Sunday, October 27, 2013

John Hawkins: 5 Political Fallacies Too Many Americans Embrace


1) The more democracy we have, the better. As Benjamin Franklin once said, "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch." This is why our Founding Fathers made this country a republic, not a democracy. They believed that the people should have their say, but also that certain underlying rules should remain in place that should take precedence over the will of a simple majority. Ultimately, that's the only way that the wolves and the lambs can happily co-exist over the long haul.
Unfortunately, we've moved so far away from the plain reading of the Constitution that we could fairly be called a post-constitutional society and that has a lot to do with why our government functions so poorly, why politics has become so contentious, and why our nation is slipping into decline. A nation where the law has more to do with the whims of the people in power than constitutional principles is a nation that will become increasingly embittered and unstable over time.

2) When it comes to politicians, morals don't matter. It's no coincidence that most Americans are perpetually disappointed in the honesty of our politicians when they simultaneously believe that the moral failings of politicians have little bearing on their fitness for office. If we put adulterers, degenerates, and crooks in office, they're going to lie to us. Why would anyone expect anything else?

No comments:

Post a Comment