots with power to torture its people to their will. However this leads to the threat of another real threat, the tyranny of the masses. The risk that the democratic majority can force its will on others.

Madison, John Jay and Hamilton wrote to assuage these fears prior to the ratification of the Constitution in The Federalist Papers. Here-in they laid out our current form of government, designed to protect us from this threat. We are, ladies and gentlemen, living in a Republic and not a democracy. This separation from direct democratic elections was designed to protect us from the tyranny of the majority, machinations of intrigue and public whims. They also added three branches of government, checks and balances and a bicameral legislature to check powers and slow down the government. Yes, Washington is purposefully designed to run S L O W L Y to protect us. What was interesting was these authors felt a strong central government – external to the people – was needed more to stop internal threats than external.

Now we arrive to de Tocqueville, who points to a wholly new fear in democratic societies, a new tyranny. The tyranny of the people, stemming from our perceived weakness and lack of real political thought. This new despot is worse than the tyrants of old, because it uses social pressure, creates pariahs and works to isolate critics to the ‘general will.’ The French were afraid of this new power, because unlike the tyrants of old, it forced its will by attacking the soul not the body. Think of it like this. The new tyranny doesn’t need to torture people who disagree, they just isolate them, make their arguments seem ‘naturally’ stupid, and the public pressure puts them on the fringe. No matter your personal beliefs, we have seen this strongly with climate change legislation and even the acceptance of Obama.

In his work, he points to several solutions to the problem. First the people must retain a significant amount of personal power. We must have control over portions of our life and not cede our decisions to a central, democratic government. Otherwise we will feel weaker in our decisions regarding our personnel vote or influence.

Secondly, without the ties of old-world systems (namely classes) Americans need voluntary association with each other, lest we isolate ourselves. This leads to associations that can come together and exert positive power of the general will.

It is scary how we recognize these issues in our current political system. Both parties have been guilty of purveying the first tyranny; redistricting, ostracizing, sidelining debate and isolating dissenters. However, and perhaps it is because of my current disagreements, I feel this has grown more recently, especially with the political suicide to disagree with ‘firmly held public truths.’ We take our Kool Aid gladly as long as Hollywood or CNN tells us to. And a trend the last half century towards ceding personal power to government control hasn’t helped according to de Tocqueville. Pretty soon, with Washington deciding my ‘rights’ to retirement, health care, salary, luxuries, etc. we will establish no bumper for a new tyranny to run us over. And as they say in (yes I will quote from this nerdy source) Star Wars, “this is how democracy ends, with applause.”

In his second volume de Tocqueville writes about the danger of isolating ourselves to our personal life and families and friends and leaving the government outside our thoughts. This only accelerates this despotism. I find myself ceding political disagreement and discourse to others, because I just can’t fight a general lack of real reflection in others. But we must all redouble our efforts, because really, the government stems from the people and we have the strength to protect our form of government.

It has been a fascinating journey of reflection, and I feel a bit more justified in my angriness, frustration and, at times, righteous indignation. Not that my political choices are all right. But the philosophy is. They weren’t all country bumpkins nearly 250 years ago, not all that much has changed.