Posted on 06/02/2018 7:16:50 AM PDT by ProgressingAmerica
In his book "Progressive Democracy" (1914), Herbert Croly wrote the following: (page 29)
As in the case of every great political edifice, the materials composing the American system are derived from many different sources, and are characterized by unequal values, both as to endurance and as to latent possibilities. The appearance of definiteness and finality which it derives from its embodiment in specific constitutional documents and other authoritative words is to a large extent illusory. Its real origin and meaning are very much more doubtful and complex than these words intimate. Historians are no more agreed as to the former than political theorists are to the latter.
So what do we take from this? The Constitution, well that's not important. It cannot be, if its authority is largely illusory. Additionally, the rise of the professional (progressive) historian brought disagreement, because they too didn't see anything worthy in the Constitution. This benefits political authors and journalists who also have a similar mindset, because now they don't have to point to a friend they work with, they can point to some "distant" "expert" who by only a surface-level examination appears to be unbiased. So wink wink, nod nod over here, wink wink nod nod over there, everybody is in agreement - the Constitution sucks. These are old, outmoded ideals and we should progress toward something which is clearly better. We should progress toward something which is more concrete and not an illusion. Three pages in, Croly clarifies:
Emphatic, however, as was this assertion of its direct control over its own political institutions by the primitive American democracy, its willingness to restrict its own effective political power was no less definite and insistent. It did not show the slightest disposition to translate this supposedly effective popular control over the institutes of government into active popular control over governmental behavior. The democracy abdicated the continuing active exercise of effective power in the very act of affirming the reality of its own ultimate legal authority.
So you see, the illusion is the contradictory assertion of direct control, but yet a restriction on its own power. You need full total control, nothing less! Without full total control, that's the illusion. It's an abdication of effective power, that's what he's saying. The Constitution is, in his view, not important because it's a joke.
People with a mindset such as this cannot understand governmental limitations. Government is force, and these were the people, these progressives, who were born to be our masters. Government should be big, it should be unlimited, and of course! it should be the progressives who are in power until eternity.
Ping
Heh, that screed is ample example of why some folks not having any detectable talent go into politics.
Our founding fathers could have verbally taken this idiot apart.
And what I’d pay to see them take on Dorkbama the Muslim eunuch quota boy and melt the little b*stard into nothingness.
The Constitution is, in his view, not important because it’s a joke.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Must have been the view of everyone in the District of Corruption who let a self-admitted born British subject into the Oval Office, from which the children of foreign nationals are explicitly excluded.
Looking the their history is very telling. Thanks.
“...Dorkbama the Muslim eunuch quota boy and melt the little b*stard into nothingness.”
One of the best verbal summations of the essential Obama I’ve seen in a long while...
Kudos...
Not knowing the difference between the Republic and democracy renders his opinions as meaningless as a slug teaching Quantum Mechanics.
The Constitution is the Charter of the USA.
No Constitution, no USA.
"People with a mindset such as this cannot understand governmental limitations. Government is force, and these were the people, these progressives, who were born to be our masters."
Overlooked by "these Progressives" is the fact that America's Colonists, and Framers of its Constitution, were well aware of "people with a mindset such as this," from those Colonists' understanding of the history of nations and the tendency of human beings to abuse any acquired power over other human beings. Such "people" are present in every generation--thus a "People's" Constitution to limit that power was, and is, necessary in order for liberty to exist and thrive, as it did in America!
Let's consider one possible premise when examining this subject:
Perhaps the Progressives of today understand the "limitations of the Constitution" better than those who have professed the title of "conservative," but have not understood the determination and commitment necessary to preserve and protect that Constitution from those who are determined to break the "chains" (see Jefferson's words on this subject) which were intended to bind them down from abusing those limitations on them and their ilk."In questions of power then, let no more be heard of confidence in man but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution." - Thomas Jefferson
“The appearance of definiteness and finality which it derives from its embodiment in specific constitutional documents and other authoritative words is to a large extent illusory.”
That’s funny stuff. A bullet slamming into a progressive commie head, who tries to take away our rights, is not an illusion.
While reading the two quotes of Croly’s it occurred to me that there is a separate bias at work here. In addition to the progressive mindset, he assumes, as have so many others, that anything older is inferior.
This belief is easily seen when the separation of time, past to present, is greater. To the progressives the ancients were dumb animal like creatures. Nothing could be further from the truth.
From some perspectives, the technological advances are a marvel, they make life easier. However, they don’t represent any change in mental capabilities. It has taken many people many generations of building on the findings of their predecessors to achieve those advances. Take away some of the building blocks and poof the advancements disappear.
In some instances just the opposite of what Crowley and his progressive ilk think is what actually occurs. There is a quaint little notion called the ‘Law of Diminishing Returns.’ In this instance, when looking at the progressive perspective, there is a regression of ideas based on an attitude of superiority and of ignoring the past.
You know, this is a very good observation on your part. Progressives do indeed have that attitude that everything old is worthless and that the only thing that matters is modernity. Nothing matters but today.
This is why I like to get others to reading these progressive words, because it brings advantage in understanding them.
I have had this on the sidebar of my blog and it will never change because it is so true:
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” - Sun Tzu (Art of War, Chapter 3)
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