A TROUBLING THOUGHT: Isn't it more than ironic that today both the Right AND the Left routinely idolize, deify and politically invoke the virtues of Lincoln. Why?
This might surprise some of you, but like Lincoln, both the modern Left and Right subscribe to a consolidated, monopolistic central government model. (Yup, our hero was a big government, one-party rule kinda' guy. And in shaping such a top-heavy government, he played the game for keeps.)
In effect, we now have Left-wing totalitarians and Right-wing socialists (neo-Cons, RINOs). Exceptions like Paul, Lee, Gohmert, Blackburn etc. comprise but a tiny minority within the ruling class. Thus, our leaders' and our own faithfulness to the principles of limited, efficient government and dual federal-state sovereignty are, at the very best, tenuous and, most certainly, of scant constructive effect.
There are many, many years of bad governing habits to overcome if we are to once again return to our Founders' bedrock principles of government. And in this what's-in-it-for-me bread and circuses atmosphere, I'm no longer sure that most of us are any longer fully committed to returning to those principles.
In truth, given the severe foundational damage wrought by years of violations and neglect since the Constitutional Convention, my guess is that brilliant luminaries like Madison, Jefferson, Morris, Adams and Franklin wouldn't stand a chance in the once hallowed halls of Capitol Hill in 2017. Hell, they'd be lucky to even get elected.
Yup. We've come a long way--in the wrong direction.
Super cool.
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