Voice of the people &

The Parable of Kaleb Cooper

Kaleb Cooper, farmer

    Back in the 1860s Anthony Trollope wrote, “Mr. Dove’s speeches did Mr. Camperdown good, and helped to preserve him from that worst of all diseases,—a low idea of humanity.” After the recent US election and with this continuous onslaught of grumpy-old-mannishness, I’m afraid I am suffering from that ‘worst of all diseases.’ As a young man I used to wonder at the wisdom of Vox populi as expressed through the democratic election process. Now I wonder who was that youthful Pollyamos, and where has he gone?

    Now I look across the United States and instead of wisdom (which, of course, is anything. I interpret as right thinking) I wonder inarticulately, ‘Duh’ and sometimes ‘Huh?’ Why does Vox populi want authoritarianism and not democracy?  Then I doubt myself and my right to even ask the question. There must be something that I’m not seeing, not feeling, not hearing. If Vox populi is wise, than I am the fool because I cannot see it. Can you not see it? Maybe you can hear it?