The God of the Machine - Tranche #6
Chapter Two, Excerpt 3 of 3
The Power of Ideas
The most important element was the tribes, that is, divisions of the city in specific areas, supposed to have remained from the previous union of three different communities. These divisions were strictly territorial and political, with fixed boundaries; persons were comprised in them by residence, not by descent. These tribes had equal representation by franchise resting in landed property. The representation attached to the area.
Rome was never an undifferentiated “whole,” as simple aggregation of particles, as the theory of democracy postulates. From the beginning, the city of Rome was a federation, which comprises permanent bases and structure, the elements of architecture. Political offices were also restricted to fixed and short tenure. The sole object of setting a term to office is to get the incumbent out. The main object of voting in any case is to vote against persons or measures.
The Roman state made provisions not only for delay but for positive deadlock. The power of the plebs, through their tribunes, was flat obstruction. A mechanism without a brake, a motor without a cut-off, is built for self-destruction. The Roman system was durable because it was so framed that stresses became strength. The idea of law, as an abstract concept, is not predicated on custom, leadership, council, or king; nor is it compatible with democracy. The Romans affirmed a moral order in the universe.
The Power of Ideas
The most important element was the tribes, that is, divisions of the city in specific areas, supposed to have remained from the previous union of three different communities. These divisions were strictly territorial and political, with fixed boundaries; persons were comprised in them by residence, not by descent. These tribes had equal representation by franchise resting in landed property. The representation attached to the area.
Rome was never an undifferentiated “whole,” as simple aggregation of particles, as the theory of democracy postulates. From the beginning, the city of Rome was a federation, which comprises permanent bases and structure, the elements of architecture. Political offices were also restricted to fixed and short tenure. The sole object of setting a term to office is to get the incumbent out. The main object of voting in any case is to vote against persons or measures.
The Roman state made provisions not only for delay but for positive deadlock. The power of the plebs, through their tribunes, was flat obstruction. A mechanism without a brake, a motor without a cut-off, is built for self-destruction. The Roman system was durable because it was so framed that stresses became strength. The idea of law, as an abstract concept, is not predicated on custom, leadership, council, or king; nor is it compatible with democracy. The Romans affirmed a moral order in the universe.
Therein lies the modern disease – the inability of We the People to have any meaningful effect on the actions of the people in government. An excellent article by Theo Wold of American Greatness via Firebrand begins:
“James Landis is widely credited with crafting the theoretical architecture supporting President Roosevelt’s radical reconstruction—and expansion—of the federal government. Landis shrewdly both established and legitimized the regulatory state, including Roosevelt’s creation of new federal administrative agencies, by offering the regulatory state as the solution to the problem of modern governance: the administrative state “is, in essence, our generation’s answer to the inadequacy of the judicial and legislative process.” The Landis premise took concrete shape through Roosevelt’s expansion of the regulatory state, and in doing so, it brought to fruition Woodrow Wilson’s progressive intellectual project: rule by experts, insulated from the popular will…”
We, The Gods, must step in and direct the lives of you miserable, unwashed peasants – for your own good of course.
He continues:
“…What began as a type of separation-of-powers “innovation” beyond the Constitution has persisted as nothing less than tyranny. The vast majority of our governance today is created, maintained, and enforced by unelected bureaucrats who are almost entirely insulated from accountability to any branch of government, let alone the people…”
May I add that Covid-19 was entirely a Pandemic of the Unelected?
The article may be found here: https://firebrand.news/a-century-of-impotency-conservative-failure-and-the-administrative-state/?seyid=73340
From what I've seen, the less government does, the less they can screw up. Hooray for deadlock!
This is something that we are in dire need of. Two terms (at most) for ANY elected office. There should be NO "Career Politicians". They need to find something productive to do.
I have seen many parallels between Rome and the USA in this book. In the second paragraph above, the recognition of different needs for different territories. I have found it interesting that in the past decade or so, "block voting" by the parties has become so prevalent. Hard to believe that democrats from NY, CA and MN all share the exact same needs and beliefs, and similar for repubs.