Wilson – Woodrow or Dick?
SJWs please note – Before you dismiss Wilson as one of those old dead white males you have heard so much about remember that he is on your side so it is ok.
The Declaration of Independence is the foundational document of our country. The Constitution was erected from the bedrock of this document and formed our system of government. Never in the history of the world was a government formed like ours, born from revolution a government from the consent of the governed: American Exceptionalism.
But what if you don’t believe in American Exceptionalism? What if you don’t like that the Constitution established a system of government based on a separation of powers? What if you want power that is not constrained? What would you do?
As I mentioned in an earlier post, you would: “Begin at the beginning, and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”
For Wilson, the beginning was a thought that government inefficiencies could be cured by study of the new science of administration. People were spending too much time thinking about “constituting” governments and not enough time on running them.
In July of 1887, as a college professor he wrote a dreadful essay on the topic. The link is here, but please drink a lot of coffee before reading.
Long story short, he advocated for science to develop more efficient methods of instituting laws, using smooth professionals to administer it. He believed that “…in the oversight of the daily details…and means of government, public criticism is of course a clumsy nuisance, a rustic handling delicate machinery.”
Why a rustic? Because back when the Declaration and Constitution were written things were simple.
Why delicate machinery? Because now things are complex. So complex that old documents no longer apply.
Where he is getting all of these great inspirations? Socialist Europe (primarily Prussia and France).
In his thinking to fully implement this “administration” you need professionals, experts; people who were highly educated and skilled in science and who could understand the complexities of the world and administer laws without the cumbersome dictates of the Constitution to slow them down.
But you could not administer laws by moving around checks and balances provided by the Constitution directly, the clods in the public may not like that. Instead, you should start by kicking the legs out by attacking the Declaration.
In 1911, President Wilson, gave a speech where he stated: “If you want to understand the real Declaration of Independence, do not repeat the preface.” Because the Declaration “…as I recollect, did not mention any of the issues of the year 1911.” It really is just a listing of grievances against King George which no longer apply and the preface is just not relevant. Individual rights are for simpler times, but we are now in complex times.
Indeed, the Declaration is a problem for Progressives. To Progressives there is no higher power than government, and only it can bestow rights.
If in the “preface” the Declaration talks of rights provided to us by God, then it has got to go. To Progressives God is competition! This can be seen currently in the undermining of the 1st Amendment and it flows from Wilson.
If you toss out the “Preamble” of the Declaration and disregard the old list of grievances that no longer apply, what do you have? Nothing really.
And if you have a Constitution built on nothing, then these so-called checks and balances established in the systemic construction of our government are built on – well, air.
And if you don’t really have checks and balances, then it is easier to increase the power of the rulers by using a mechanism of administration.
And if administrators can make the rules, enforce the rules and review conflicts with the rules – well that is the very definition of tyranny.
This is what Wilson was about, and why he is the father of the Progressive movement. He is the starting point of our 100 years of crap (cutting TR some slack for the moment).
He is not done however, because for Progressives it is never done, but for now lets say:
Wilson – 0 Dick – 1