Montesquieu and the Tea Party

"The deterioration of every government begins with the decay of the principles on which it was founded." ~ Montesquieu, Spirit of the Laws

We have a movement in the country now, called the Tea Party, whose self declared purpose is to restore our government to its founding principles. Low taxes, liberty and limited government summarize those principles pretty well. Though we disagree about practical application, no one disagrees about where to find the principles: in our Constitution and in our Declaration of Independence. Most people also agree that if democracy has a weakness, it is the ability of a majority to rule without regard for the rights or interests of people who find themselves in the minority on a given issue.

What is the reaction of the majority party to the Tea Party during the last year and a half? Ridicule and mockery. The majority says tea partiers are so scared and angry they can't think clearly. That they're kooks and wackos. We are talking about good citizens, taxpaying citizens, who are genuinely anxious about the direction their country is going. They hold up the Constitution with pride, to remind us that it's our only guide during a difficult time, when we're not sure what to do. Don't forget our founding principles, they say. Don't forget who we are. What's the reaction? The most merciless smack down of well intentioned Americans one can imagine.