Tocqueville and Antebellum America
When Alexis de Tocqueville predicted our nation in 1835, he believed that America had constructed its own definition of democracy, which reduced the concept of individualism and emphasized neutrality through equal conditions of society. Today, the allure of democracy continues to be led by deception, propagandizing its notoriety based upon cultural circumstance as an objective moral reference rather than basing legislation on eternal truth.In America today, those who question the validity of our so-called “democracy” are quickly persecuted for displaying opposition to the objectivity of the state. To achieve this, the ruling class, alongside various philanthropic groups, has formed what can be described as new-age micro-aristocracies under the pretext of “equality.” To further ensure confusion, remedied by further state intervention, this encroaching violation of self-sovereignty has created a contemporary campaign styled as “equity.” This utopian-laced perdition is nothing more than the biased-economic favor of a maniacal oligopoly that aims to enslave minorities and the working class into indefinite servitude. Yet Tocqueville warned us against striving to achieve this current state of division in which we reside.In Antebellum America Tocqueville’s statements were written in antebellum America, a time when slavery was the alternative to classism. The American revolutionaries escaped from limited systems of class yet reenacted a similar system under the guise of revolution. Though Tocqueville revealed a particularly refined understanding of the perils in which our nation would face, he evidently preferred the prestige behind the classist systems experienced in his conditions of France’s aristocracy. This is not to say Tocqueville believed French democracy was a perfect system, yet, it brought individual moral self-worth, and ancestorial pride was evident even from the class of servantry.The modern argument for a class-based system has no position of acceptance in America. Under the circumstances which existed in 1835, Tocqueville’s comparison presented American democracy and liberty with even less regard for free will. Without integrity and personal spiritual ambition to reveal God’s image over society presented in our actions and all that we do. Alexis de Tocqueville observed[1], “In America, where the privileges of birth never existed, and where riches confer no peculiar rights on their possessors, men unacquainted with each other are very ready to frequent the same places, and find neither peril nor advantage in the free interchange of their thoughts.” Tocqueville's judgment can still be seen today as Americans hold no advantages beyond what they commit themselves to endure. Yet with this enduring practice of attaining specific value through gaining desirable abilities, we find ourselves unable to project a feeling of superiority over others who cannot perform the same work or with different education. In modern America, all abilities are rewarded with validity. The secular philosophist is held in the same regard as Biblical apostles, for character, intelligence, and the willingness to contribute to society hold no advantage over those looking to evade responsibility. The division felt today began nearly two hundred years ago, with the Presidential Election of 1828. The Jacksonian party manifested into the Democratic Party, which we see working against the interests of the people today. The 1828 election was only the beginning of the division, which would occur until the union split just over three decades later, following the election of 1860. In this election, Abraham Lincoln emerged victorious, inheriting the authority to redefine the term of both equal conditions and American democracy. In 1861, an “Ordinance of Secession” was created, which vowed to[2], “dissolve the Union between the State of Texas and the other States united under the Compact styled "the Constitution of the United States of America." Secession had evaded Tocqueville’s presuppositions yet still reflected the people’s willingness to commit themselves to servitude on the grounds for personal potential advancement. Despite the abolition of slavery in America, personal servitude in still exists, however, today, it remains consensual between the business owner and the laborer. While an ordinance was required to initially divide the Union, no documents, nor treaties were required to reassemble it[3].Substantial Similarities Despite being a product of its era, there are main substantive areas of similarity in Tocqueville’s perspective over nearly two centuries that remain. Tocqueville predicted that France’s traditional concept of known democracy would not appear in America but would instead create its own version of a nearly identical system. This frightening correlation is seen today as the government advances to encourage citizens to turn their power to their state in exchange for security. To encourage this, perpetual crises are constructed through propaganda, accentuated by special interest groups and federal agencies. America’s modern system of equal conditions functions to distract the public, and discourage rule by the people, renouncing their authority for peace of mind to focus on attaining more prosperity. Tocqueville gained influence from the works of Aristotle’s Politics, believing that[4] “Every family is ruled by the eldest, and therefore in the colonies of the family the kingly form of government prevailed because they were of the same blood. As Homer says: ‘Each one gives law to his children and to his wives. ‘” While the traditional symbiosis of servitude has long dissipated from America, one ancient concept still remains. That is the hierarchal construct of family. As Tocqueville predicted, many Americans abdicate their individual objective moral principles to conform to the attributes of equal conditioning. This notion, Tocqueville described as “mutual indulgence,” adding that “[d]emocratic institutions generally give men a lofty notion of their country and of themselves.” The objective truth instead becomes the federal political agenda and those who fund campaigns to ensure perpetual re-elections. Yet, equal conditioning is not conducive to public equality. Modern America continues to hold the potential for all to be their own rulers, and the skilled continue to hold the power of agreement to labor. The U.S. government oversees both the operations of rulers and laborers, allowing them to operate under specific criteria. As more individuals rely on the state for financial assistance, the U.S. government grows more authoritative in its appropriations.Biblical Principles It is often the deviation from eternal truth which results from efforts to sway and distract the individual from the voice of the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3). Once this is achieved, amorphous forms of authoritative governance can ensue. However, it is God who is the ultimate ruler (John 12:31), and for this reason, the modern reflection of Tocqueville’s works stands to depose God of His authority, invoking shared consensus of sin, to attain a society of equal conditions and complete state of utopia. As Tocqueville clearly warned us against, under the spectacular conditions of total equality, the truth becomes heavily distorted under the pretext of revision. Without an embodiment under the protection of God (Eph. 3:11), maleficent forces can strategically appear anywhere on Earth (Rev. 16:14, Job 1:7). Yet, God can deliver us from our domains of darkness and transfer us to the Kingdom of His beloved son (Col. 1:13).Conclusion Equality is intrinsic and cannot be artificially regulated at the convenience of the ruling class. In 1835, Alexis de Tocqueville notes this attribute, yet almost two hundred years later, the illusory pursuit of equal conditions of society wages on. America is an indefinite experimentation with no historic class of people nor condemning specific classes to servitude. In America, as Tocqueville writes, citizens willingly renounce their right to self-rule for a chance at contributing to a distant utopia haunted by pantheism and neutrality. To deplete a nation of merit is to assign worth equally to all persons, no matter their individual skills or societal contributions. Although Tocqueville predicted many disturbing characteristics found in our U.S. government today, he failed to predict that America would be the longest-lasting Constitutional Republic in the history of the world. God’s authority cannot be challenged, despite the threat to our nation and the controversial theory of democracy.
Bibliography[1] Tocqueville, Alexis De. Democracy in America, Volume I and II (p. 372).[2] Digitalhistory. "Digital History." Digitalhistory. https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&psid=3953.[3] Nps. "Frequently Asked Questions - Appomattox Court House National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)." Nps. https://www.nps.gov/apco/faqs.htm.
[4] https://classicalwisdom.com/greek_books/politics-by-aristotle-book-i/