“IS IT TRUE” JANUARY 14, 2020

We hope that today’s “IS IT TRUE” will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way?

IS IT TRUE that the French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville was so enamored by the concept of the United States of America that he came to our young nation in 1831 to learn what it was about our country that caused so many people from other countries to want to come here?…de Tocqueville wrote a book called Democracy in America with his observations on what the future had in store for the young experiment in self-governance that was the first of its kind since the ancient Greeks imploded by adopting pure democracy?…pure democracy is when the will of the people is sought at all times including sentences for crimes committed or invented?…perhaps the biggest insult to democracy ever was when the ancient Greeks executed Socrates by forcing him to drink hemlock after a vote of the people?…the people were, of course, goaded into voting Socrates to die by an up and coming young politician who saw the philosophy of Socrates as a threat to his own ambitions?

IS IT TRUE there is much in Democracy in America that serves as a lesson in modern-day America and here are some of the most applicable quotes in no particular order?

IS IT TRUE “The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money?”

IS IT TRUE that day is upon us as pork-barrel politics, patronage jobs, and overpriced public projects are now the rule as opposed to the exception?  …“America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great?”

IS IT TRUE that with the push of Socialism that is on the front pages today, it is worthwhile to ponder the following quote with an open mind?  … that “Democracy extends the sphere of individual freedom, socialism restricts it. Democracy attaches all possible value to each man; socialism makes each man a mere agent, a mere number. Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word: equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude?”

IS IT TRUE de Tocqueville has something to say about the quality of people who seek elected office too?  …“I do not know if the people of the United States would vote for superior men if they ran for office, but there can be no doubt that such men do not run.”

IS IT TRUE that the obsession with equality is addressed in the following quote?  …“Americans are so enamored of equality, they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom?”

IS IT TRUE that de Tocqueville has little use for political parties either?  …“There are many men of principle in both parties in America, but there is no party of principle?”

IS IT TRUE that fear of the unknown and being afraid of change and one may even say an unwillingness to Live Outside the Box is encapsulated with the following quote?  …“I cannot help fearing that men may reach a point where they look on every new theory as a danger, every innovation as a toilsome trouble, every social advance as a first step toward revolution, and that they may absolutely refuse to move at all?”

IS IT TRUE that de Tocqueville also realized that an unlimited complement of “rights” vs privileges is covered in the following quote?   …“It’s not an endlessly expanding list of rights — the ‘right’ to education, the ‘right’ to health care, the ‘right’ to food and housing. That’s not freedom, that’s dependency. Those aren’t rights, those are the rations of slavery — hay and a barn for human cattle?”

IS IT TRUE it would be interesting to see what Alexis de Tocqueville would think of our divided nation today?…there are those out there with intelligence, compassion, and a passion to fix long term problems but they do not seem to be interested in serving in government?…the City-County Observer hopes that the nation of the people, by the people, and for the people can survive what our people are doing to the fabric of the nation?

IS IT TRUE we really wonder what Alexis de Tocqueville would say if he had the opportunity to attend last night Evansville City Council meeting?

IS IT TRUE when the people fear the Government we have Tyranny!  When the Government fears the people we have Liberty