Madison said it could go wrong

Madison, Hamilton and Jay wrote the Federalist papers which advocated ratifying the Constitution. In these papers, used to convince the population of the thirteen states that uniting under one law would benefit all;
there is a sentence (paper 10) where Madison describes what could go wrong. Initially he states how it could go right.

The effect of the first difference [delegating the powers of the people to a small number of citizens elected by the rest] is, on the one hand, to refine and enlarge the public views, by passing them through the medium of a chosen body of citizens, whose wisdom may best discern the true interest of their country, and whose patriotism and love of justice will be least likely to sacrifice it to temporary or partial considerations. Under such a regulation, it may well happen that the public voice, pronounced by the representatives of the people, will be more consonant to the public good than if pronounced by the people themselves, convened for the purpose.

But he qualifies his above statement in his very next sentence by saying:

 

On the other hand, the effect may be inverted. Men of factious tempers, of local prejudices, or of sinister designs, may, by intrigue, by corruption, or by other means, first obtain the suffrages, and then betray the interests, of the people.

Today the wealthiest 10% have way more influence over government than average citizens according to a study done by Princeton and Northwestern Universities in 2014. According to the researchers “economic elites” had their laws enacted even when the majority of the citizenship did not favor that policy. 

Madison described elected representatives who would use their wisdom to discover the true interests of the country as

a whole. These men were to use their love of justice to ensure that all people's were treated equally. They were to rise above temptation so they could govern a nation that worked for everyone.

Sadly, i think Madison's qualifying statement has become all too true. In fact he knew this would be the case because he and his co-authors were that "elite" group that knew better than the common man.

Today our system is stacked against the common man. It favors the elites and works against the common good. Four techniques oppress the lower classes.

1.Paying low wages while maximizing profits. 

2.Loaning money on credit cards with high interest rates that people use to make ends meet. Loan the money but lower the rates to what the banks pay.

3. Creating monetarily burdensome laws that criminalize poverty and create indebtedness.

4. Debt slavery and lack of a good education.

i believe in the common good. i believe that we could, if we all put our heads together, turn this nation into one that respects and cares for the land, the sea, and all its people.

i am not a communist. i don't believe that government should own the means of production. i don't believe that government would serve the common good if it did own the means of production. i do believe that a good government tries to address the needs of all its people, not just a select few.

See ya next week