Specious Declamations

In the Federalist papers, Federalist No. 10, penned by James Madison it was written:

The friend of popular governments never finds himself so much alarmed for their character and fate, as when he contemplates their propensity to this dangerous vice. He will not fail, therefore, to set a due value on any plan which, without violating the principles to which he is attached, provides a proper cure for it. 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.

Why would he write this? It has been said here and many other places that it will only take a 51% majority to reach a state where the government can legally rob the rich and give to the poor, where private property can become public, where voluntary acts can become compulsory, and where the essence of individualism can be replaced with collectivism.

We see examples every day where our liberty is being stripped away under the guise of populism. Smoking bans, ethanol mandates, educational mandates, over-reaching government into private matters, CAFÉ standards, seat belt and helmet laws, banning of trans fats, are just of the few popular liberties were we have been recently rapped. Why do the politicians advocate for them? One, they’re popular. Two, their lobbies contribute large amounts to their campaigns. And thirdly, politicians want to so much stay in power that they will vote party over principal. Damn the constituency! This is especially true of our local state politicians. As far as I’m concerned, there is no longer a party of conservatism in this state. They are nothing more than the populists Madison was warning us about.

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