Ah, the forces in the American life most people don’t actually know much about. I won’t even claim to be the foremost expert on the subject, but I can tell you the essential difference between these two forces it seems very few actually understand. And this isn’t about a lack of intelligence, by any means, but the American system doesn’t want to emphasize these differences because its growth of power over the individual citizen depends on the citizen’s ignorance of it.

And how might I surmise most people don’t know the true purpose of the presidency? Firstly, because people keep asking him to direct domestic policy.

The President of the United States was to represent the single, unified face of the American people in terms of foreign affairs, diplomatically and militarily, to the world at large. He was the “United” part of our states when the rest of the world looked at us. He is supposed to REFLECT congress, not control it or direct it. He is to be an outside force, not a leading force, in terms of domestic affairs. He is to take what Congress decides and enact a foreign policy accordingly, and bring to congress the world’s affairs so they might be well informed and better prepared to enact policies at home.

The Congress of the United States is supposed to be a republican reflection of American democracy. Make no mistake, the United States is not a democracy, it’s a Democratic Republic. What does that mean? It means decisions are made first in the interest of the country BEFORE the desires of the people. Our Founding Fathers knew from history that pure democracies failed quickly because it was pretty much like spoiling a child who realized he had a blank check to write himself everyone else’s money.

“When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.” – Benjamin Franklin

The Congress is split into two houses — one to reflect the people’s desires (House of Reps), one to reflect that states’ desires (Senate). We destroyed that protection in the early 1900′s when voting for US senators moved from the power of the State Senates to the people themselves. This is VERY important because the system was designed so that the states, already in reflection of the people’s desires by region, had a distinct voice in how the federal government ruled. That kept power in the state’s hands where it belonged.

While abuses occurred in that system (as is capable in any system where one man has power over another), it was better that states had a voice. Nevada focused on protecting its citizen’s rights as a whole. Nevada knew its people better than the Federal government. Each State Senate knows well its people people and its own districts. It knows what assets the state has and the rich cultural history of its lands. State Senates used to send one of their own to be a US Senator, and if that US Senator failed to deliver on his promised, hundreds of other career politicians could recall and revote so that each US Senator had to answer to someone. This protected state’s interests, which ultimately protected individual interests. If you lived in Nevada and loved Nevada rules, you had to worry less about Federal intervention.

But when that voting power moved, so did the protection of individual rights and a removal of a serious check-n-balance on US Senators, who could pander to voters without ever having to deliver anything. Mainly because federal politicians have well learned how to tell you one thing, never deliver on it, and still come out looking like the good guy. Don’t believe me? Watch C-Span.

The Congress of the United States in both Senate and House was to reflect the Will of the states and the Will of the people in all domestic affairs. Like any family, it is better to be divided within than appearing to be divided without.

The more Congress is capable of doing in a short time, the more dangerous its decisions will be. When people with power can move at reckless speeds, those most likely to be injured will be the people, themselves. We want Congress to take forever to make a decision. Why? Because it should never be considered the role of the US Congress to make decisions about how you or anyone else lives your life!

If you wish laws to be enacted, look first to your state. I don’t want to infringe my beliefs on Nevada. I live in Georgia. If I don’t like Georgia’s laws, I’ll move to Nevada. But when you try and control an entire nation, you do them great wrong by imposing your beliefs across the whole.

The President — our outside face: a diplomat, intelligent and wise.
The Congress — the Will of the people with the internal protections of a Republic.
Our System — Minimal so that each citizen may choose for themselves what is best for themselves.

Here’s a visual. The president is the prow of our boat — cutting the way through global politics and the most dangerous part of our boat. The Congress is our rudder which turns the boat and the prow. The people are the crew, the captain are our elected officials. In this case, the captain actually follows where the crew wishes to go. He is their servant, not their leader.

The key to a successful republican democracy is to stop asking our representatives to lead us! Lead yourself! Lead your own community through example and involvement! Be an American citizen. We might all be pushed to be global citizens as our world shrinks, but what most news media outlets aren’t telling you is that the internet is actually breeding millions of non-regional culture sets. It’s actually further dividing us than unifying. And while America’s diversity contributes to it, it would be foolish to imagine we must increase governance to protect us from ourselves.

If anything, it’s time to reduce our regional governance and return to a time of self discipline and self government. Rule Thyself! Stop asking the government to rule everyone else around you so you don’t have to deal with their exercise of liberty.

Please, take a moment and learn about why less government means “More citizen.” If you don’t like that idea, why don’t you trust other people? Do you think so little of them? Or do you think so little of yourself? Or, perhaps, you think so much of yourself?

Liberty or death.