Via Robert Higgs at the Beacon Blog, I found this essay by Prof. Angelo Codevilla at The American Spectator. Entitled America's Ruling Class--And the Perils of Revolution, it is essentially an anatomy of the political elite who rule the State: what they think and what their goals are. Codevilla's analysis of the ruling class comprises most of this essay. He does spend some time describing the exploited class which he names the "country class". It is a pretty good essay, although I do agree with Prof. Higgs' assessment that the force of Codevilla's argument wanes toward the end of the essay. He theorizes that the country class must find a way to work through electoral politics in order to reduce the power of the ruling class, but those who are familiar with Hans Hermann Hoppe's work already know that attempts to end the power of the ruling class via democracy are futile. He also implies that the country class is made up of only Christian and Jewish Republicans. Apparently atheists, agnostics, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Wiccans and libertarians of any faith or no faith are not being exploited.
Moreover, I realized that I could not take any his suggestions for ending the power of the ruling class seriously after I read this sentence: "How, for example, to remind America of, and to drive home to the ruling class, Lincoln's lesson that trifling with the Constitution for the most heartfelt of motives destroys its protections for all?" Lincoln's "lesson" included starting a war without a formal declaration as required by the Constitution; ordering his soldiers to arrest dissenters from the war in violation of the First Amendment; confiscating the firearms of some Northerners in violation of the Second Amendment; threatening and imprisoning judges who did not rule as he wished; and deporting a member of Congress who opposed his war. Lincoln forever destroyed the idea that citizens can secede from a government they have become dissatisfied with to create their own. As such, I cannot take any of Codevilla's references to self-governance seriously. Nevertheless, I still recommend that you read the essay when you get a chance.
There is one question that jumped out at me as I read this essay. This ruling elite is a minority. In fact, according to Codevilla's analysis, the ruling elite is a minority within a minority because not all those working for the State are in the "in-group". But my question is Who all composes the praetorian guard? To ask this question as Mises would, which men serve as the armed men, the policemen, gendarmes, soldiers, prison guards, and hangmen who enforce the ruling class's decrees by beating, killing, and imprisoning?
According to Codevilla, the majority of soldiers come from the country class: "[the country class] also takes part in the U.S. armed forces body and soul: nearly all the enlisted, non-commissioned officers and officers under flag rank belong to this class in every measurable way." This is an interesting conclusion given that earlier in the essay Codevilla decries the meddling in foreign countries by the ruling class. It should be clear that the ruling class could not meddle in foreign affairs without the military. Without men trained to kill when the State commands them to, the ruling class could not aggressively dictate the affairs of foreign countries. But tragically the very people who ostensibly resent the political elite that rules every facet of their lives enforce the political elite's decrees.
The reason country class serves in the military is simple. Codevilla reveals this in the next sentence:
Few vote for the Democratic Party. You do not doubt that you are amidst the country class rather than with the ruling class when the American flag passes by or "God Bless America" is sung after seven innings of baseball, and most people show reverence. The same people wince at the National Football League's plaintive renditions of the "Star Spangled Banner."
The country class cannot distinguish patriotism (love of homeland) from nationalism (love of the State). They revere the American flag, "God Bless America", and the "Star Spangled Banner" which all function to indoctrinate the people as jingoistic nationalists. The country class may resent what the ruling class is doing to them, but since the ruling class controls the American State, in their minds the ruling class still represents America. And the country class is loath to criticize America.
So if Obama, whom the country class detests, wishes to meddle in foreign affairs, the country class will go wherever Obama sends them because Obama represents America. If the ruling class says that a foreign country needs liberation from a dictator and it is America's job bring democracy to that land, the country class will gladly obey to bring the American "freedom" to the foreign people. The country class simply cannot tolerate a "weak" America, and if bullying other countries is a sign of strength, then the stronger the better. Even when it is known that a war was started under false pretenses, they will still fight the fight because leaving is perceived as cowardice and cowardice means a weak America. This is why Obama can send additional troops to Afghanistan and continue the war in Iraq, even though Bush's lies have been exposed and most of those troops sent to these countries probably did not vote for the Democrats. Obama and the ruling class know that the country class love America and will not willingly let America look weak in the eyes of other nations.
Because the country class recognizes the ruling class's power as a legitimate representation of America, they will continue to work as the soldiers who enforce the ruling class's decrees. Until the country class, i.e., God-fearing Republicans, sees the State as the criminal institution that it is and withdraws its consent, the political elite will continue to rule all of us who are not in the political elite. And sadly because the country class heeds the State's Siren Song, it will continue to enforce the ruling class's laws, tragically leading to its own destruction.
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