Dear Friends,
It seems to me, there is nothing more important than the appearance of democracy, especially as democracy itself is undermined. Someone intent on undermining the will of the people, as represented in a democratic vote, might engage in vote fraud while claiming anyone who tries to stop the fraud is disenfranchising people too stupid to get the same ID they need to drive, buy liqueur, rent a motel room, register a car, etc… Thus undermining democracy even as they claim to be it’s staunch defender. Of course only a psychopath, someone devoid of a conscience, manipulative, hubristic and egoistic would do such a thing. What they are doing is keeping up the appearance of democracy, as they undermine it, so we will not realize until it is too late, that they have destroyed our republic itself.
Aristotle said in his Ethics, there are three right forms of government and three wrong forms, as well as one perfect form. The three wrong forms are tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy. While the right forms are monarchy, aristocracy and polity. The perfect form is a republic, a blending of the three right forms. What makes the wrong forms, well, wrong, is that the ruler(s) rule in their own best interests, not that of the nation and people as a whole. Which is what makes the right forms right, the rulers rule in the best interests of the nation, not themselves. A republic smothers the ability of would be usurpers to leverage the authority vested in them, to run the State, enriching themselves and oppressing the people. A republic lasts longer before being corrupted than any other form of government.
The US and indeed all modern nations are a form of republic, a blending of the right forms of government. The US Constitution was written during the Enlightenment. While it contains Aristotelian concepts it also has Montesquieu’s ideas to further limit the power of the elite to usurp authority. Nevertheless, each part of the three branches, and three loci of political power, the executive, the legislative and the democratic. The judicial is supposed only to decide questions of law, not be political, that they have inserted themselves in politics shows their disregard of their true function today. If any of the three loci of political power, the executive, legislative and democratic, is subsumed by one of the others, that would give the faction that now controls two loci, autocratic power.
In a functioning republic, the people’s vote is a check on the aristocrat’s power, but if that check is reduced to a rubber stamp, there is no limit to the usurpations the aristocracy, or indeed any tyrant could take. If, for example, there was sufficient vote fraud, in sufficiently diverse forms, stopping it would be nearly impossible. Especially since the faction that wields the vote fraud would be unstoppable. Such a faction could roll over all opposition, claiming to be the majority, when in fact they are the minority. Just like Lenin’s Bolshevik ploy. Calling the minority the majority and using that claimed title to justify oppression, self enrichment and more corruption. That is why there must be a free and fair democratic element to any republic… the lack of which bodes evil.
We can tell when an elite is corrupt, if they have corrupted the democratic element of their republic, moreover, if they also tend towards the silencing of diverse voices, they are a true threat, not just to liberty but the peace and economic well being of the nation as well. Those who silence others are always up to no good. The righteous laugh at innuendo and catcalls while villains are exposed by them. That is why the villain must silence those pointing out his villainy while the righteous can turn the other cheek. That a faction does silence others points to their being diabolical. A faction that engages in vote fraud, while claiming to be the champions of democracy, are villains by any definition, and must therefore maintain the appearance of democracy, especially as they undermine it.
Sincerely,
John Pepin
