In The Beginning.

The cure for the evils of democracy is more democracy!

H. L. Mencken, Notes on Democracy, 1926

A new year, and yet sadly the same old politics of cowardice is what is being offered to the American people from Congress. While the political and media classes focus on the imbecilic, the headlines speak of comprehensive legislation that does little to improve the nation. It is indeed disillusioning to hear so much stupidity spewing forth from our elected leaders.

Their collective ignorance is alarming when they speak of the ‘American dream’ and how they base that concept on a complete absence of understanding our history, and the facts surrounding the formation of democracy in America.

The Madison Conservative has written previously on the fallacy of comprehensive legislation, the Affordable Care Act – ObamaCare – the most recent exemplar of congressional ineptitude.

Consider that the first governing document in America, the first written record of legislative intent, was composed in only 198 words.

198 words were sufficient enough to find common political ground.

It is hoped that our current legislative class have the ability and mental acuity to grasp that reality.

To wit:

Herein is posted the entirety of the Mayflower Compact, written by the Pilgrims and agreed upon by all aboard the Mayflower as they settled their colony.

Its brevity and specificity of intent are breathtaking.

The below transcription is courtesy of USHistory.org.

In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereigne Lord, King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britaine, France and Ireland king, defender of the faith, etc. having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, and honour of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the Northerne parts of Virginia, doe by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civill body politick, for our better ordering and preservation, and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enacte, constitute, and frame such just and equall laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meete and convenient for the generall good of the Colonie unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cape-Codd the 11. of November, in the year of the raigne of our sovereigne lord, King James, of England, France and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fiftie-fourth. Anno Dom. 1620.