Even President George Washington Saw This Coming!
Apr 4, 2017 07:46:47 #
In his second farewell address, as an open letter to the American people, outgoing President George Washington said this:
[22] "The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries, which result, gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of Public Liberty".
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Washington%27s_Farewell_Address#1
He went on to say:
[23] "Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind, (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight,) the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it".
[24] "It serves always to distract the Public Councils, and enfeeble the Public Administration. It agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another".
This is exactly what we see today, the "alternate domination of one faction over another" is easily recognized in the back and forth of the Republican and Democratic parties taking their turn as the 'party in power'. And it gets worse. The so-called 'peaceful transition of power' is getting less and less 'peaceful'. Witness the riots surrounding the last Presidential inauguration. Will the next one be any less rancorous? What if President Trump is re-elected for a second term? Will that signal an end to the Union as we know it? We have most certainly suffering the "common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party", if not the outright sabotage of our founding principles. Are we not distracted and agitated with "ill-founded jealousies and false alarms" on a regular basis? We are most certainly seeing "animosity of one part against another", evidenced by what we see here in this forum. "It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions". Indeed. What if the Russians really did influence the election to favor one candidate over the other? What if old Vladimir really is a yuuuge buddy of Trump's? Scary...
OK, so, how to 'fix' it? Before asking how to avoid the calamity so accurately predicted over 200 years ago, it might be pertinent to ask if it can be avoided. Is it too late already?
[22] "The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries, which result, gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of Public Liberty".
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Washington%27s_Farewell_Address#1
He went on to say:
[23] "Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind, (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight,) the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it".
[24] "It serves always to distract the Public Councils, and enfeeble the Public Administration. It agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another".
This is exactly what we see today, the "alternate domination of one faction over another" is easily recognized in the back and forth of the Republican and Democratic parties taking their turn as the 'party in power'. And it gets worse. The so-called 'peaceful transition of power' is getting less and less 'peaceful'. Witness the riots surrounding the last Presidential inauguration. Will the next one be any less rancorous? What if President Trump is re-elected for a second term? Will that signal an end to the Union as we know it? We have most certainly suffering the "common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party", if not the outright sabotage of our founding principles. Are we not distracted and agitated with "ill-founded jealousies and false alarms" on a regular basis? We are most certainly seeing "animosity of one part against another", evidenced by what we see here in this forum. "It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions". Indeed. What if the Russians really did influence the election to favor one candidate over the other? What if old Vladimir really is a yuuuge buddy of Trump's? Scary...
OK, so, how to 'fix' it? Before asking how to avoid the calamity so accurately predicted over 200 years ago, it might be pertinent to ask if it can be avoided. Is it too late already?
Apr 4, 2017 08:27:21 #
Larry the Legend wrote:
In his second farewell address, as an open letter ... (show quote)
It's also interesting to note that George Washington was the only President in the history of the United States who had no party affiliation. All of the others were members of the dominant political parties of their day.
Apr 4, 2017 09:07:38 #
Larry the Legend wrote:
It's also interesting to note that George Washington was the only President in the history of the United States who had no party affiliation. All of the others were members of the dominant political parties of their day.
We've come a long way, haven't we?
Apr 4, 2017 10:12:20 #
no propaganda please
Loc: moon orbiting the third rock from the sun
Carol Kelly wrote:
We've come a long way, haven't we?
But fortunately not for the better.
Apr 4, 2017 10:58:04 #
no propaganda please wrote:
But fortunately not for the better.
Fortunately? Explain, please?
Apr 5, 2017 09:27:50 #
President Lincoln also "saw it coming" also, however, he somehow he was direct and got right to the point.
Apr 5, 2017 12:13:50 #
Apr 5, 2017 15:31:59 #
Mike Easterday wrote:
President Washington was also the only elected official that didn't the job!
Didn't (what) the job?
Apr 5, 2017 17:46:54 #
Apr 5, 2017 22:48:22 #
teabag09 wrote:
Didn't want the job. Mike
Ah. Nope, he sure didn't. Did it anyway though, didn't he?
Apr 5, 2017 23:14:33 #
Yep. Thank GOD! I think President Trump was in the same situation. Again, Thank GOD. Mike
Larry the Legend wrote:
Ah. Nope, he sure didn't. Did it anyway though, didn't he?
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