Factions, Falsehoods, and Fascism - Guest Post Steven Maikoski
Factions can end a government. They are dangerous and must be countered with education, because ... its adherents do not understand the long course of their actions and desires.
I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations
James Madison
Foreword
It is a great honor to have Steven Maikoski as a guest post. He is the author of three wonderful books:
Initial Points in Politics: Our Constitution as the Center of Politics
Arguing for the Constitution: If you call yourself a right-winger, you’re doing it WRONG!
Without any further delay, enjoy this excellent treatise from “Steve’s Constitutional Scratch Sheet.”
Factions, Falsehoods, and Fascism
Jams Madison
James Madison addresses the problems of political factions in Federalist #10. For those of you new to this subject, the Federalists (often referred to as the Federalist Papers) were a set of 85 essays penned by either Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, or John Jay, that were written “To the people of New York” in an effort for their state to ratify the proposed Constitution. They explain the reasoning behind the Constitution and the protections it offers to state sovereignty and the defense of the nation.
In the following writings, the authors use a term relating to “popular governments.” They mean democracies or democratic actions within another form of government. Basically, anything that gives power to a mob.
Factions can be the disease that kills any government it infects; we are no different. Madison fears their power and explains why. Here are some quotes from Federalist #10, starting off with his definition:
By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest adverse to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.
Among the numerous advantages promised by a well constructed union, none deserves to be more accurately developed than its tendency to break and control the violence of faction.
The instability, injustice and confusion introduced into the public councils have in truth been the mortal diseases under which popular governments have everywhere perished, as they continue to be the favorite and fruitful topics from which the adversaries to liberty derive their most specious declamations.
The latent causes of faction are thus sown in the nature of man, and we see them everywhere brought into different degrees of activity according to the different circumstances of civil society.
A zeal for different opinions concerning religion, concerning government, and many other points, as well of speculation as of practice; an attachment to different leaders ambitiously contending for pre-eminence and power, or to persons of other descriptions whose fortunes have been interesting to the human passions have in turn divided mankind into parties, inflamed them with mutual animosity, and rendered them much more disposed to vex and oppress each other than to co-operate for their common good.
George Washington
George Washington also addresses factions, which he coins into the term “party spirit.” The following quotes are from George Washington’s Farewell Address.
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.
Steve’s Analysis
Factions can end a government. They are dangerous and must be countered with education because I firmly believe that its adherents do not understand the long course of their actions and desires.
Some Clarification: FASCISM is a form of government where the private sector is allowed to exist, but does so with the demands of the master government. Socialism takes over private businesses; everything is owned and managed by the government.
Already we see moves into a fascist government in our nation with the government “management” of health care and the overseeing agencies at every level of government. As you will find, the anti-fascist groups that are protesting and rioting are actually pro-fascist groups. They are reminiscent of Hitler’s “Brown Shirts.”
Compiled by Steven Maikoski, Author: The Real Constitution and Its Real Enemies”
Steven@Therealconstitution.com
Cogent publisher, Frederick R. Smith
Thank you for this article. I wish more people read your work. No matter what field of employment you are in, big government is taking over. I am in healthcare and unfortunately government has taken it over.