Liberalism is Aristocracy

Since I am the founder of a non-profit tax-exempt organization called Vine & Fig Tree, and since I am a third-party candidate with no realistic hope of unseating the third most powerful Republican in Congress, who has raised millions of dollars in his congressional campaigns, it should be no secret that I'm using this campaign as an educational vehicle to promote the Biblical ideal of "Liberty Under God," which America's Founding Fathers found in Micah's "Vine & Fig Tree" prophecy (Micah 4:1-7).

Yesterday I introduced a comparison of modern liberalism with classical laissez-faire liberalism.

19th century liberalism meant smaller government.
20th century liberalism meant bigger government.

Classical liberalism meant everyone had an equal opportunity shot at the "pursuit of happiness."
Modern liberalism means regulations and obstacles for the disfavored, and special privileges and subsidies for the favored.

Thomas Jefferson was a classical liberal.
FDR was a modern liberal.

Jefferson was a democrat.
FDR was an aristocrat.

Jefferson had confidence in "the People."
FDR believed that the masses were retarded, and needed to be guided by the aristocracy.

Let's examine this idea of democracy vs. aristocracy in more detail.

In a letter to William Johnson in 1823, Thomas Jefferson wrote:

"At the formation of our government, many had formed their political opinions on European writings and practices, believing the experience of old countries, and especially of England, abusive as it was, to be a safer guide than mere theory. The doctrines of Europe were, that men in numerous associations cannot be restrained within the limits of order and justice, but by forces physical and moral, wielded over them by authorities independent of their will. Hence their organization of kings, hereditary nobles, and priests."

In 1810 Jefferson wrote to Joel Barlow:

"[We] believe in the improvability of the condition of man, and [we] have acted on that behalf, in opposition to those who consider man as a beast of burden made to be rode by him who has genius enough to get a bridle into his mouth."

In 1816 he wrote to Samuel Kercheval:

"[Our] object is to secure self-government by the republicanism of our constitution, as well as by the spirit of the people; and to nourish and perpetuate that spirit. I am not among those who fear the people. They and not the rich are our dependence for continued freedom."

"I am not discouraged by [a] little difficulty; nor have I any doubt that the result of our experiment will be, that men are capable of governing themselves without a master." --Thomas Jefferson to T. B. Hollis, 1787

"The only point on which [General Washington] and I ever differed in opinion was, that I had more confidence than he had in the natural integrity and discretion of the people, and in the safety and extent to which they might trust themselves with a control over their government." --Thomas Jefferson to John Melish, 1813.

More from Jefferson on Self-Government

The English word "democracy" comes from two Greek words: demos, "people," and kratein, "to seize." The idea behind the "-cracy" part of various political terms (e.g., aristocracy; democracy, mobocracy, bureaucracy), is the idea of making a choice, and being able to hold onto that choice.

Modern liberalism denies that "the People" are able to make choices wisely, that they can hold onto their choices providently, and that they can live with their choices, taking personal responsibility. The aristocracy must do these things for them. ("Aristocracy" comes from the Greek aristos, "the best.")

So for example, the aristocracy needs to plan for the retirement years of "the People," because "the people" are too stupid to plan for themselves. And if the Jones family suffers because Mr. Jones was too stupid to plan ahead, the Smith family next door, intelligent enough to plan for themselves, are too greedy to help the Jones family when they hear of the Jones family problems.

Fortunately for America, the liberal aristocracy is both wise and compassionate. This is "government of the people, by the best (the liberals), for the people."

This is not democracy.

In fact, it represents a fundamental repudiation of democracy, even though liberals claim an almost sacramental belief in democracy (and most liberals are "democrats"). Liberal aristocratic democrats believe "the People" are too stupid to take care of themselves and each other, because they are greedy and foolish. But in a liberal democracy, the greedy and the foolish get to vote. They vote for candidates who are their peers, who are by nature greedy and foolish. But the sacrament of voting creates an electoral transubstantiation of greedy and foolish people into the priestly caste of the liberal bureaucracy. At one time greedy and foolish, they become - by virtue of being elected - wise and compassionate. Once selfish and short-sighted, they become focused exclusively on the long-term best interests of the governed.

(Which explains why no politician wants to even discuss the imminent bankruptcy of the Social Security ponzi scheme.)

If "the People" can be trusted with political democracy (using their votes to elect liberal aristocrats who are wise and benevolent), why can they not be trusted with economic democracy (choosing where to work, at what wage, spending their earnings as they see fit, choosing how to educate their children, etc., etc.)?

Jefferson was aware that democracy required education:

"The qualifications for self-government in society are not innate. They are the result of habit and long training." --Thomas Jefferson to Edward Everett, 1824.

"[Without becoming] familiarized with the habits and practice of self-government,... the political vessel is all sail and no ballast." --Thomas Jefferson to Henry Dearborn, 1822.

"[It is a] happy truth that man is capable of self-government, and only rendered otherwise by the moral degradation designedly superinduced on him by the wicked acts of his tyrant." --Thomas Jefferson to M. de Marbois, 1817.

For nearly 100 years, James Madison has been quoted as saying:

We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves ... according to the Ten Commandments of God.

But liberal educators will not even allow a copy of the Ten Commandments to be posted in a classroom for students to see. Teaching children that the Declaration of Independence is really true, and giving students the "liberal arts," that is, the art of being a free and independent person, living securely under one's own vine & fig tree, is now illegal in schools controlled by modern secular liberals. Jefferson would be the first to accuse modern liberal education of "dumbing down" students to prevent their challenging the aristocracy.

The Bible is much more supportive of classical laissez-faire liberalism than modern liberalism. Micah's "Vine & Fig Tree" prophecy (Micah 4:1-7) is democratic:

And the peoples will stream to it.
And many nations will come and say,
"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD
And to the House of the God of Jacob,
That He may teach us about His ways
And that we may walk in His paths."

All nations, all people, will seek the truth to be governed by it, which is the mark of self-government.

The Prophets continuously declare that Israel had been a "chosen nation" by grace, not by merit, and for a temporary purpose, which was the eventual conversion of all the gentile nations. Malachi 1:11 echoes this idea. So did Micah's contemporary, Isaiah (Isaiah 56:1-8).

The idea of "all nations" coming to true faith annoyed Jewish aristocrats. Jesus quoted Isaiah's prophecy and the religious leaders wanted to kill Him (Mark 11:17-18). Jewish aristocrats believed that Malachi's "true religion" could only be practiced under their liberal guidance with their liberal regulations in the temple centrally located at Jerusalem. Jesus explained to the Samaritan woman at the well that this was never the teaching of Moses and the Prophets (John 4:1-26).

A world of classical liberalism is:
__a laissez-faire world of economic democracy,
__with all people Free to Choose, and
__taking personal responsibility for their choices.
The world of modern liberalism is:
__a world of passive uneducated faith in
__the Messianic Liberal Aristocracy.

Benjamin Rush signed the Declaration of Independence and served in the Presidential administrations of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison -- each of whom came from a different political party. And of what party was Rush?

I have been alternately called an aristocrat and a democrat. I am now neither. I am a Christocrat. I believe all power. . . will always fail of producing order and happiness in the hands of man. He alone Who created and redeemed man is qualified to govern him.

In the 21st century, both Republicans and Democrats are proponents of atheistic liberal aristocracy. Only the Libertarian Party believes in Jeffersonian democracy. Only Kevin Craig is a Christocrat.