Saturday, May 13, 2017

Review The Coming Aristocracy by Oliver DeMille

Aristocracies rule according to one basic principle: they establish two sets of rules, one for themselves and another for everyone else. An aristocracy is only an aristocracy when it operates above the law.

DeMille observes that the founders created the senate so aristocrats would have a place to practice their high status, but the founders limited (enumerated) senate powers. As a result, senators could expend their mighty energies debating each other, while the people (in the form of the House of Representatives) had the real clout. Whether the founders pre-conceived this knot-tying distinction, I'm not sure, but I think it's great.

Lots of us are trapped into thinking that government is the solution to economic problems and every economic crisis. In fact, freedom is the solution.

DeMille reminds us that a clear distinction between education and training is important. Education is a broad understanding of many fields, but training is a depth of skills and expertise in a narrow field. In class structures, broadly educated people comprise the aristocracy and trained people do the work, depending on a job for survival. Think nineteenth century and earlier. Think third world. But, freedom depends on educated masses who have shared values, DeMille says.

I picked some of the plumpest fruits in The Coming Aristocracy. Here they are:

  • Freedom is taught in the classic books of history. The books are no longer on the shelves.
  • Freedom flourishes when the people are independent, free, and self-sufficient as possible.
  • We must accept the responsibilities that come with freedom.
  • Significant numbers of citizens must become owners.
  • In a free society, anyone can build and operate a mini-factory.
  • Liberals believe in the state, conservatives believe in the market.
  • The hallmark of freedom is the individual who ignores limits and lives his or her dream.
  • There are two camps, those of public debate and due process versus those of celebrity, populism, emotion, and swaying the masses. Those are the conservatives and the liberals.
  • Liberals sponsor “repetition makes it true” and “perception is reality.”
  • Liberals challenged with the truth invoke denial, charges of conspiracy theories, and “everybody does it.”
  • Liberals label patriotism and religion as “quaint.”
  • Aristocracy is where elites tell the government what to do and the government taxes the middle classes to pay for it.
  • Power as a purpose has a limit. Freedom as a purpose does not.
I'd suggest you jump onto this author and his books like a squirrel onto a truckload of nuts.

6 comments:

slyfox said...


“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”


John Adams quotes (American 2nd US President (1797-1801), 1735-1826)

Similar Quotes.

Fetzer Bontrager said...

Yes, and the progressive doctrine of relativism is being foisted on us. Denial of religious principles sucks the marrow out of our ethical bones.

Anonymouth said...

Oliver DeMille is past president of George Wythe University and author of A Thomas Jefferson Education.

App1 said...

The elites have already ruined America. Income equality and wealth redistribution have been slammed to the mat. Some politicians are hiding out and they only come into the daylight to lie. That's just before election time. The Constitution isn't strong enough to stifle the arrogant elites and the powerful politicians. Does this book tell how to get rid of elites? Why does England still have aristocrats?

Anonymous said...

Education. Plain and simple.

d'Fetz said...

What do you get from following a philosopher like DeMille? You don't get free food or a free college education. For those things you should follow Bernie Sanders. This conundrum makes me think nothing is really free and the real price you pay is giving up your freedom to a flower power hoodwinker scammer like Bernie. DeMille is obviously right, and the sooner the masses get educated to reality, the better off our country will be. thanks.