The grand experiment continues
Alexis de Tocqueville was a French aristocrat and early social scientist. He was fascinated by the American experiment and in the early 1800’s traveled our great country and wrote about out feisty people.
He didn’t like everything he saw, but he was fascinated anyway.
As social conditions become more equal, the number of persons who, although they are neither rich nor powerful enough to exercise any great influence over their fellows, have nevertheless acquired or retained sufficient education and fortune to satisfy their own wants. They owe nothing to any man, they expect nothing from any man; they acquire the habit of always considering themselves as standing alone, and they are apt to imagine that their whole destiny is in their own hands.
Alexis de Tocqueville In Democracy in America, published in 1835.
This was the America of my parents. Products of the Great Depression, if they didn’t do it, it didn’t get done. Hard work was what mattered, and no one thought of asking Uncle Sam for anything. Even in the ’60s, “Ask not what your country can do for you” made perfect sense.
We seem to have turned the page. We elected the most liberal President of my life. Coupled with a Democrat controlled House and Senate we are seeing a different mindset from our federal government. A considerable number of people seem to think the government can and should do something for us. Deep inside we all know this comes with a price. We also know that big government is inherently inefficient and sometimes even corrupt. We would like to believe government will do “the right thing” but deep inside we doubt it can.
The change has been rapid. Dizzying, in fact. Almost like someone decided ‘we’d better get all this done before anyone notices.’
Then a few days ago I felt a change coming. People are starting to pay attention. There is a building, bubbling uneasiness that this just isn’t working.
Where will it end? I don’t know, but I still have great trust in the American people and in the institution that is America. We are still the greatest country in the world.
And I feel something is happening in the hearts and minds of Americans that I haven’t seen before. Stay tuned.
