That I finally got some reading done...

And that I am going to force some of it on you. Mainly because I find it so interesting that ideas that were so 'original' in 1887 are still being discussed. Not that they don't deserve to be discussed, but are discussed like 'wow, new stuff' because sometimes, these ideas are just thrown aside and ignored. History repeats itself.

Excerpts from Political Science Quarterly, 2 (June 1887) Written by Woodrow Wilson

"

We have enthroned public opinion; and it is forbidden us to hope during its reign for any quick schooling of the sovereign in executive expertness or in the conditions of perfect functional balance in government. The very fact that we have realized popular run in its fullness has made the task of organizing that rule just so much the more difficult. In order to make nay advance at all we must instruct and persuade a multitudinous monarch called public opinion, -a much less feasible undertaking than to influence a single monarch called a king. An individual sovereign will adopt a simple plan and carry it out directly' he will have bu one opinion, and he will embody that opinion in one command. But this other sovereign, the people, will have a score of differing opinions. They can agree upon nothing simple: advance must be made through compromise, by a compounding of differences, by a trimming of plans and a suppression of too straightforward principles. There will be a succession of resolves running through a course of years, a dropping fire of commands running through a whole gamut of modifications.
In government, as in virtue, the hardest of hard things is to make progress. Formerly the reason for this was that the single person who was sovereign was generally either selfish, ignorant, timid, or a fool,-albeit there was now and again one who was wise. Nowadays the reason is that the many, the people, who are sovereign have no single ear which one can approach, and are selfish, ignorant, timid, stubborn, or foolish with the selfishnesss, the ignorances, the stubbornnesses, the timidities, or the follies of several thousand persons,-albeit there are hundreds who are wise."

In his essay, Wilson was trying to make the case for teaching public administration in schools and how to go about it, and what we shouldn't do. So it is long, interesting, but long. Again, there were some points that I thought somewhat held strong today as they did then. How far we come and don't come. We are beholden to popular opinion, and for all of those who do know what is going on, sadly there are so many that don't. That makes governing the way we do so hard...because both sides of every political coin have smart people that can make good, valid points and arguments...they just get covered up by those that don't.

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He holds open the door
As you walk to enter
He makes you breakfast
Before you open your eyes
He takes time from work
To simply hold your hand
He lets you be who you are
And all you hoped to become.