I was reading recently about Venezuela's expected approval of a new socialist constitution that promises benefits for the everyman and the working class, and, conveniently makes it possible for Chavez to rule for the rest of his life. Hm. And as I read about how the people believe this new government will only improve their lives, I realized what the difference is.
Our founders were all rich, well educated, land owners. They had no desire to bow to the masses; only to create a form of government that would actually work. They wrote a Constitution that made it exceptionally difficult for the country to be shifted in the winds of the untethered and violent swings of the populace. The masses are fools, and will act selfishly, without care or understanding of how their actions affect the whole or the future. Our institutions are formed to avoid the mistakes of a pure democracy (Greece) and to give more power to the elite (the Senate in its original form - but even we cannot avoid the whims of the ignorant and have given the job of electing the Upper House to the general public. I don't know that corruption has lessened by that... it has probably just changed in form.)
But the governments that are now created, like the new one of Venezuela, are just popular coups by men who don't want to lose power and know the people will support anything that gives pensions to housewives.
God watch after them. They are creating a monster.
1 comment:
It seems to me like those countries are giving themselves band-aids. It's a fix that might work for a short time, but consistently turns into evil power mongering.
Post a Comment