Separation of Government and People

There are not a lot of separation of two entities in this country, and the one that most people know is separation of church and state. In fact, that might be the only one in the labyrinthine tome that is the Constitution, amendments to the Constitution, and law of the land. I've read the Constitution, but as for everything else: TL;DR. So I only know about church and state.

I was watching Babylon 5 earlier this evening, the episode "By Whatever Means Necessary." I have discussed in my previous posting about the cycles of history and how nothing is prophetic, just the patterns of history. Babylon 5 makes good use of these historical patterns by simply reinterpreting actual historical events (i.e. a specific quarrel between Roman senators, or persons of power playing God) in a futuristic context. In this episode I noticed something that speaks volumes to what is the current political unrest in the States and in Europe (and probably everywhere else on the globe): governments simply not listening to their people. And it doesn't speak to today, it speaks to every political crisis that has ever occurred.

I hesitate to say this is another sign of End of Empire, but when governmental factions (and I do believe we have hit the point where they can be safely called "factions") no longer listen to the people who support them, the same people who pay tax dollars so these political powers can hold a session to vote on having their salaries raised on even more tax dollars spent to fund them... I don't know where I was going with that fragmented sentence, but I like and will keep it.

Let's face it, Congress has their agenda and the people have a completely different idea of what their agenda should be. The 80 or so Tea Baggers (can I still call them that?) in Congress are acting on their principles, something they were elected upon, but are not negotiating or really embracing the people's necessities. As my dad said, "Their principles won't get them reelected." (And he's a conservative). The people aren't thrilled with this Congress, and the have all rights to be.

Democracy hinges upon the expressed opinions and necessities of the people, not on what those in power think will benefit their own personal ideologies. As the Declaration of Independence says:

"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

Well said, Jefferson. America may or may not be in its decline as an empire, but separation of Government and People certainly doesn't help.

It doesn't make it any better that Obama signed NDAA, which allows for the indefinite detainment of any person suspected of being a "terrorist" without need of evidence, charges, warrant, or trail... Thanks for killing Habeas Corpus. McCarthy Trails 2.0 (or Salem Witch Trails 3.0), here we come!