TRUTH AND POWER

   Our country was founded on the revolutionary idea of speaking truth to power. The preamble to the Constitution of the United States contains the phrase, " government by the consent of the governed". That is a potent weapon of resistance movements, and an ineffectual weapon for those who want to maintain power over the powerless. Liberals freely speak the truth to power, Conservatives freely speak the truth OF power. Can this axiom be defended? Maybe. Liberals and Conservatives might agree that Liberals do not have aggregated power, or do not have it for long. Evidence for this might be found in the influence of the Electoral College since the 2000 election. Conservatives fear aggregated power by Liberals and will use every method, including voter suppression, to prevent that possibility. They need not worry. Liberalism is an aspirational focus on extending power beyond the conventional boundaries; those unfamiliar or untried by most people. Liberal ideas are feared until they become popular, or at least admired. That possibility is what keeps conservatives awake at night.
   Conservatism is the defense of what has long been accepted. Power is most likely held by conservatives because those ideas are what they grew up with. Why rock the boat? People who are not inclined towards deep thought, or are reluctant to move the boundaries forward, gravitate to Conservatism. Can Conservatism be a strength? Yes, it takes little effort to rally people to an accepted ideal. Conservavatism also implies caution, a laudable goal. However being cautious can also be a weakness. Where is the line between cautious and over cautious? Finding that nuance requires people to think seriously, to analyze. Too many people find that uncomfortable or too time consuming. Those people are the conservative base.
   What of liberalism? Are they too eager to jump at an untried idea? Some, yes. It could be argued, however,, that since liberals are venturing into unknown areas, they are required to think through the ideas they are committing to. This is the countervailing force that makes Liberalism viable for those who venture into it. Here might be another axiom: a liberal uses intellect liberally but applies it conservatively. Whereas, a Conservative relies on "gut instinct", instead of intellect but applies it liberally. Is there a solution to this dilemma? Of course not! It is that tension between Liberalism and Conservatism that makes democracy dynamic. It is not allowed in authoritarian governments, a monarchy, or dictatorship, or theocracy. Authoritarians are conservative by nature, because power is held tightly by a tiny few. Speaking truth to power in those countries guarantees you a long life behind bars, or a short life as an activist. One of those authoritarian governments gave aid to Donald Trumps presidential ambitions.

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