Yes, we've always known "the masses are asses", but we eventually gave them all the vote with the predicted results ensuing.
"By the late 1780s, the luster of democracy had dulled. U.S. political leaders blamed the nation’s growing instability on the democratic elements of state governments. Protests and rebellions prevailed. The nation’s future seemed to be in peril, and democracy was the culprit.
Madison warned that “a factious spirit has tainted our public administrations.” During the Constitutional Convention, Massachusetts delegate Elbridge Gerry declared that “the evils we experience flow from the excess of democracy.” Democracy had shifted from something to strive for to something that needed to be checked in American government."
Thanks for commenting, Michael. The point is that an IGNORANT citizenry cannot be entrusted with the reigns of power. Madison, btw, crossed over from the Federalist cause to the Anti-federalists and became one of the chief defenders of the Bill of Rights. Those ten amendments are to protect the citizens from concentration of power in an elite ruling class or individual leader aka tyrant ... not from democracy. The early rebellions in the Federal Period were against excess of centralized privilege and power (Shays Rebellion, Whiskey Rebellion, the Alien and Sedition Acts ... which is back again ... and others). Trump is not our first tyrannical POTUS by any means, but he's hands-down the most dangerous to date precisely because of his ignorance, cupidity, and the extent of his powers. We suffer not from an excess of democracy, but from a unitary executive and too powerful plutocracy. Knowledge is the actual cure; not centralization of power.
Yes, we've always known "the masses are asses", but we eventually gave them all the vote with the predicted results ensuing.
"By the late 1780s, the luster of democracy had dulled. U.S. political leaders blamed the nation’s growing instability on the democratic elements of state governments. Protests and rebellions prevailed. The nation’s future seemed to be in peril, and democracy was the culprit.
Madison warned that “a factious spirit has tainted our public administrations.” During the Constitutional Convention, Massachusetts delegate Elbridge Gerry declared that “the evils we experience flow from the excess of democracy.” Democracy had shifted from something to strive for to something that needed to be checked in American government."
Thanks for commenting, Michael. The point is that an IGNORANT citizenry cannot be entrusted with the reigns of power. Madison, btw, crossed over from the Federalist cause to the Anti-federalists and became one of the chief defenders of the Bill of Rights. Those ten amendments are to protect the citizens from concentration of power in an elite ruling class or individual leader aka tyrant ... not from democracy. The early rebellions in the Federal Period were against excess of centralized privilege and power (Shays Rebellion, Whiskey Rebellion, the Alien and Sedition Acts ... which is back again ... and others). Trump is not our first tyrannical POTUS by any means, but he's hands-down the most dangerous to date precisely because of his ignorance, cupidity, and the extent of his powers. We suffer not from an excess of democracy, but from a unitary executive and too powerful plutocracy. Knowledge is the actual cure; not centralization of power.