Sunday, August 9, 2009

Town Hall Meetings and the Democratic Leadership

Okay, reading de Tocqueville again and came across this passage that had a surprising relevance to today's news and events.
Municipal freedom is not a fruit of human device; it is rarely created; but it is, as it were, secretly and spontaneously engendered in the midst of a semi-barbarous state of society. The constant action of the laws and the national habits, peculiar circumstances, and above all time, may consolidate it; but there is certainly no nation on the continent of Europe which has experienced its advantages. Nevertheless local assemblies of citizens constitute the strength of free nations. Town-meetings are to liberty what primary schools are to science; they bring it within the people's reach, they teach men how to use and how to enjoy it. A nation may establish a system of free government, but without the spirit of municipal institutions it cannot have the spirit of liberty. The transient passions and the interests of an hour, or the chance of circumstances, may have created the external forms of independence; but the despotic tendency which has been repelled will, sooner or later, inevitably reappear on the surface.

(emphasis mine)

It seems the democrats (National Socialists) with their socialized medicine agenda are learning what the power of town-meetings are. They're finding out that, despite the force of the governmental propaganda machine and state controlled media outlets, the voice of the people will be heard. They're realizing that the voices they've been listening to in DC are NOT speaking for the majority of the citizens of this country. They go out expecting a cowed populace to meekly swallow what they've decided is best for the uneducated masses and instead run full force into an increasingly discontented constituency. They are finding out that the attitude they've had that they rule over people is a fleeting fantasy of theirs. The fact that they merely are the representative those same people is dashing that fantasy to pieces.

So, much like despotic government throughout history, they are resorting to the same tactics that have worked so well in the past, namely thuggery and intimidation a la the Chicago political machine.

Too bad most Americans are brave enough that that kind of brown shirt politics just makes them madder and louder.

They've also tried to label the opposition as "astroturf" and called them paid political agitators. First off, they are very familiar with astroturfing, having used and abused that tactic for a while now. One only needs to look at the Joyce Foundation, or ACORN to see that. Secondly, to try to demonize and marginalize what is happening all over the country will only succeed in deepening the rift developing between the people and their congresscritters.

They may find their reelection campaigns running on flat tires.

Which brings up a thought I had a while back. I was listening to the radio at work and the voices were talking about blue dog democrats. I forget what the topic of the rift was between them and the DNC, but the commentator made the point that even though they were opposed to what the party was trying, ultimately their loyalty rested with that party. Which made me sit up and want to shout. Their loyalty better be resting with the people they supposedly represent. If the loyalties of the politico's in DC are to a party and not the people, we've lost our republic. Great phrases like; "of the people, by the people, for the people..." have no meaning then, and we're looking at just another form of autocracy like any other despotic nation on this planet.

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