by Cladrastis

What we REQUIRE is a sea change in leadership – from a self-serving “universalist” kleptocracy to an altruistic and philosophically-rooted particularist aristocracy; an aristocracy that will place the interests of the nation before the personal interests of the individuals who are a part it. Apropos we must address two related questions: how do we bring about such a change within the extant political framework, and what will prevent an ultra-nationalist European aristocracy from sliding inexorably back into the oblivion of plutocracy?

We will “fix” the plutocratic system by instituting policies that invert the relationship between political and economic power. For a man to attain political power he will be forced to make economic sacrifices commensurate with the rank to which he aspires. Similarly, the rich man will lose political rights based on the degree to which he has amassed personal wealth. Such an inverted relationship between economic and political power lends itself naturally to James Bowery’s idea of the net asset tax, but in this instance, the tax incurs political as well as economic costs.

Intellectuals, who rarely amass great fortunes, would then emerge as one of the most promising pools of political potential. Contrariwise, individuals from the moneyed class would be eligible for office if, and only if, they relinquish their personal fortunes; by doing so, the rich man demonstrates his altruism in a tangible manner and shows the public to whom his political beneficence will be directed (does the rich man donate his money to a Guatemalan orphanage, to his sons, or to the local school system?). Notice that this encourages philanthropy, the disentangling of national and business interests, and the socialization of wealth, but also results in a certain degree transparency.

We would be wise to heed Blake’s familiar and pessimistic warning, “The iron hand crush’d the tyrant’s head, And became a tyrant in his stead,” by taking note of the forces that a tyrant do make. The rich have proven themselves time and again wholly unfit to rule. The Marxist critique of the bourgeois class is (in part) valid; however Marxists are too dishonest to accurately assess the stupidity of the dictatorship of the proletariat (in any of its theoretical permutations). Perhaps it is time to adopt the Marxist critique, but add to it an aristocratic response. Perhaps ... this is how we will prevent the Enemy from taking advantage of his next golden opportunity.