On Fri, Nov 25, 2011 at 9:35 AM, Carrol Cox <cbcox at ilstu.edu> wrote:
> I've already responded to this on pen-l. The answer is NO -- it is not even
> close to a description or critique of the political scene today. In the 17th
> & 18th centuries "faction" meant the interests of the people (or the working
> class) as opposed to the proper rights of the rulers. Faction was
> theopposite of Law and Order. For a 195h-c expression of this, written with
> a different vocabulary, read Arnold's Culture and Anarchy. Anarchy was his
> name for Faction. Contemporary statesman are doing their duty against
> faction, as expressed in Austerity and the pepper-spray of the cops. ."
> Charles Davenant would highly approve of Obama and both Democrats &
> Republicans in Congress. They are hard at work at controlling faction. The
> differnces between Democrats & Republicans is not faction: it is the sober
> consideration of the public interest by the true Statesmen.
>
> This conception of faction is pretty clear in the Federalist Papers. The
> Constitution had been designed specifically to control the ills of faction.
>
> Carrol
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org [mailto:lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org]
> On Behalf Of michael perelman
> Sent: Friday, November 25, 2011 11:11 AM
> To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
> Subject: [lbo-talk] Critique of the Political Scene Today?
>
> "As faction is the effect of that loose government which is
> unavoidable in a time of war and trouble; so, while faction is
> suffered to continue, it is a perpetual bar to better administration;
> for it emboldens the bad, and terrifies the good. Is a lunatic, whom
> the physician cannot approach without danger to himself. Some
> statesmen, therefore, when it rages high, withdraw from affairs, and
> will not administer the physic of their councils till the fit is
> over." Charles Davenant. 1698.
>
> --
> Michael Perelman
> Economics Department
> California State University
> Chico, CA
> 95929
>
> 530 898 5321
> fax 530 898 5901
> http://michaelperelman.wordpress.com
>
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-- Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University Chico, CA 95929
530 898 5321 fax 530 898 5901 http://michaelperelman.wordpress.com