Madison: Gradual Encroachments on Freedom

Factions and Commotions.

“Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations. On a candid examination of history we shall find that turbulence, violence, and abuse of power by the majority trampling on the rights of the minority, have produced factions and commotions, which in republics, have more frequently than any other cause produced despotism. If we go over the whole history of the ancient and modern republics, we shall find their destruction to have generally resulted from those causes.”

—James Madison, Speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention on Control of the Military, June 16, 1788 in: History of the Virginia Federal Convention of 1788, vol. 1, p. 130 (H.B. Grigsby ed. 1890).

Turbulance, violence, and abuse of power seem to be working their black magic. Nothing but war after war after war for the last 100 years; certainly every single day — without exception — of my 3/4 century of life. Little ones, big ones, long ones, short ones … nothing but constant war and the erosion of representative democracy.

What we see now, however, is not so much the tryranny of a majority, but the dominance of an elite, super-powerful minority combined with a distracted, economically pressed, and increasingly ignorant mass of citizens. According to Madison and others, an educated and informed democracy was supposed to supply the antidote to elite control — in his day, an aristocratic plutocracy of birth; in our day a plutocracy of wealth aided by a confused and increasingly ignorant populace. Universal and compulsive civic education is abandoned and no longer defended. We see and feel the reults all around us. And now doddering senile Joe has ordered yet another fiat war all over the Middle East … and precious few so much as make a squeak.

Is there a civilized land where people are humane and intend no harm to others?

Is tyranny what we are, what we have earned, and more of it coming our way?