Rules by which a great nation is reduced to a small one
A Slice of Cake
A greater writer than myself, Benjamin Franklin wrote a satire to encourage the public to take a fresh look at “The American Problem“ in protestation to the crown of England and the disposition of American colonists.
This was written more than two hundred and fifty years ago and ironically holds many truths to our modern American problems. A great nation is diminished at the edges.
I, a modern Simpleton of this modern age, am compelled to share my humble verse, as much as lies within my limited providence to uphold. The ministers and executives of this nation have grown too numerous and too mighty, leaving me but a mere spectator in this national discourse. By their actions, they render it impossible for me to truly claim my own life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness as my own.
My family first set foot upon these shores in 1717, embarking on a journey marked by great sacrifice and unyielding perseverance to achieve Religious Liberty. Through exclusion from our family’s theological commitments, we joined in the Revolution that secured the liberties which have brought this country to its current state. We are a caste of immigrants, as are the majority of our fellow citizens, and we bear profound reverence, gratitude, and honor for those who came before us, whose sacrifices laid the foundation upon which we now stand.
We are not a family of vast monetary wealth. Our wealth lies instead in our honest labors, our steadfast commitments to service, and our unwavering devotion to this land we cherish so deeply, along with all who dwell within its borders.
Upon this, I render my attestation:
Our greatness crumbles as a cake divided, rendered un-whole. And thus, our executives and ministers find themselves with naught but crumbs to consume. By this indulgence, they too are consumed, not by substance or purpose, but by the empty vanity of such trifling fare. I beseech you to consider the folly laid bare before us, as the culmination of this republic’s persistent failure to fashion a proper cake—a symbol of unity and purpose, now left in disarray.
The Executive hath indeed ascended as a King. Contrary to the sacred spirit of our laws, the intent of our forebearers, and the sacrifices of patriots who secured our liberty, the Executive now wields power unmistakably monarchial. Without the consent of the legislature, nor regard for the will of the people, orders are decreed in defiance of rational discourse and careful governance. Such unilateral acts are naught but the vanity of a petty sovereign, bolstered by the anointment of zealous acolytes whose sole design is to lay waste to the honest pursuits of the citizenry. Shall we witness the ruin of our republic—all for a mere slice of cake?
The remotest provinces of this land are inhabited by our people—burdened by the historical missteps of ill-starred bakers and architects of governance whose recipes, ill-conceived and incomplete, have long produced odious results. Our newly enthroned, unseasoned bakers, eager to sow discord and division, toss ingredients haphazardly into the oven and hope by sheer providence that the outcome is not charred. Instead, they contrive a confection so vile that its stench offends all sensibilities. Shall we declare this abomination our national unity? Is the pursuit of equality to be conscripted into enmity? And all this, for a slice of cake?
Peaceable submission to government is no measure of tolerance, temperance, or conscience. Yet the actions of the Executive, ministers, and their acolytes provoke the rising tide of protest, which they, in turn, twist into a pretext for oppression. Under the shadow of a King, dissent inevitably falls prey to bayonets and bullets, wielded not by an impartial Executive, but by the caprice of a monarch.
This land must be governed by people of temperate minds, free from the dictates of a single sovereign. The United States of America was forged in the crucible of fraternity and common cause, and it is the solemn duty of those in office to rise above the din of discord. Without unity and resolve, we leave ourselves vulnerable to our enemies, who lie in wait, ready to exploit our divisions. A mere slice of cake cannot sustain a nation; it is the collective character, the united spirit, that ensures our prosperity and shields us from ruin.
When the coffers of our leaders overflow, yet they remain so blinded by avarice that they cannot act for the welfare of all, those leaders become oppressors. This, too, is a tradition long observed in this land: the accumulation of cake by the privileged few which inevitably leads to tyranny. Have they learned nothing from the Revolution, from the civil struggles that followed? Have they not heeded the warnings of a citizenry that seeks, in good faith, to resolve grievances peaceably? Ignoring these lessons can only lead to ruin.
If our Executive and ministers persist in waging wars of attrition and austerity against their own people, the inevitable result is that rival nations and factions will see us as contemptible, weak, and ripe for exploitation. A nation that betrays its constitution and its sacred oaths for the fleeting sweetness of another’s cake sacrifices its honor and its standing in the world.
Mark well the applause of rival nations who revel in our disunion. The hubris of a supreme ruler serves only to hasten his fall, for history is replete with monarchs undone by their own temptations. And yet, they reach for another slice, even as they choke on their folly.
If the purpose of this government and its ministers is to enrich only themselves, erecting citadels of prestige and avarice upon the backs of those who labored to secure our freedom, then they betray the very foundation of our republic. Our Constitution was designed to be amended, yes—but only to advance the cause of justice for all, not to enrich a privileged few who forsake principle for pride and plunder.