This election is a contest between a Democrat who wants to make this country more like Tocqueville’s France and Republicans who want to keep it more like Tocqueville’s America. The liberal bloggers are rooting for France.
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Tocqueville’s France was a much different country from the France of today. As was his America.
But I see the point ;-)
His book, along with the Federalist papers. is a book I should read again as his observations of the American character seemed timeless.
One of the things Tocqueville observed about pre-revolutionary France was that if a local community needed to get a church steeple replaced, it would require gaining the approval of someone in Paris, which would take months…
David – out here in California getting approval for that church steeple in a few months is known as being on the “fast track” ;-)
But it is in the American psyche to ” just do it” (isn’t that an ad tag line for someone? ;-) )
And seriously I don’t think things have changed that much in pre vs post revolutionary France. Instead of the King’s representatives you deal with a labyrinth of bureaucrats.
I like France but I can always go there and come home.
“This election is a contest between a Democrat who wants to make this country more like Tocqueville’s France” True statement
“and Republicans who want to keep it more like Tocqueville’s America.” May or may not be true depending on the Republican candidate.