Guest post by John L. Kachelman, Jr.
The unraveling of a nation is always a tragic read.
Once strong nations, recognized as “World Powers” or “Empires,” dissolve and cease to exist, they become an embarrassment; a by-word for absolute and abject failure. The disintegration is not a sudden event but a slow unraveling of that nation’s characteristics that melded together to make it “great.” Apply this historical constant to the USA and it portends anxious concern.
Perhaps the greatest characteristic of the USA’s greatness is its “separation of powers.” This principle is the gatekeeper for our nation’s security. As long as it is kept in balance (as the Constitution requires), our nation remains strong and the citizens remain secure. If this separation becomes unbalanced then we are sitting on a 3-legged stool with lame legs. We are tottering on the cusp of national failure.
Our nation’s current turmoil is threatening our national existence. There is animosity, vile hatred, and repugnant abuse of power that impacts the innocent. Evil has coerced and vilified the opposition. Justice is being meted and there are rabid attempts to hinder Justice by those losing “control” as their ship sinks! The metaphor aptly describes those in the opposition as “rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.”
Our nation has previously faced such distressing times. Previously, the strength of the American system, controlled by the American citizens, brought about a saving conclusion. Look back at this historical precedent.
The Whig Party’s political unravelling
From 1840-1856 the Whigs enjoyed a political posturing that gave them power. Americans voted a Whig into the White House (1840 and 1848). Some of the most prominent political voices in the early 1800’s were Whigs (Henry Clay, Daniel Webster and Abraham Lincoln).
Dave Roos remarks, “But for all of their prominence and power, the Whigs couldn’t keep it together…the Whig party experienced a meteoric political rise that was rivaled only by its abrupt and total collapse.”
Former Whig member William Seward (Lincoln’s Secretary of State), pronounced the party’s eulogy in 1855: “Let, then, the Whig party pass. It committed a grievous fault.” “It’s remarkable how fast it all fell apart for the Whigs. From right before the 1852 election thinking they were in good shape, to 1854 being clearly obsolete and in 1855 literally going out of business.”
Historical Constants of political dissolution illustrated by the Whigs
There are a number of missteps in the Whig erasure. All were self-inflicted by the politicians pursuing self-ordained political agendas that ignored the nation’s welfare. Note: these missteps are not unique to the 1850’s politicians, but represent ignoring the general principles that knit together national strength and security. Remove any of these and the national unraveling begins.
First, the Whigs compromised and erased moral guardrails. Respect for the intrinsic value of human life was “compromised.” Historically the “Great Compromise of 1850” was applauded for its “fairness.” The Whigs basked in the repugnancy of their politics. When objective and absolute morality is removed, no guardrails exist offering security and safety. Ultimately anarchy reigns. This is an obvious point of failure in our current times. We do not deal with the horrid dehumanization of slavery but we see politicians ignoring the intrinsic values of human life in their support of human trafficking, abortion, LGBTQ issues and gender transitions.
Second, violence was urged and justified by a radical element of the Whigs identified as the “Know Nothings.” (Personally, I like that designation as an honest moniker for POLS.) Here is history’s interesting point, there was an extremist position the Whigs advocated regarding immigration. The radical extremists gained positions of governing in the political party. The Whigs became so radical they advocated violence over the Rule of Law. The similarity of the Whigs applauding violence in opposition cannot be missed in today’s political theatre! We have POLS marching with those involved in civil violence; we have POLS paying the bail for violent people; we have POLS threatening peaceable citizens because those citizens refused to cower to the threat of the Elite POLS group-think!
Third, upheavals in political party leadership. History records that prominent members left the Whig Party because of its radicalism. “Among the former prominent Whigs who turned Republican were Thaddeus Stevens, William Seward and Abraham Lincoln.” Those who remain in the Party soon turn on each other blaming others for failures while never admitting they are part of the problem. In a feeding frenzy they begin “eating their own” tying to salvage the calamitous devolving of their Party. The repetition of this historical political scenario is a daily read in the news streams.
Fourth, the Whig Party lost connection with the common citizen. The Whigs removed themselves from being the voice OF the people and became the voice TO the people (and such has happened today as POLS claim to be defenders of “democracy” by telling the people what they should believe!). The, abject demise of the Whigs is evident in the 1862 election. “Old Fuss and Feathers,” as the Whig Presidential candidate General Winfield Scott was derisively known, was shellacked in the general election by the Democrats (he only won 42 electoral votes), dealing the Whigs a bruising blow from which they never recovered.
Fifth, (my favorite and its similarity to today’s political melee is so obvious as a trait of today’s failed political party), obsessive hatred focused on one person. The whigs hated Andrew Jackson. While this shared hatred united them in one point, their divisiveness was fueled by devotion to radicalism. A loose “coalition quickly unravels as the shared hatred for the enemy becomes less than the devotion to personal agendas becomes stronger. The application to modern politics is on target, “The Whigs were a loose coalition of diverse political interests…united by a shared hatred of President Andrew Jackson. To the Whigs, Jackson was ‘King Andrew the First,’ a despot who usurped power from Congress to serve his own populist ideals.” It is amazing that the Democrats are plagiarizing the Whig playbook! Do you recall how this historical bait was swallowed “hook-line-and sinker” by the DEMS? Well, be aware that this failed play did not work in the late 1800’s and is a failure today. In the 1800’s it was “Old Hickory bad!” and has now morphed to “Orange Man bad!”
A clarion call to those wearing the “Democrat” brand…
- Understand the weight of history—your allegiance to the Democrat political party is a brand you do not want to wear! You align yourself with the radicals seeking to destroy our nation’s security. Your ship is sinking because the leadership of your party has devolved into the bottomless abyss of Elitist arrogance.
- Accept the disintegration of the “Democrat” brand. It is time to let that political Party go the way of the Whigs.
- Remove yourself from the “Democrat” brand while you can. You have the opportunity NOW. You can leave and disavow any support for the radical ungodly, anti-American views branding any POL braded with the “D.”
Here is an excellent observation: Roger Gitlin, “Today the Party of the working man has become the Party of the non-working class. The Democrats have devolved to become the Party of moochers, leeches, and victims. And this Party of hope and change has morphed into a Frankenstein that would turn FDR in his grave. The Democratic Party is an abomination that is slowly strangling the greatest country in the world: The United States of America.”
As terrifying as secular history speaks to the current political brands, there is a Voice that pronounces consequences many times worse. To those serving in the governing of our great nation listen:
Why do the heathens rage and the people plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers conspire together against the Lord saying, “Let’s tear their shackles apart and throw their ropes away from us!” He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury (The Bible, Psalm 2).
As the Whigs/Democrats ignorantly slapped themselves on their backs because of their “great wisdom” in governing, “He who sits in Heaven laughs, the Lord scoffs at them.”
Democrats—Take heed as history is repeating itself!