Newflash: There is this guy named Donald Trump running for President. Now I am not the first one to compare Mr. Trump to the Declaration of Independence, Tyler Anderson did that very well. Yet I could not read the next part of the Declaration in our intellectual journey and not be reminded of the speech Trump gave this past Thursday accepting the Republican nomination. Political speeches, particularly forward-thinking ones must always strike a balance. You have to explain the necessity of change (the bad) and contrast with your vision (the good). Ronald Reagan has been mentioned quite a bit this week for his positive messages, rekindling the "City Upon a Hill" mantra of John Winthrop while still attacking his predecessors (Are you better off now than you were four years ago?). The media believed Mr. Trump was far too negative in his acceptance speech, absolutely condemning/lambasting the Obama administration and painting a terrifying image of the world we live in today. It's not my place to say whether or not I agree with this assessment but it is curious that the Declaration of Independence suffers a similar problem. We may remember the positive, hopeful and inspiring quotations like "all men are created" and "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" but the majority of the Declaration actually mirrors the same doom and gloom of Trump's speech. Don't believe me, let's compare the next section of the Declaration to Trump's acceptance speech. Here is the transcript of the Trump speech if you'd like to help you follow along.
Up to this point in the Declaration, Jefferson has been explaining the role of government and our responsibility to act when the role is not being properly achieved. Next he explains that the tipping point of incompetency has been reached and why this role is not being achieved. Answer: King George III Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. That last line "let Facts be submitted to a candid world" is eerily similar to what Trump says before he laid out his own charges: It is finally time for a straightforward assessment of the state of our nation. I will present the facts plainly and honestly Now don't get me wrong, I am not accusing Trump of plagiarizing like Melania Trump was accused of but I do think that both Trump and Jefferson are trying to accomplish the same goal: blame the leader in charge for our nation's ills. So what follows in both documents is a litany of charges against their leader. Jefferson opens with: "He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good." Trump may not open with this sentiment but he does constantly mention the illegality of his opponents, from the sanctuary cities Clinton supports for illegal immigration and the e-mail server actions as Secretary of State. He repeatedly calls himself the "law and order" candidate to contrast himself from that statement Jefferson uses. Jefferson then goes on to delve more and more into specific examples of lawless action, something that Trump does as well. Near the end of this section he veers off slightly to say: "He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers." The judicial branch does take an unusually important role in this election as a Supreme Court seat holds in the balance since the death of Antonin Scalia. As Mr. Trump puts it: 'We are also going to appoint justices to the United States Supreme Court who will uphold our laws and our constitution. The replacement of our beloved Justice Scalia will be a person of similar views, principles and judicial philosophies" .Later on Jefferson accuses the King of "cutting off our trade with all parts of the world". Trade was a huge part (voice inflection intended) of Trump's speech, particularly the trade deficit and the loss of manufacturing jobs...to all parts of the world. Jefferson: For imposing taxes upon us without our consent. Trump: America is one of the highest-taxed nations in the world. Jefferson: He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. Trump: Decades of progress made in bringing down crime are now being reversed by this administration's rollback of criminal enforcement. Homicides last year increased by 17% in America's fifty largest cities. That's the largest increase in 25 years. In our nation's capital, killings have risen by 50 percent. They are up nearly 60 percent in nearby Baltimore...nearly 180,000 illegal immigrants with criminal records, ordered deported from our country, are tonight roaming free to threaten peaceful citizens. If that's not a close enough connection for you how about Jefferson's last charge against King George III: He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us You see, here's the not-so-secret thing about revolutions. If you want to force people to action, they have to feel something. One of the most powerful emotions is anger, with fear not too far behind. Jefferson realized that, his entire Declaration hinges on the idea that "enough is enough", the King has victimized us for too long and we must put our lives on the line for liberty. Trump has all the anger and point-by-point analysis but his speech has a vagueness as well when it comes to his vision. While Jefferson used terms like "life, liberty and pursuit of happiness". Trump has resorted to hackneyed phrases like "winning again" and "make America great again". Like Jefferson, these terms are so vague that they lack any sufficient meaning without context. Yet they have clearly resonated with a population of America. What can we learn from these parallels? Why do we shy away from this section of the Declaration when people write it and how we will remember Trump's speech in the future, win or lose? How does one combat fiery rhetoric? It's Saturday so feel free to comment!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorFollow me @MrG_Unit Archives
August 2016
Categories
All
|