Res Publica

        Res Publica. A latin term for ‘A Civil Thing’ or ‘Public Thing’. This is the literal interpretation of the term Republic. So where is our Republic today? Is it truly Civil? Is it Civil in the classical sense of the word? What has happened to Civil Society and how can it be saved?

    These questions are difficult to answer. Civil Society doesn’t just include following social cues or avoiding taboos; it also means participation in public duty. Local election voting, petitioning, cleaning up trash, conducting charity–these are a few examples. Yet, many patriots, both from the left and right, do not involve themselves in their communities (and with each other) as they did in yesteryear. Statistically speaking, these behaviors are on the decline. And to make matters even worse, many are seeing their fundamental rights slowly abrogated before their very eyes.

    Indeed, the most recent erosions to our Liberties, alongside the decoupling of Civility from public discourse, is shocking to many. Even those who heavily invest themselves in politics are shocked by the rapid encroachment of disorder in our nation over the course of the last two decades.

    This is not to say that all is doom and gloom–as Bill has said, the Idea of America is not going anywhere. And that idea cannot be repressed–even if evil will always have it’s hour… But I’ll get back to this in my conclusion.

    For now, I want to comment on the design of our Country. The Founding Fathers took clear inspiration from both classical and contemporary philosophers–they were men of history, and knew well the natural arc of Empire… They endeavored to create a Republic, not because Republics are known for their longevity or stability, but because of their natural safeguards against tyrannical infringement. Republics are a hard thing to keep–they are often swayed towards the ends of greed, decadence, or lethargy. The Roman Republic had many problems leading up to it’s dissolution into the Roman Empire. Much like the American Republic of today, there was a stellar need to fix financial and civic inequality–a need whose solution was handed down by demagoguery.

    Principally, abuses of the powers of Consulship, mob violence, and fractures in Roman Decorum allowed for enough bending of the rules to eventually cause the system to break. Many parallels could probably be drawn to our current situation (barring, of course, many stark differences). The insinuation of UBI into our everyday lives (perhaps not unlike the Corona-Virus stimulus checks) might be comparable to the Roman grain dole… The unfortunate consequence of which is utter dependence upon Government. 

    But the balancing of powers in our system, alongside our unique bicameral legislature, offers a useful stopgap against typical demagoguery. Paradoxically, the most common complaint one often hears is that ‘the government just isn’t doing enough!’ (Thank Goodness!). In this way, I believe that it is not impossible to work within the Civil Framework our Founders have given us. That might mean using this Escape Tower Option to protect the American idea on the local level–or maybe it means forming communities of like-minded individualists. In either case, bearing the standards of Americanism will be a difficult, but necessary task. It is a singular honor, in fact, that there is no one else on Earth who is called to do it–it makes our job very clear.

    This brings me to my final conclusion, and my stalwart hope. Evil may have it’s hour, But God will have His day. The Truth is immutable, and the inalienable nature of our Rights, which have been endowed upon us by Heaven, are not going to leave us. We all know as patriots that the ideals of this Republic are not simply material. There is something beyond time and space going on here, and we are all called to bear witness for it. Upholding Civil Society, maintaining our communities, our love of country, and our love of fellow man, as patriots of old envisioned, will be our lasting testament to the Truth until the end of the age.

    I’m reminded of this excerpt written by Cicero, which I think encapsulates the essence of American Civil Society… That it is not just a codification of earthly rules and social cues, but as a rigid recognition of the stuff immutable rights, our Liberties, our Constitution, are made of. After all, we are a nation of Laws, not of Men.

    “There is indeed a law, right reason, which is in accordance with nature; existing in all, unchangeable, eternal. Commanding us to do what is right, forbidding us to do what is wrong. It has dominion over good men, but possesses no influence over bad ones. No other law can be substituted for it, no part of it can be taken away, nor can it be abrogated altogether. Neither the people or the senate can absolve us from 38it. It wants no commentator or interpreter. It is not one thing at Rome, and another thing at Athens: one thing to-day, and another thing to-morrow; but it is a law eternal and immutable for all nations and for all time. God, the sole Ruler, and universal Lord, has framed and proclaimed this law. He who does not obey it, renounces himself, and is false to his own nature: he brings upon himself the direst tortures, even when he escapes human punishments.”