The assertively and righteously declared, mantra of the Nation, since its very establishment, has been, ‘’ One man, one vote.” If it were but true however, our great Nation would be even greater.
Certainly, it was much less true, before the Civil War, when a substantial number of people, viz., enslaved blacks, could not vote. It was less true, regarding women, until the early part of the 20th Century, when women’s tireless and valiant efforts, finally won them the right to the franchise. It has never been true, historically, by the Constitutional allocation of two Senators per State, regardless of population. Thus, States with comparatively smaller populations, like Idaho and Montana, each have two Senators, while States, with high populations, like New York and California, are unfairly and undemocratically, allowed, only two Senators. It follows, therefore, that the votes of smaller States undemocratically, have impact, far in excess of those States with much bigger high populations.
“One man, one vote,” is most demonstratively, and inconsistently, revealed to be a bold, inaccurate assertion, when one inserts, the shamefully anti-democratic, Electoral College, into the hypocritical mix. There exist some purported rationalizations for its existence, (see below) none of which comport, with any reasonably understood, definition of a democracy,” nor with the proclaimed declaration, a Nation,” for and by the people”
Constitutionally created, the Electoral College,” is an institution, whose existence and composition (the latter, identical to the Senate) irrefutably, belies the principle, that the vote of every American, is equally determinative. The institution is composed, of 538 Electors, a majority (270) of whom is Constitutionally, empowered to select a President. All States are entitled to the same number of delegates, as they have in the House of Representatives, and, additionally, identical to the Senate, undemocratically, allowed two delegates each, irrespective of population. Here again, we are confronted with a jaundiced democracy, wherein American votes are required to be filtered, and worse, through an inequitably constituted medium, established and proven to be, superior in authority and determination, to the total, “equal vote” of all Americans
It is shown, by empirical analysis, that the most productive portions of America, include 15 States, having 30 Senators, while the less productive, (and lesser populated) States, have 70 Senators. The fact that, by far, the greatest amount of the Nation’s wealth is created by the populous States of the East and West coasts, is irrefutable proof, that the mismatches are political, rather than economic or social.
The record indicates, that no less than two, of the last three, American Presidents, received significantly less popular votes, than their respective, opponents, but were constitutionally, awarded the American Presidency, by the (undemocratically constituted) Electoral College.
In addition to fueling reductive arguments about the hypocrisy and the meaningless nature of the vote, and the general loss of confidence in the franchise, in incontrovertible, principle, any editing of the popular vote, to any reasonably minded citizen, unavoidably, gives the lie, to our fundamental conception, of America’s, ideal, intrinsic values.
Based upon our cursory research, regarding the Founders’ basis, for the establishment of the Electoral College, we have confidently concluded, that the purpose and intention, was sociological and paternal, as opposed to political. Our readings indicate that the Founders, while sincerely believing in the principled right to vote of every citizen, nevertheless, paternally, and perhaps somewhat, imperiously, distrusted the common man (“the mob”, the “rabble”). Their perception, of the low level of education, of the common man of their time, was productive of a true dilemma, between their sincere espousal of the morality and equity, of the universal right to vote, and, the fear of the influence of the uneducated and ignorant (“the mob”) on the decisive power of the newly created Nation. The Electoral College was, it appears, created as a protective filter against the influence of the enfranchised uneducated, ignorant, common man. We sympathize with their dilemma, if not entirely, with their hubris.
It is no less than a tragic-comedy, to realize that their considered solution to the perceived problem, perversely, became the direct and proximate cause, of its feared realization. Donald J. Trump, the darling of the (pliny termed): flat earth, ignorant, under educated, and reductionist “rabble,” was anointed, Chief Executive, solely, and only, by reason of the creation (and the vote) of this “protective filter,” the Electoral College; Trump having, [irony of ironies] lost, in the popular election, by substantial numbers of votes. So much for dilemmas, protective social assumptions, bordering on hubris, and, metaphysically, on the eternal futility of human intention.
It is long past due, that America, demonstrate its implicit faith in its citizens, by initiating the necessary procedure, to eliminate that undemocratic, vestigial organ, the Electoral College, and thereby, reestablish, in every American, justified pride, in the recognition of the significance of his individual ballot.
-p.
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