from zpolitics’ Ron Hart,  AMERICA’S TWO-PARTY SYSTEM IS CRACKING UP

Within the Democratic Party, which historically enforces party discipline with draconian measures, there is also a split. Secular progressives, led by Bernie Sanders, want to see this country become socialist. Hillary, knowing she is going to win, has had to tack left, but still tries to say she is “kinda” religious. She even said she “speaks to God several times a day.” Her agent later clarified that she does speak to God but never charges him the full $250,000. And she would not reveal her fee or what political favors God got in return.

The donor class of GOP candidates like John McCain and Mitt Romney are in a tizzy that someone outside their sphere of influence might get the GOP nomination and upset their Washington insider cabal. Both former candidates have said Trump’s nomination “is a threat to democracy.” So unless the establishment approves, letting us decide who will be our candidate is now undemocratic?

I would state it differently; democracy is a threat to liberty.  We think the two are synonymous, but our constitution intentionally limits democracy in pursuit of liberty. Minority rights are protected. The rule of law and the checks an balances are intended to limit the threats of a concentration of power.

Historically the unfettered exercise of democracy has given way to an authoritarian figure. The separate election cycles of the House, the Senate and the White House has muted the impact of such a possibility.

It is the genius of the Constitution that kept our revolution from being expressed by the  guillotines of the French Revolution.  And it is our Constitution that kept our central planning government from developing into the tyrannies of Europe as analyzed by Frederick Hayek in The Road to Serfdom….. so far.  But the rise of the administrative state, and the weakening of the legislative power by activist courts and executive orders have threatened this balance and should be countered.

Such political theory has no place in this election or probably in any other. But if Trump gets elected we will learn to appreciate the genius of the Constitution once more.

tips to Chip Koplin for the zpolitics article.

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