Yesterday I had a visit from a friend who was a 110% supporter of the official covid narrative. His opinion is starting to change. I've been slowly trying to inform my friend and praying for him, but had almost given up. He was one of those that would have seen the unvaxxed barred and segregated from 'normal' society. When I realized his change in attitude, I immediately thanked God for this miracle because that's exactly what it is. If this man has changed, others are too.
Douglas, I thank you for your continued courage and perseverance. Being 'just an ordinary person' sometimes feels lonely and disheartening so it is completely uplifting and empowering to see and be informed by people like you.
Mr. Farrow, your article is clearly well written, though I have a serious gripe. Why on earth does a supposedly educated man such as yourself use the word "democracy" to describe America and other Western nations? While I cannot speak in detail of other countries, I can say with complete confidence that America was founded as a Republic as anyone educated before the marxist curriculum of common core was forced on our unsuspecting countries, NOT a democracy.
So please explain why you chose to use a word that described ancient Greece but does NOT accurately describe America. Otherwise I can find other authors to read. Pax Dominus Vobiscum.
In form, the United States is a republic, being a federation of states. It is the states which are democracies, not the federal government.
In practice, the US is kind of indirect democracy, with the Congress being elected by plebiscite at the state level, and the president being elected in a kind of passthrough plebiscite - note that the president can be elected by a minority of the participating electorate.
It has been the project of the progressive movement in the US for the past 120 years or so to eliminate the republic and replace it with a de facto national democracy. They managed to accomplish some of this project by passing a constitutional amendment changing the previous method of selecting senators, which was formerly done by the legislatures of the states. They are now engaged in an attempt to do the same thing with the election of the president, by establishing an interstate compact under which the winner of the national popular vote will get the electors from each state, no matter what the vote within any particular state.
To some extent, this is just an argument about definitions - is a republic which consists of democratic states in effect a democracy? That’s why I used the word “indirect” above.
Those of us who understand that it was the hope of the Founders to establish a form of government which had democratic attributes but was not a full blown popular democracy (which they knew would eventually run to tyranny) understand that the use of the term “democracy” for our republic is a type of gaslighting. It’s like calling illegal aliens “undocumented,” or calling women “birthing people.”
Your use of the term “democracy” to describe what’s left of our “republic” shows how much that the progressives have captured the political vocabulary on this issue. It’s wrong, but not as wrong as it used to be. Unfortunately.
As far as your "common Leftist" cheering all of this on, I've written repeatedly about how it boggles my mind that... is common progressivism really nothing but unthinking emotionalism now? Beto O'Rourke tweeted a couple days ago that "As governor, I will trust women to make their own health care decisions." 120,000 common Leftists liked the tweet. A few people on the Right thanked him for taking a stand against vaccine mandates. Ha! He was talking about abortion of course, he loves vaccine mandates. How can you walk directly from a "women get to make their own healthcare decisions!" rally to a "vax mandates now!" rally and never notice the contradiction? Is common progressivism nothing anymore except a constant rushing for whatever gives you a short-term emotional high? And if, ten minutes from now, that high is provided by something that is exactly contradictory to whatever is giving you that high right now, nobody cares? How can anyone's mind long live like that?
Or, the "freethinking" Left now routinely derides the idea of trying to think for yourself, or bother trying to become better informed on a topic like you're some kind of "expert" or something. Please stop trying to think for yourself, that's dangerous, and just trust the people on television. I thought the Right was supposed to be anti-intellectual? But the Left doesn't want you to even try to think anymore, OK. Boggles the mind. Every principle the Left supposedly held to (except "more state power good") has been given up over the last two years. A desire for open borders? They are border hawks now that would put Republicans to shame. A wariness about corporate power? Sorry, I'm Team Pfizer. They've given up every principle.
Yesterday I had a visit from a friend who was a 110% supporter of the official covid narrative. His opinion is starting to change. I've been slowly trying to inform my friend and praying for him, but had almost given up. He was one of those that would have seen the unvaxxed barred and segregated from 'normal' society. When I realized his change in attitude, I immediately thanked God for this miracle because that's exactly what it is. If this man has changed, others are too.
Douglas, I thank you for your continued courage and perseverance. Being 'just an ordinary person' sometimes feels lonely and disheartening so it is completely uplifting and empowering to see and be informed by people like you.
PS: my 3x vaxxed friend even gave unvaxxed me a hug - twice!
Mr. Farrow, your article is clearly well written, though I have a serious gripe. Why on earth does a supposedly educated man such as yourself use the word "democracy" to describe America and other Western nations? While I cannot speak in detail of other countries, I can say with complete confidence that America was founded as a Republic as anyone educated before the marxist curriculum of common core was forced on our unsuspecting countries, NOT a democracy.
So please explain why you chose to use a word that described ancient Greece but does NOT accurately describe America. Otherwise I can find other authors to read. Pax Dominus Vobiscum.
Such as Tocqueville perhaps?
In form, the United States is a republic, being a federation of states. It is the states which are democracies, not the federal government.
In practice, the US is kind of indirect democracy, with the Congress being elected by plebiscite at the state level, and the president being elected in a kind of passthrough plebiscite - note that the president can be elected by a minority of the participating electorate.
It has been the project of the progressive movement in the US for the past 120 years or so to eliminate the republic and replace it with a de facto national democracy. They managed to accomplish some of this project by passing a constitutional amendment changing the previous method of selecting senators, which was formerly done by the legislatures of the states. They are now engaged in an attempt to do the same thing with the election of the president, by establishing an interstate compact under which the winner of the national popular vote will get the electors from each state, no matter what the vote within any particular state.
To some extent, this is just an argument about definitions - is a republic which consists of democratic states in effect a democracy? That’s why I used the word “indirect” above.
Those of us who understand that it was the hope of the Founders to establish a form of government which had democratic attributes but was not a full blown popular democracy (which they knew would eventually run to tyranny) understand that the use of the term “democracy” for our republic is a type of gaslighting. It’s like calling illegal aliens “undocumented,” or calling women “birthing people.”
Your use of the term “democracy” to describe what’s left of our “republic” shows how much that the progressives have captured the political vocabulary on this issue. It’s wrong, but not as wrong as it used to be. Unfortunately.
Excellent article - revitalizing, inspiring ! Thank you
Thanks for these words.
As far as your "common Leftist" cheering all of this on, I've written repeatedly about how it boggles my mind that... is common progressivism really nothing but unthinking emotionalism now? Beto O'Rourke tweeted a couple days ago that "As governor, I will trust women to make their own health care decisions." 120,000 common Leftists liked the tweet. A few people on the Right thanked him for taking a stand against vaccine mandates. Ha! He was talking about abortion of course, he loves vaccine mandates. How can you walk directly from a "women get to make their own healthcare decisions!" rally to a "vax mandates now!" rally and never notice the contradiction? Is common progressivism nothing anymore except a constant rushing for whatever gives you a short-term emotional high? And if, ten minutes from now, that high is provided by something that is exactly contradictory to whatever is giving you that high right now, nobody cares? How can anyone's mind long live like that?
Or, the "freethinking" Left now routinely derides the idea of trying to think for yourself, or bother trying to become better informed on a topic like you're some kind of "expert" or something. Please stop trying to think for yourself, that's dangerous, and just trust the people on television. I thought the Right was supposed to be anti-intellectual? But the Left doesn't want you to even try to think anymore, OK. Boggles the mind. Every principle the Left supposedly held to (except "more state power good") has been given up over the last two years. A desire for open borders? They are border hawks now that would put Republicans to shame. A wariness about corporate power? Sorry, I'm Team Pfizer. They've given up every principle.