On a recent tour of the New Glarus, Wisconsin, historical museum, our tour guide said something that got me thinking. The guide spent the first 10 years of his life in Germany, and offered an amazing perspective on his life there since 1940, and the opportunities his family and the Swiss people saw in America. And he said this of the Swiss:
"The Swiss hate authority."It was a moment of clarity for me. Isn't that really an American ideal? It was never our intention as a country to elect "leaders." We elect representatives to serve us. We don't give someone "authority" over us, to lead us, because like the Swiss, we hate authority.
It's no accident that conservative politicians and the radical tea party right are all about electing "leaders." They want leaders with the courage to stand up to a dissenting public. The majority rules. But what about the Constitutionally protected minority?
The best and most chilling example of this move toward authoritarian leadership, can be seen in the speech below; it was a tea party sponsored Wisconsin visit by presidential hopeful Rick Santorum. Do we want a leader, or a representative? That's the choice:
Gov. Nicki Haley unintentionally offered her own shocking warning to America if Walker wins, when she said;
"If he wins this , we will see more power and strength across the governors of this country than we've ever seen before."
It really is breathtaking.
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