The Sunshine Empire

When did we, as a Jeffersonian democracy, degenerate into political monarchy?  I was reading today of the win of the window of Paul Tsongas in a special election for a vacant House seat.  Now I do not know anything about Mrs. Tsongas, and she might be a wonderful legislator, but we are living through the second year of the son of a President’s Presidency.  We are close to electing the wife of the last President, which means we degenerated into Argentina of the early 20th century.  In 2000 Mel Carnahan’s wife took his senate seat when his dead remains beat John Ashcroft in the Missouri Senate race.

This also extends into the sports world when it comes to coaching.  The Bowden boys have made entire careers on their last name.  The Stoops brothers all get jobs.  At Georgetown John Thompson III is coaching at his pop’s old gig.  When my dad steps down from his law firm, they aren’t replacing him with me.  I also don’t think that someone becomes job qualified just because they sleep in the same bed as someone who is.

Our society was built originally to be a meritocracy,  but it seems like we are moving further and further away from that.  Our tax laws that kept a permenant aristocracy from arising, and helping those who valued hard work and innovation, have been slowly dismantled.  We the people, have as Neil Postman said, have been amusing ourselves to death too much to notice.