Sunday, January 24, 2016

Mike Vanderboegh's Testament Contra The Donald

Mike Vanderboegh is going the way of all flesh:  "....es ist du Gras..."

He has a thought on the political scene.  It's serious, and it should be taken seriously.  Mike's an ex-Communist and thus has a perspective which is worthwhile.

...The Founders, whether Federalist or Anti-federalist, perceived the dangers of demagoguery to their new Republic as being the greatest threat it faces. Here are two representative quotes from either side of the argument at the time:

"A dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people than under the forbidden appearance of zeal for the firmness and efficiency of government. History will teach us that the former has been found a much more certain road to the introduction of despotism than the latter, and that of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people; commencing demagogues, and ending tyrants." -- Federalist No. One, Alexander Hamilton. 


And this one from the uncompromising Elbridge Gerry:
 

The evils we experience flow from the excess of democracy. The people do not want virtue, but are the dupes of pretended patriots. -- Elbridge Gerry, Constitutional Convention Monday May 31, 1787....

Why quote those guys?

...Trump and his followers maintain that they are doing what they are doing for the good of the country. They point that Trump, whatever his flaws, couldn't be worse than the last four occupants of the White House.

...Donald Trump, as near as I can make out, is absolutely unprincipled and like all demagogues is saying what he believes he needs to say in order to achieve his ends. My concern is that he is obviously as much of an insecure personality as Obama and, like Obama, gets his "principles" in the mirror every morning when he wakes up. Taken together, their proclaimed fidelity to the limits of the Constitution are so much fart in the wind. Only when the mask slips as at Dordt College, do you get a sense of Trump's inner demagogic voyage of discovery....

Thanks, Mike.  May your Maker welcome you to His abode with a smile.

1 comment:

Bill said...

Amen, brother!
I was wondering what that nagging itch was at the base of my skull when discussing Mr. Trump. Methinks it's the noose of a tyrant.