Governance by the Few or the Many?

The recent sharp bend toward authoritarian rule in the United States by what was called the Republican Party is cause for a brief historical review of why this movement is a dangerous repeat of a long failed political system.  Dictators, Kings, Emperors, and all national leaders who are not answerable to the people (e.g., Putin) arise from the same ugly human sin. It is an usurpation of the people's power that benefits principally only the ego of an individual with a small cadre of supporters holding fantasies of getting a share of that power and wealth if they are loyal. 

This egoistic authoritarian rule through history can be blamed for millions of deaths, the sick drive for ever more powerful weapons of destruction, and untold tons of the earth's resources squandered pursuing militaristic solutions for one goal: amassing as much wealth and power in the hands of as few as possible.

To begin someplace - take Rome around the turn of the 1st millennium CE.  A string of emperors, having subjugated the largest geographical area in human history, became increasingly drunk on power to the point of true insanity.  That insanity and corruption were helpful in the dissolution of the Roman Empire, but as it broke up, it was essentially only restructured into other empires. Tribal chiefs, warlords, kings, and emperors were humanity's only model of governance. The rule of natural law was the brute survival of the strongest leader who could dominate the population through subjugation into poverty or military prowess.

It wasn't until a spate of revolutions in the 18th century (e.g., French, American) that a new concept of governance arose - government by the people. The idea was simple: economic progress was possible only through the concerted labor of the people, so the people should have control of the governance structure to provide for the needs of the people.  Hence, democracy was born.

The United States of America was established on the principle that the Law was king.  The law could establish the equality of human beings and respect the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Given the history from which humanity came, it is unsurprising that holding on to those idyllic principles has been an ongoing struggle.  The few, who have always clamored to garner more unto themselves, have never relented. An underlying ethical question remains bubbling under the surface of all collective human endeavors: how much is enough? 

From its inception, the United States government has held its want for "more" on the one hand and, on the other hand, the theoretical hope that one people could live under the law with liberty and justice for all. Sadly, examples of the breakdown of that speculative hope have littered US history while the forces of the few wanting more and more have consistently won out.

The indigenous peoples of North America were the early losers as their lands were taken by bribes, corruption, and force. Tycoons and corporations harvested and reaped the largess of resources in the new land with the support of governance structures, including the rule of laws made to their benefit. The wheels of governing have always been vulnerable to occupation by those with the money to buy them. The all too familiar "glove over the fist" has been to convince the working poor that the fruit of their labor was being stolen by scapegoats (slaves, immigrants, miscreants, and perverts) to hide the haul being made out the back door by the tycoons. US Corporations continue to this day around the globe raking in the wealth of land and labor belonging to others. Once tycoons were (somewhat) satisfied with millions, they now want billions, with their eyes glassing over at the thought that being the first trillionaire is within reach.  Again the question: how much is enough?  And, at what cost to the people?

Somewhat understandably, the desire of the tycoons today is a form of governance that they can control, and the ancient example of dictators and emperors stand out as the form that accomplishes the largest centralization of power in the fewest pesky hands. Today the United States finds itself in the tycoons' bowling alley.  They have been setting up the pins -- the fomentation of dissatisfaction of different groups against each other (i.e., scapegoats) to fracture unanimity.  Now with the buying of the U.S. Supreme Court, the undermining of election/voting laws, and a loud minority of Congress giving the appearance of being the ones popular among the people, the bowling ball is poised for an entirely different kind of shot that will be heard around the world: the death of democracy. Are there still enough revolutionary hearts beating for the freedom humans have longed for without tyrants stealing it all? Stay tuned.