Wednesday began back in the normal flow. Eli and Percy had their game set up and the first couple of moves executed before Jesse showed up. Jesse had been held up reading an article in the newspaper’s opinion column on the nature of the U.S. government in the 21st century. Some of the views somewhat troubled him, some confused him, for politics was not one of his more delved upon subjects. As he made his way to the park, he used the time to think more on the subject. And, actually, to think of a question to place on the chessboard of his brother’s minds.
“Good morning bros,” Jesse said as he approached his brothers. Both Eli and Jesse were staring intently at the board between them. Neither one acknowledged Jesse. After a few moments, Percy raised is arm and weakly waved toward Jesse. Understanding the mood of the moment, Jesse sat himself down on the bench and bent his neck backward and upward, looking up through the branches of the tree behind him. Gently closing his eyes, he let the troubling subject that stuck in his mind loosen and wander it’s way around his thoughts. He had his question. Taking the opportunity while his brothers were deeply occupied with their game, he worked through his own answer to the question.
“Ah, damn!” Percy exclaimed.
“Didn’t see that one comin’, did ya bro?” Eli teased.
Percy had left one of his rooks wide open for attack, which Eli felt more than pleased to execute.
“I’ll blame it on our little brother there. He threw me off – getting here late and all.”
Jesse let the comment slide while his closed-eye gaze continued up the tree.
Eli, noticing Jesse’s lack of a come back, turned and looked at his youngest brother. “Ah, jeeze. His head’s already back in the clouds, Perce. Let him go. It’s your move.”
Eyes still closed, neck still bent back, “Whenever yer ready there, Eli, I have a question for you two. Might be too much for you, though. So you guys just go ahead and keep playin’. I’m patient. Or, if you ain’t up to the challenge, I’ll just keep my mouth shut.”
Jesse was in rare form. He was deeply serious in his tone. Eli and Percy were both, at the same time, taken aback with his statement, his challenge. Staring at each other across the chessboard, neither one could say anything. They just stared at each other.
It was Eli that broke the stare, and the silence, “Aw crap, Jesse. You’ve spoiled the flow of our game. Go ahead and ask your question.”
Jesse, unflinchingly holding his neck and closed eyes replied, “Spoiled the flow of your game, or piqued your interest, Eli?”
“Both!” blurted Percy. “Just bend your neck and open your eyes, then ask what’s on your mind today bro!”
Jesse slowly lowered his gaze, not without a bit of pain after holding his neck back for so long. Turning his head, he opened his eyes and spied each of his brother’s expressions to determine if indeed they were truly interested. Normally, Jesse proposed his philosophical questions with half true inquisitiveness, half teasing. Today, however, the information he read in the paper before visiting with his brothers caused a deeper well of seriousness within. Surmising both men were truly listening – and interested – Jesse posed his question.
“Okay, here it is. But no snide remarks – Eli! You both know me well enough. A question like this I wouldn’t normally ask. So I’m serious, okay? In your opinion, what is the best form of government?”
Because they had been raised to value highly the bonds of family. Because, deep down, they truly loved and respected one another, Eli held back any quips, and Percy let the question sink in before beginning to formulate his thoughts.
“We were always taught to love our country. You remember how patriotic Dad was. So, I guess, the answer, or my answer anyway, would be a democracy,” began Eli.
“What about you Percy?” asked Jesse.
“I took a course way back when in comparative governments. I don’t remember what it was called now, but the gist of the course was to analyze and compare different forms of government. In particular we spent several weeks delving into the particulars of our government. From that I learned that, in reality, the form of functioning government we have here in the United States is a representative democracy. What that really means is that we are neither a pure democracy nor a pure republic.”
Eli, intrigued by Percy’s answer, sought more information from Percy and asked, “What’s the difference, then, between the two?”
“Well, don’t quote me, but as I remember it, a pure democracy is where laws are made directly by a majority of the voting public. In other words, the majority runs the country, leaving the will and rights of the minority virtually unprotected. In a republic, on the other hand, laws are made by representatives elected by the people limited by a constitution that protects the minority from the will of the majority – like our Constitution and Bill of Rights. It limits the power of government.”
Eli continued, “What are we, then? A democracy or a republic?”
“Curious you should ask that. The Founding Fathers wrestled with that as well. Essentially what they came up with, what we have today, is a representative democracy.”
As Percy continued to educate his brothers, Jesse remained silent, taking in what Percy was sharing while struggling to formulate his own answer.
Eli wasn’t satisfied with Percy’s answer. “Okay, Perce. Since you seem to know more on this than I do and Jesse doesn’t look ready to share his thoughts, explain a representative democracy.”
Percy, satisfied Eli wasn’t being his usual challenging self, continued, “Back in 1787, at the Constitutional Convention, there was no term for a representative form of government. In other words, there had not been a government created by ‘the people’ as opposed to a king. Much like today, the people of that day, that is, the colonists, kind of used those two terms, republic and democracy, interchangeably. But to answer your question more directly, we have a system of checks and balances that are there to temper the will of the majority, each branch of government, as we know them, in turn constrained by the Constitution.”
After listening to Percy’s explanation and before Eli thought long enough to respond, Jesse finally began to add his view.
“But that isn’t the case today, is it?”
“How do you mean?” asked Eli.
“Well, ask yourselves. Is the will of the minority ‘really’ protected today? It seems to me in practice that the minority is completely unprotected from the will of the majority. Yes, we have a façade of a body of representatives that are untainted by avarice, greed or any other form of persuasion except the will of their direct constituents. But look around you. IS that true? Percy – I appreciate your understanding of our system of government and sharing it with us, but as I have been listening, I have found several things that are bugging me.”
“Thanks for the compliment, I think, Jesse. Explain what you mean.”
“I’ll try. So in a pure democracy everyone has a vote. Simply executed, the majority vote determines every decision on every matter put before the people. What I recognize in that is simply competition – one side always in contention with the other. Within those supposed two sides – just to keep this discussion somewhat simplified, there is a hidden third party that doesn’t have a strong opinion one way or the other. It is THAT group that concerns me here. I see this group as able to be swayed to vote either way, dependent on who impresses him the strongest. Does that make sense?”
Eli replied, “I guess so. Ya it does.”
“Now in terms of a republic, or representative government, who says we wouldn’t – or don’t! – have the same possible problem? Do we really believe that those that are our representatives really follow the will of their constituents? Or isn’t it more likely they to bend will of special interest groups that hold sway over them? And, as far as I can tell, it’s not just special interest groups but actual lords or masters above them. Of course, for THAT you can simply accuse me of being a conspiracy theorist. And that’s fine. As long as you realize all things that are investigated begin as theory. Back to my point.
“So we have this system of competition. Ask yourself this. What would happen in, say, football, if all of the very best players composed a single team. They’d have a huge advantage, yes? Well, what if, in the competitive political arena, the odds were stacked in a similar way? Wouldn’t be much of a true competition, would it? So in reality, a democratic order – pure or representative – eventually leads to only one side every time.”
At this point, Percy felt a bit on the defensive and interrupted, “But that isn’t the case in this country – we have a two party system and each has its own set of ideals and who wins elections oscillates back and forth over time.”
Jesse held up his hand for a moment to stop Percy from continuing and himself continued, “Maybe. But when was the last time we have had a winning President EVER hold true to all of his campaign promises? I would put forth the observation that what we have is the illusion of a two party system and that in reality we always only have one winner wearing either one color or the other.
Then you might ask, well, what about the people and what they expect of their government? To that I might posit that individuals, in the course of their busy, convoluted, challenging lives, move along a path of resistance to surrender, then submission, then, when they are finally worn down, to actual advocacy of a form of government they had long detested. ”
Eli finally broke back in, “So what I hear you saying is that a democracy will always devolve into an authoritarian regime. How, in your mind, does that happen?”
“Well, for one, the enormous number of laws we live under in our day and age. For the most part we are unaware of all of the laws that come into being – even those that compromise the Constitution – until we are personally accused of breaking them! For a society to survive down through time where individuals retain a high degree of harmony with one another, there needs to be fewer laws, not more. And if you look at current totalitarian regimes, you can see the level of absurdity of numerous laws take on.
Would you like to be told what you must or may not wear in public? Or what you are not allowed to talk freely about in a society that on the other side of the coin prides itself on freedom of speech? Suppose you were told following these rules were for the good of the whole? Who determines that? Ask yourself about any such mediocre laws that exist today. Did you vote on it? No, probably not – your representative did, if at all. Look at the tyranny of the Executive Order. Like holes in the ozone these are holes poked into the Constitution and allow the POTUS or governor to act as a king, or worse, as a dictator.”
The totalitarian regimes of Hitler and Stalin were both predicated upon the violation of truth, and upon the understanding that cynicism, weariness and fear – through persistent propaganda – can make people vulnerable to the lies and false promises of leaders bent on the attainment of absolute, unconditional power.”
“And you think that is where we are now in this country, little brother?” asked Eli.
“No. Not yet. I am thankful for the country where I, we, live. Most definitely. But I see the proverbial writing on the wall. And, quite frankly, it has me concerned for not only my children, but especially for my grandchildren.”
Percy listened intently to what Jesse had to say and, inside himself, found he was in agreement on most points. Looking at his watch, he realized it was already a bit past the time when the three of them began their journey back home for the evening. “It’s getting late, boys. Jesse – bring all of this back around to the original question and give your brother and I an answer as you see it – what is the best form of government then?”
“I believe the answer lies in some form of representative democracy that, somehow, is kept in restraint from getting out of hand as I believe what is happening now to us in this country. I’ll tell you what. If you are interested, I’ll meditate on the question over night and bring you a better answer tomorrow.
I just want you both to know this – I love you both. I want to thank you for taking me seriously, more seriously than usual anyway, today. I really appreciate it.”
Eli responded first, “Little brother, where would we be if we didn’t have each other – both to tease and to take seriously. I’m sure Percy agrees when I say that we appreciate your daily challenges as well. And I’d bet he’d also agree we would both be interested in continuing this discussion tomorrow.”
Percy nodded in full agreement and said, “Yep. This has been fun. Guess we call today’s game a draw, eh Eli?”
“Ya, all the way around. Let’s be on our way bros. The wives will be worried by now.”