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What John Adams Knew -- Donald Trump: the populist demogogue John Adams anticipated
National Review ^ | 3-18-16 | Kevin Williamson

Posted on 03/18/2016 5:53:50 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic

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1 posted on 03/18/2016 5:53:51 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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To: afraidfortherepublic

So, there’s an “elite” class to rule over the peasantry? Is THAT the argument they’re trying to make?


2 posted on 03/18/2016 5:55:11 AM PDT by cincinnati65
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To: afraidfortherepublic
What would John Adams have thought of the existence of a "donor class"?

What would Sam have thought of it?

3 posted on 03/18/2016 5:55:41 AM PDT by Jim Noble (Diseases desperate grown, are by desperate appliance relieved, or not at all)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Kevin Williamson - drama queen.


4 posted on 03/18/2016 5:55:56 AM PDT by glorgau
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Bump


5 posted on 03/18/2016 5:56:35 AM PDT by exnavy (John 3:16)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

National Revolting, at it again. Yet it was the same Adams who:

1) Was FOR the very tariffs that Trump espouses as a leverage tool vs. a protectionist tool that Adams liked;

2) Tried to give Washington the title of “King” (he wisely rejected it)

3) Highly distrusted the people, whereas Trump in fact is OF the people and owes his success totally to the people

In short, National Repugnance should get a life.


6 posted on 03/18/2016 5:56:35 AM PDT by LS ("Castles Made of Sand, Fall in the Sea . . . Eventually" (Hendrix))
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To: afraidfortherepublic
"As difficult as it is to imagine Donald Trump taking the presidential oath of office, it is much more difficult to imagine him taking it seriously, "


7 posted on 03/18/2016 5:56:52 AM PDT by CodeToad (Islam should be banned and treated as a criminal enterprise!)
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To: VanShuyten

Bump


8 posted on 03/18/2016 6:00:49 AM PDT by exnavy (John 3:16)
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To: Pharmboy; Doctor Raoul; indcons; Chani; thefactor; blam; aculeus; ELS; mainepatsfan; timpad; ...

The Adams view of government vs what we have today.

FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Founding Father/Revolutionary War/ George Washington ping list.


9 posted on 03/18/2016 6:01:40 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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To: afraidfortherepublic
Donald Trump...rejects conservatism. He rejects free trade. He rejects property rights. He rejects the rule of law. He rejects limited government.

Ummm. Huh?

OH! National Review. Now it makes sense.

10 posted on 03/18/2016 6:02:08 AM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (#BlackoLivesMatter)
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To: ResisTyr

Bump


11 posted on 03/18/2016 6:02:11 AM PDT by exnavy (John 3:16)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Faux conservatives at NR, and their ilk in the Republican party are sinking to ever increasing new lows.

For well over 30 years Faux conservatives have ignored the will of republican voters. Flooding our country with illegal immigrants, trade deals that cost Americans their jobs and standard of living. All in the name of socialist redistribution.

This article is in fact about themselves.


12 posted on 03/18/2016 6:02:21 AM PDT by stockpirate (We must burn down the republican party, to save it for “We the People” (Palin Trump is the 1st wav)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Which of our founders would oppose nullification of legitimate elections by elites? All of them?


13 posted on 03/18/2016 6:02:25 AM PDT by wayoverontheright (A falling camel attracts many knives.......)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Adams was likely talking about Jefferson, NRO.


14 posted on 03/18/2016 6:03:51 AM PDT by VanDeKoik
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To: afraidfortherepublic
"The democratic passion demands the expropriation of Apple and Goldman Sachs, projects Trump considers with some glee."

I have not heard Trump say this.

15 posted on 03/18/2016 6:04:49 AM PDT by sockhead
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Trump is not a dictator.

He doesn’t claim any authority other than that given to him by the American people.

And should he be elected, they can revoke his mandate at their pleasure.

Kevin D. Williamson is smoking crack. The notion that Trump presents an intolerable affront to two centuries of American self-government is a meme not in need of explanation.

Yes indeed, people have a right to be angry with their rulers and that’s exactly what elections are for - to bring government in line with the wants and desires of the people from whom it derives its authority.

I need only quote Ronald Reagan: “America is a country that has a government, not a government that has a country.”

In a word, government is the servant of the people who are its master.


16 posted on 03/18/2016 6:05:27 AM PDT by goldstategop ((In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever))
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Agreed. Trump or Hillary will produce many of the same results. Hillary by radial design and Trump by unbridled passion and vanity.


17 posted on 03/18/2016 6:05:41 AM PDT by WorkingClassFilth (Go Ted!)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Thanks. An interesting article which will be twisted or ignored by many in 3...2...1...


18 posted on 03/18/2016 6:08:06 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

For seven years these conservatives have sold out to corporate elites and globalists and didn’t give a damn about so-called “conservative” principles. Now that someone is threatening their operation they’ve all become born again small government advocates. Oh go shove it Mr. Williamson! They don’t call your magazine National RINOview for nothing. The Republican elected class, conservative establishment people like you Mr. Williamson and the donor class sold the party out. We in the rank and file did not. Now you want to lecture us about conservatism and stick us with another establishment type. Sorry, been down that road too many times.


19 posted on 03/18/2016 6:10:42 AM PDT by dowcaet
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To: cincinnati65

No, the point he is making is that there’s a structure that must be respected, but once that structure and philosophy of governance have been abandoned in favor of an an individual who reflects and uses the passions of the mob (Trump, for example), it collapses and democracy becomes misrule -

As Adams said, “avarice, ambition, revenge and licentiousness would break the strongest cords of our Constitution,” because a democracy depends upon the moral and religious nature of its people and their willingness to adhere to the rule of law and not let themselves be swept away by their passions. The latter always ends up destroying their society and leaving them far worse off than they were, incidentally.


20 posted on 03/18/2016 6:11:55 AM PDT by livius
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