The American President. A temporary leader, not a King, not a Queen, not even a life-long congressman. A leader going into the job knowing they will be fired, tossed aside, and mostly forgotten about during their own lifetime within four years, or eight years. Has there ever been a position of power in the history of the modern world that was created to purposely celebrate merit, stoic inner strength, and limited power over the idea of pageantry, and lifelong hierarchical influence? Simply put, no there is not one.
Before the rebellious creation of The United States of America, throughout Western Civilization leaders reigned until death, upheaval, or the strategic passing of the torch through corrupt nepotism. The concept that we now take for granted; that of “The Will of the People,” was not only meaningless before America, it was a concept that was ignored, deemed inappropriate, and aside from philosophers, and a few choice rebellions here and there-was mostly not thought about. Royalty, Theocracies, and Imperialistic Regimes controlled everything, while the will of the people existed primarily through the search for simple purpose, and survival among the scraps. Now the American Revolution would not have meant very much, if after the victory over the British we as a country just went with the norm and implemented some sort of combination of English Law, and Monarchy rule over the land. Thank God, thank whatever cosmic intervention was at play during the late 1700s, that something so deeply significant not seen since the great thinkers of Ancient Greece and Rome was bestowed upon this land.
Our Founding Fathers not only spilled blood against the most powerful army in the world and won; they then had the inner-fortitude to dig down deep, even though they were tired, beaten, and alone and they created a system that on a deeply moral and emotional level could only be likened to the love, justice, and spirituality that Shakespeare searched for throughout his writings. And, on a logistical and political level it was the first system that said to the Common Man; that spent most of their lives only being able to search for a simple purpose, and barely surviving among the scraps--that they too could be a leader, could be a rich man, and could one day be President of The United States.
Then, not too far down the line, common paupers become President through hard work, education, and military victories. Andrew Jackson, Lincoln, and Grant; just to name a few. On this Presidents Day of 2021, I not only tip my cap to the past presidents that lead with an accepted temporary valor, and were servants for the will of the people; but to our Founding Fathers’ who were Philosophical Warriors that established a political system, and a country the first of its kind. A country where it’s leaders are the servants to not only the most powerful, but to the poorest of its citizens, and a system that has a political hierarchy available to all, not just the few.
Be weary of the people in power today that demonize Populism, and Nationalism as racist structures that only developed evil societies such as Nazi Germany and Mao’s China. For those two tenets surely did create evil at times, but it also created the freest most egalitarian country that has ever existed. A country that has allowed, and celebrated poor men to become the most powerful leader. A country that stood behind common folk that stormed the beaches of Normandy. A country that celebrates poor urban youth to become the richest, and most successful in our culture today. A country we should all be proud of, a country that no matter what people say today, allows us to be whatever we want, when we want it, and however we want it.
“The will of the people is the best law.”
Ulysses S. Grant
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