BARK's Yelps

This nation is an experiment in something new. The very words, “We the people” are the first move.

 

 

 

Power has been balanced in the West, for the greater part of our history, into two parties; the church, and state. (The ‘state’ has varying meanings. It can mean king, lord, governor, etc.)

 

 

 

For reasons I’d love to discuss, if anyone will respond to these things, we decided this nation would balance power between Man and the State.

 

 

 

All checks come back to the people. Impeachment starts in the House. Taxes start in the House. I hope we are all current on our Montesquieu and Machiavelli. The House is the most democratic arm of our law.

 

 

 

The balance tips as it always has. There are times when the church would have consolidated power, then the lordships would fight back with other policy that would swing the pendulum yet again. The same here as there.

 

 

 

Our power, being balanced between people, and state, is strange to watch. Many things cost the church power in the past, investiture, cruelty, gluttony, but never political apathy. The state lost power many times as well. It lost for tyranny, oppression, gluttony. But once again, there was never a shortage of knights ready to kill a couple monks. Apathy was never their problem.

 

 

 

Our problem is apathy. But Jefferson saw this coming. I believe it was in his correspondence with Madison in which he said that revolution was necessary for the people. He meant that the spirit of the revolt would be the harnessed force for political change. Elections were a compromise for him. In that the emotive power of revolt is all that could instill the efficacy of the populace sufficient to a degree which would force them to know who messed up. Impeachments as well.

 

 

 

That is sloppy above. Let me clarify.

 

 

 

Machiavelli said that the people as a whole are dumb and susceptible to fads. I think most people agree that on the whole most people are dumb in the political sense, and susceptible to fad. The strength of the people was their collective morals. This is why the house is the most democratic. Smaller district, shorter terms, more chances to face the jury.

 

 

 

Now our founders had to find a way to give power to the people that was only usable when enough people demanded it. This is the idea of pluralism. They never saw interest groups coming. Neither fully automatic assault rifles. Maybe Clarence Thomas should cast 3/5ths of a vote.

 

 

 

Now, when our government gives us stuff we become complacent. The roaring twenties lead to the great depression. The depression was caused by business asking more of government that it should. In this case they asked to be left fully alone. This gives government much power, and people little. Eventually people suffer and revolt. The revolt was coming up in FDR. The turn to socialist programs was one of the biggest revolts imaginable. How much more revolt can one ask than to go from free market to social programs to build national infrastructure and create work? Yes ladies and gentlemen, the New Deal was a revolt. We just never called it that.

 

 

 

Then the forties came and we had something to give. Hitler and Hirohito sucked in all senses of the word. We all hated them. Our government asked the world of us. Men have to die, women have to work, and kids gotta give up lots of stuff too. They asked for it and we gave it to them hand over fist. Then they gave us victory.

 

 

 

WE beat tyranny. As soon as they gave us something we became apathetic again. Then all you had to do was say this blank list has the name of commies. “Oh sure hate commies. We are the commie slayer, da dada da. Kill commie”

 

 

 

Government: “He’s a commie”

People: “Kill a commie”

Government: “Want proof?”

People: “Nah we trust you”

 

 

 

Lets see what else happened then? PR systems across the nation were ended because socialists and blacks were getting in. Jim Crow was around. KKK rose. Our vote was stifled. We believed in them so much that they stifled our vote and we let them.

 

 

 

Then hippies got voting rights back. KKK and Jim Crow means weak people power/ high government power.

 

 

 

Hippies mean high people power/ low government power.

 

 

 

Twenties means high government power/ low people power.

 

 

 

New Deal means high people power/ Low Government power.

 

 

 

Low government power means they are less free to do as they please because of lack of trust. People make requests and government has to respond to the requests first because they are so overwhelming.

 

 

 

High government power means they can do as they please. We ask nothing of them but entertainment. As long as that is furnished we are ok. Roaring twenties. The consumerism of the eighties and nineties. Drugs. As Long as they furnish these we are apathetic.

 

 

 

If you chart people power and government power you see both operate in inverse frequency waves. One peaks as the other valleys.

 

 

 

Right now government power is lowering. People power is rising. We got a black dude and a chick running for president.

 

 

 

Welcome to the revolution.

 

 

 

PS. If you want all this cited, give me a research fellowship. otherwise I have to tend to Jobs. Gas costs more than thinking brings in. Food costs more than thinking brings in.

 

 

 

I heard it said once in a house debate. If you want to encourage something you offer subsidies. To discourage you tax. Federal subsidies to schools are low right now. Subsidies for 30 thousand dollar cars are high. Expensive solar panels get subsidies. Are they encouraging thought and innovation or consumerism?