Language is an important tool of political control. In our modern Twitter-pated world where sound bites rule, words or labels do not have to be accurate. They are easily thrown about and can be applied to anything. The Twitter-narrative does not have to be accurate to be seen by millions.
Our modern technology has made it easier to spread spurious ideas around the globe. There is nothing new here. Samuel Adams, noted the same thing in 1776. He said, “How strangely will the Tools of a Tyrant pervert the plain Meaning of Words!”
This is why we see policies emanating from Federal agencies. i.e, BLM, EPA, USFS, Public Schools and Universities that appear confused, misaligned or contradictory. The words are being manipulated based upon their value as sound bites, not their adherence to truth.
The strategies employed by the federal government and its cadre of self-seeking crony-capitalists and bureaucrats is actually quite Machiavellian.
For some background, Machiavelli, was disillusioned with the myriad of struggles amongst smaller cities in Italy during the 1500’s. He viewed the small-townships and communities, with their independence, as detrimental to Italy’s potential for greatness. He defined several effective methods for seizing and maintaining power.
His formula for effective government asserted that good rulers sometimes have to learn “not to be good.” He, noted, they must be willing to set aside ethical concerns of justice, honesty, and kindness in order to maintain the stability of the state.
This is the essence of today’s statism – where the stability and power of the state matters more than your individual Life, Liberty or free pursuits.
Wikipedia notes some attributes of Machiavellian theory:
- Engage in both Blame and Forgiveness, as the situation dictates;
- Engage in both Lying and Truth-telling, as appropriate means to an end;
- Make alliances and break alliances to fit the circumstance;
- Make promises and break promises as the need arises;
- Make rules and break rules as necessary;
- Mislead and misdirect to deceive the citizens.
Notice that Machiavelli’s list simultaneously names both sides of each issue, i.e., lie and tell the truth. His advise was to use whichever one, at whichever moment, as a means for maintaining power and securing the stability of the state.
Our founder’s unanimously rejected the Machiavellian theory. They would not be swayed by pragmatic circumstances to permit some deception on Monday followed by a small dose of truth on Tuesday. They knew that powerful men could sway public opinion by deceptively promoting uncertainty and fear.
This is why America was conceived and developed as a constitutionally federated republic. Each of these three terms, together, are essential for conveying the basic ideas describing our form of government.*
First, the Constitution was a written document that pre-defined and limited the extent of government’s responsibilities. These limits are often referred to as the enumerated powers. Madison wrote,
“The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the Federal Government, are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State Governments are numerous and indefinite. … The powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects, which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties and properties of the people.” – Federalist #45.
Our Founder’s words had meaning. In their day, male meant male, terror meant terror, illegal meant illegal. These meanings were known and understood universally. In this way, the Constitution was a document where there was no room for arbitrary changes in policy or authority.
The Constitution was based upon defined rules, not guidelines. These rules were the well-understood principals for attaining Life, Liberty and personal fulfillment.
Second, the Constitution was discussed, amended, and ratified by a federation of free, independent and sovereign states. The same thirteen colonies who issued, “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America” in Congress on July 4, 1776.
Notice even in this declaration, “united” is lower-case and “States” was written with an initial capital. There was no desire for an outside ruler, whether King George III, Parliament, Congress or the Office of the President. The State was recognized as the ultimate source for local governance, not the U.N., NATO, TPP, nor the federal leviathan.
Lastly, Republican government refers to two things: the origin of governmental powers, and the manner in which these powers are exercised. That is, they come from the consent of the governed and they are exercised by elected representatives.
James Madison said that “we may define a republic to be … a government which derives all its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of the people, and is administered by persons holding their offices during pleasure, for a limited period, or during good behavior.” – Federalist #39
In No. California and So. Oregon there are people who realize that they have been swindled by self-seeking politicians who are following Machiavelli’s rules. They are promoting a movement for the State of Jefferson. (General information, Latest video)
They recognize that today’s political class are no longer serving the Constitution – they no longer serve for limited periods; they have no fiscal integrity; they are waging war against the Bill of Rights; and they are no longer serving the general welfare. Today, the political elites work for Wall Street-financed crony-capitalists, self-interested public-sector unions, government-financed community service and public health agencies. Each of these entities employs scores pf lobbyists to ensure their access to America’s largess, the seed-corn of our future. The Machiavellian progressives are tearing at our Republic’s foundations.
The State of Jefferson movement has a slogan, “The Time Has Come For 51,” meaning they would like to split from their respective state governments and become the 51st state in the Union. It’s been done before (think, Virginia and West Virginia), and with popular momentum it can happen again.
But, I contend, its more than just time for 51. It’s time for all fifty states to secure our individual liberty and unalienable rights. Its time for voters to reject statism and return to local governance and sound Constitutional principles. If their state’s Representatives and Senators won’t serve these constitutional principles then its time to cut those Machiavellian cohorts free from their positions of power.
I just shared your article at a conservative forum — you may pick up a few readers!
Nick – Thanks for your comments! Your points are fantastic! You stated, “Our government does not exist within the confines of the Law which created it.” I’ve made this point on many occasions. We need to stop thinking about “judicial precedence” and start thinking about “constitutional intent.” The Founder’s original intentions should dictate the meaning and limits of the constitution, not some progressive judge’s warped understanding about what it might mean. We, as a thoroughly progressive, modern nation, don’t actually understand the “original design,” any longer. Our culture has lost touch with the most basic tradition and principles of our founder’s blueprints for self-governance. Their ideas for Life, Liberty and the freedom to pursue your own ends as an individual (who is willing to accept responsibility) is a foreign notion to more than half the US population. Politicians love it that way! This is the most powerful tool they have for draining, or redistributing, wealth to “solve” problems that are created via their own usurpation of the original Constitutional intentions. This, in turn, is a self-feeding loop that requires evermore resources to further malign and corrupt the beauty of the original design. Thanks for your thoughts!
“It is in the Interest of Tyrants to reduce people to Ignorance and Vice. For tyrants cannot prosper in any country where Virtue and Knowledge prevail.” –Boston Gazette, Oct. 5, 1772
Agreed and thus I fear that if our nation does not awaken this could be its epitaph: The point arrived where our society no longer valued strength, morality, honesty, endurance and independence. Instead, the goal in life was too often seen to be the ease which arises from real or imagined victimization, inability and weakness. Before we knew it the attainment of those prized rewards which come from the fruits of labor were replaced by lazy and consciousless dependence upon the production of others. That spelled trouble ahead since there must be a tremendous amount of hard thought and fought success in order to produce the prosperity needed to pay the way for those who had become weak, disenfranchised and/or dependent. Unfortunately the arrival at the required state of affluence was impossibly complicated by an ever increasing societal and governmental distain for the very people and processes which actually and sustainably bring about wealth and abundance. As private sector success became increasingly frustrated that very same unsettling government then moved to make up for lost legitimate economic revenue by printing baseless currency. All the while the distain for the productive continuously and defiantly increased simultaneously with the mainstream adoption of the fundamental ideals of Karl Marx. After all, things seemed to be working fine now without the influence of the allegedly self absorbed private sector. Along the way it was somehow forgotten that in the pyramid of humankind existence all possess different levels of abilities, inabilities, ambition, health and strength. Thus it proved easier to leave reality behind and suppose that we are really just all the same and anyone who has dared to excel got there by somehow cheating, oppressing or exploiting others. That trend waxed until there developed a full scale parasitic relationship wherein society began committing suicide by hatefully, delightfully and fatally draining the lifeblood which came from the very host of their carnal existence. That destructive condition was framed by what our Nation’s enemies have always proudly embraced as anti-corporatism and anti-capitalism. When the various and competing Marxisms morphed into the radical environmental movement civilization’s mortality was finally sealed. Then mere suicidal tendencies turned into a cancer as there was finally something called Sustainability which could be used to literally destroy all that sustained humanity from inside – while at the same time believing they were saving themselves by saving the earth. Even the fundamentals of food and medical care became so radicalized that people greatly feared the essence of what fed and healed them. It was already too late when it was realized that all of life’s necessities and the living wage jobs are brought into being by the development and production of things that come from the earth, its ground and waters. By then their doom was already self sealed. Those who had become disruptive and destructive yet never productive because of perceived injustice then burned, sacked and looted all, even their own nests. They gained their power through the same force that caused our nation to loose theirs; Political Correctness. This was all made possible by an increasingly progressive body of governance which decided to look the other way out of fear etc. Instead of standing for what is right they decided to merely go along to get along. It is almost as if somewhere in the history of humankind there was a loss of the ability to discern good from evil. Finnious