A Crash Course in Critical Political Thinking
So you wanna be wise, eh?
Then it’s time we drop convention.
Believe it or not, our country was not established for the benefit of the Republican or the Democrat parties. There has been a long, subtle, and pernicious plot to usurp the power of the people and consolidate power in the hands of these political parties.
There are many inherent flaws in our current two-party political system. Looking at political issues from the ordained left and right perspectives will forever produce shortsighted solutions. I’m sure the politicians hope we won’t notice.
With the Democrats and Republicans so deeply entrenched in the political establishment, they have effectively shutdown any outside political challengers. Though they bicker in public, both parties are members of an elite ruling class. That’s a problem.
It has become clear that these two political parties utterly fail to represent the vastly diverse perspectives of the American people. Worse yet, they have grown both bold and complacent, often demonstrating complete disregard for the will of the people.
Now, here’s where it get tricky. Are you ready to put on your thinking cap?
What is the will of the people?
Go ahead and try to define that. I dare you.
If 160 MILLION people think we should ban birthday cakes because they are undeniably unhealthy and clearly lead to heart disease and certain death… is that the will of the people?
If 150 MILLION people think that every child should be taught religious principles in school so they have a moral compass and can enjoy a spiritually fulfilling life… is that the will of the people?
If 210 MILLION people think that the government has no right to confiscate 35% of every paycheck to fund pet projects without any accountability, if they stood together in solidarity and demanded equitable tax laws… is that the will of the people?
Where is the logic in any such hypothetical? Logic is best applied in the following steps:
- Recognize that the will of the people is a stubborn, intractable beast, shifty and forever wild.
- Acknowledge that what sounds good to some will prove disagreeable to others. It’s a human thing.
- Attempt to establish a minimally intrusive government that allows unbridled diversity and protects personal liberties.
Hmmm… seems like there were some old white dudes that came up with something like that once… I remember because they did a damn good job. In fact, they wrote down their ideas and changed the entire course of humanity. What was that? Oh yeah…
The Constitution of the United States of America.
Boom. If we let the logic sink in a little deeper, we begin to see things a whole lot clearer. It’s all about personal freedom, which, rather ironically, can only function under the rule of law. Why is that? Well, that’s a topic we’ll discuss a little later.
The takeaway for this post should be this: America was found by a country of free individuals. The founders had just rejected tyrannical rule and fought a war to declare their right to self-governance. Their message was, “Leave us the f*ck alone.”
Soon after, they hammered out the essential policies of limited government and enshrined the principles of personal freedom in our Constitution. Keep in mind, this is all crazy relevant to the political chaos of today.
If our government was functioning as mandated, we would not be where we are at today.
Logic says we should take a closer look at the Constitution. It may be the critical first step to solving all our problems.
There is a great free course called Constitution 101 here.
