Washington’s Prophetic Warning

American Thinker.com ^ | June 27, 2020 | Scott S. Powell

[Kaslin]

President Trump paid tribute to George Washington when he recently delivered the 2020 convocation speech at West Point. While congratulating the cadet graduates and reminding the world of the success of his defense modernization program that gives the U.S. unchallenged superiority, Trump missed an opportunity to mention that Washington’s “Farewell Address” was a warning to the nation that America’s greatest threat would be internal, rather than external military incursions.

Prophetic in nature, the Farewell Address so gripped the American people at the time that it was read and reprinted more than the Declaration of Independence. It was a penetrating articulation of three sources of peril to freedom and the republican form of American democracy that citizens needed to guard against:

• the failure of institutions to keep people informed and enlightened
  

• the problems of party factions and hyper-partisanship
  

• the decline of religious obligation and national morality

The recent urban chaos and violence reminds us how dangerous mobs can be and how critically important it is to have crowd control through appropriate and effective National Guard, police, and law enforcement action. But what people really need to realize is that the devastation to cities and property in urban areas across the country is not a bad dream, but rather a glimpse of what America’s internal enemies want for the whole country.

[AndyJackson]

Top of the list should be entanglement in foreign disputes. The GWB invasion of Iraq expended enormous capital and built up the wealth and power of the swamp beyond it’s wildest imaginings.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Wow, he was correct.

[Samurai_Jack]

Oh i memorized this one long ago...

“And of those who have overthrown the liberties of the republics the greatest number have begun their careers with an obsequious court to the rights of the people. Beginning as demagogues and ending as tyrants.”

That’s a really long sentence. Most today have trouble maintaining focus long enough to comprehend what he’s saying. It’s like the words are indecipherable to them. It’s very clear to me though.

[polymuser]

George Washington on political parties, from his farewell address:

“I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.

This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy.

The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.

Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.

It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which finds a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.”

[bert]

Were it not for the evolution of American political parties, America would be a nation of small coalitions.

The parties are gathering places for coalitions that can agree on enough of their differences to caucus together.

America could not function like Israel

[polymuser]

“Most today have trouble maintaining focus long enough to comprehend what he’s saying.”

Our pubic school teachers have succeeded well in dumbing down Americans, eh? It’s been the mission of progressives/cultural Marxists for many decades.

[polymuser]

“America would be a nation of small coalitions.”

Like states?

[bert]

——Like states?-—

no, like BLM, like Tea Party, like Postal unions, like anti abortion groups, like Planned parenthood......

[DeplorableGirl]

Wow. Very powerful! Almost sound like Biblical prophecy regarding an anti-christ archetype.

[polymuser]

“Wow. Very powerful!”

Not in the day, among our Founders and early patriots. It was a part of their (”racist sexist old white guys” as viewed today) thinking.

[Albion Wilde]

BUMP

[Rapscallion]

Add armed combat vandals in masks and helmets. Why do cops allow that?