Chapter 6 of Angelo Codevilla’s “The Character Of Nations” is entitled Civility. By “Civility” he doesn’t mean politeness.  Rather he discusses what qualities it takes to be a citizen and what kinds of civic qualities different kinds of regimes encourage.

To Codevilla, a civil society made up of citizens is one in which the rulers are bound by the same rules as the ruled. This is why taking an oath of office is so symbolically important in western countries. When a ruler is sworn in he is subjecting himself or herself to a greater power. Citizens must have clearly defined rights which the rulers must respect. The most important of these is property rights, meaning that you have a right to your own life, the fruits of your own labour and that these cannot be arbitrarily taken from you. People who enjoy such liberties have a long term stake in society and tend to take a propriety interest in their surroundings. These reinforce the habits of virtue and freedom which support the rule of law and are the bulwark of civil society. Citizenship means the possibility of ruling as well as being ruled. It means being able to participate in decisions both large and small that may affect your own life.

To Codevilla true citizenship is largely a pretense in the modern world. Rather than being citizens, most people are content to be subjects. They are happy to live their lives as consumers of government services. Merely being able to vote in different rulers who promise to dispense the goodies is not an act of citizenship.

Codevilla mentions de Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America“. De Tocqueville wrote this book in an effort to contrast the faux citizenship engendered by the French Revolution vs the real thing in America. The question is I suppose is if America is remaining true to it’s roots of true citizenship or is it falling for the siren’s call of the subject. Something to think about.

I recently came across a great article that I think goes a long way to explaining what made America great. You can check it out here:

http://townhall.com/columnists/ChristopherMerola/2009/09/15/a_republic,_if_you_can_keep_it

Below is a rather long comment I wrote relating to it.

This is a great article. I’m currently working on a documentary which looks at where America has been, where it is now and where it is going. One of the questions I want to answer is just what made America so extraordinary in the first place? I think this article is big piece of that puzzle. The founders wanted a Republic, not a Democracy.

One of the animating features of all of the Anglo / American systems, with America being the greatest example, is that individual success was least dependent on government than at anytime in history. Is this changing? To me it seems that it has been changing for some time. When you can rob Peter to pay Paul you can always count on Paul’s vote.

Here is a thought of mine that I believe is crucial but is esoteric to most people. If you want to maintain a Republic that is of the people, by the people and for the people you must have a hard currency that is separate from the government. If you do not do this you place the government above the people. Consider this scenario.

I’m a politician seeking Peter and Paul’s vote. They each have $10 of a non fiat currency (most likely backed by gold). I say to Peter “Hey Peter, what can I give you for my vote?” Peter says “I want free education”. “Great”, I say. I then take take $5 from Paul, keep $3 for myself, and give $2 to Peter. “Here’s your free education! Thanks for your vote!”

I then turn to Paul. “What can I offer you for your vote Paul?” Paul wants free healthcare. “Great, I say”. I then turn to Peter, take $5 from him, keep $3 for myself, and give $2 to Paul. “Here’s your healthcare! Thanks for you vote”.

Now, Peter and Paul are not stupid. They are going to quickly realize that I now have $6 whereas they now have only $7 each. They obviously would have been better off to get the stuff they wanted on their own without going through me,  the inefficient government.

However consider the same scenario if I am able to counterfeit the money. When Peter or Paul asks for their free stuff I no longer have to tax them honestly. Instead I can just print up the money. For a brief period it would appear that they both will have gotten something for nothing. Of course, however, this is an illusion which inflation will soon destroy. Not before I’m elected though.

A system based on fiat currency changes the nature of government from the power residing with the people to those in political power. This undermines a Republic and puts it on the rode to a self destructive Democracy.

Just my two bits.

If you have any thoughts on this feel free to visit my blog at angrybeaverfilms.com. I’m also looking for answers to the following questions:

• What qualities make America extraordinary?
• What are some examples of American exceptionalism?
• What do Americans take for granted about America?
• What does the world take for granted about America?
• is America’s character changing? If so how and why is it changing and what is it changing into? What are the consequences of these changes for itself and the world?

I’ve only just started work on this project but any thoughts are welcome.

Best,

Dave

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