IS OUR SOCIAL CONTRACT UNRAVELING?

The past four years have shaken up what political scientists tend to refer to as the social contract between our government and its citizens. An implicit contract none of us was explicitly asked to opt in on, but a choice we assume to enjoy all the benefits that government provides, while implicitly agreeing to accept governmental authority. President Trump and his congressional supporters are gradually dismantling the vestiges of 20th century liberalism from 21st century America. They appear set on redefining the underlying social agreement between the healthy and the sick, between immigrants and native born, between men and women, between differing sexual orientations and religions, between rich and poor and between those who own capital and those who don’t. The privatization of FDR’s Social Security, Johnson’s Medicare and Medicaid and Obama’s Affordable Care Act are in the ruling party’s sights. So much so that this year’s contender for the presidency, former Vice President Joe Biden, has considered that what is at stake is nothing less than the soul of America. While a social contract may be tacitly greed to in general, its constructs can become very explicit. Our Constitution is often cited as an explicit example of part of our social contract. It sets out what the government can and can’t do. Social contract is a theory or a model which originated during the Age of Enlightenment, an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe between the 17th and 19th centuries. The starting point for most social contract theories was an examination of the human condition prior to, or absent of any political order. Theorists sought to demonstrate why a rational individual would voluntarily consent to give up their national freedom to obtain the benefits of political order. The most profound social contract theorists of the time were: Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), John Locke (1632-1704), and Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778). Thomas Hobbes’s theoretical basis was “the state of nature,” during which human life was “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.” In the absence of political order and law, everyone would have unlimited natural freedoms, including the right to plunder, rape and murder. To avoid this, free men would engage in a contract to establish a civil society in which they all gain security in return for subjecting themselves to an absolute sovereign. Hobbes saw absolute government as the only alternative to the terrifying anarchy of the state of nature. The English philosopher John Locke came from quite a different starting point. He believed that human nature was characterized by reason and tolerance, even though it allowed people to be selfish. In a natural state, all people were equal and independent. Everyone had a natural right to defend his “life, health, liberty, or possessions.” The sole right to defend in the state of nature was not enough, so people established a civil society to resolve conflicts in a civil way with the help from government in an organized state. He argued against the absolute monarchy and in favor of individual consent as the basis for political legitimacy. His ideas had a profound influence on our “Declaration of Independence” and “Constitution,” and can be found back in the written works of Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison and others. The Swiss philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, writing in 1762, became increasingly aware that the ordering in society was unjust. Rules were made by the rich to suit their own interests, not those of the common people. He argued that laws could only be binding if they were supported by the “general will” of the people. Today, most of us still believe that we live together in accordance with an agreement that establishes moral and political rules of behavior. Based on responses to polling, our American social contract suggests that we generally share a number of values: Everyone should have an equal chance to get ahead; No one should be discriminated against because of race, religion, gender or sexual preference; No one who works full time should have to live in poverty; People should take responsibility for themselves and their families, but deserve help if they need it through no fault of their own; And no one should have special privileges and power based on wealth and class. These values are anchored in moral teachings and democratic ideals that often predate the founding of our republic. We have veered away from all these principles. However, that does not make us less dedicated to them. A problem with social contract theory is that it could give governments too much power to make laws under the guise of protecting the public. Governments may use the cloak of the social contract to invoke the fear of a state of nature to warrant laws that are intrusive. Theo Wierdsma

TIME TO EXHALE

A few weeks ago, my wife and I took a few days away from our daily routine and exposed ourselves to the multifaceted cultural experience provided by Nashville, Tennessee. We visited before, but never managed to attend the Grand Ole Opry, something not necessarily on our bucket list, although it probably should have been. The city of Nashville offered more than “just” music, and much more than the cacophony of country and western sounds blaring at full blast from every bar and restaurant along Broadway, its main thoroughfare. Although the city is currently less “southern” than it reportedly was during the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, it did retain much of the niceness typically associated with the South. Nevertheless, its southern culture is gradually being diluted by a net migration of about 100 new arrivals a day, making it the 7th fastest growing city in the U.S.. Many of the cultural attractions, however, are fixed in place. We visited the Belle Meade plantation, the Carter House located on the site of one of the Civil War’s last major battles near the city of Franklin, the Hermitage, the estate of our 7th president, Andrew Jackson, the Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry, all the while indulging in southern food, and practicing the language. For almost an entire week we saw no newspaper, and only rarely got a glimpse 0f what was going on politically that might increase our blood pressure. In other words, we were able to exhale, and take a break from what we knew would face us again once we returned home. Belle Meade Plantation This 200 year old facility is famous for turning 250 acres of remote wilderness into the nation’s leading thoroughbred farm. It’s founder, John Harding, brought two slaves with him when he settled in the area. Over time, the Harding family became one of the largest slave-holding families in Nashville. Initially, John Harding earned his living through boarding horses and subsistence farming. He would eventually shift the operation into what became known as the Belle Mead Stud. His son William took over operations of the plantation in 1839, and continued breeding thoroughbreds. He donate $500,000 to the cost of the Confederate States army, was arrested after the Union forces took control of the sate in 1862, and was imprisoned in Fort Mackinac in Michigan for 6 months. Somehow he kept all his horses. In 1872, he purchased a prime stud, Bonnie Scotland, and established one of America’s most prominent thoroughbred bloodlines. The estate claims that most recent Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown winner can trace their lineage directly to its most famous stud, Iroquois. The plantation’s head hostler and trainer, Robert “Bob” Green, was an enslaved man who became a nationwide celebrity. A fabulous place to visit. The Battle of Franklin Franklin, a small town just outside of Nashville, is a friendly tourist-focused hamlet, made more famous for the location where on November 30, 1864 the Battle of Franklin, one of the last major Civil War battles, took place. It seems almost inconceivable that in that small area 27,000 Union troops fought with 20,000 Confederates. The combat lasted only five hours, but resulted in 9,500 casualties – 2,000 dead, 6,500 wounded, and 1,000 missing. The focal point of this battle field, the Carter House, provides a fascinating historic perspective, not to be missed by anyone visiting the area. The Hermitage The Hermitage planation is the home of Andrew Jackson, located about twelve miles east of Nashville. It sits on an estate of over 1,100 acres, that includes the tomb of Jackson and his wife Rachel. He lived there from1804 until his death in 1845. It served as a place of rest for “Old Hickory,” where he entertained a steady flow of family and friends. But it was also a place of captivity and suffering for hundreds of slaves. Nevertheless, a must place to visit for history buffs touring the area. Grand Ole Opry Our impetus for visiting Nashville was to attend a concert at the Grand Ole Opry. We managed to book two performances. Downtown, at the Ryman Auditorium, the former Grand Ole Opry House, colloquially known as the “Mother Church of Music,” built in 1892 as a permanent location for tent revival-style gospel meetings. A statue of Little Jimmy Dickens sits in front of its main entrance. We attended a performance by singer-songwriter Jill Scott. Our main event, however, was at the current location on Opryland Drive. We managed to include a fascinating backstage tour during the morning of our concert date. That night, more than 4,000 country and western aficionados and interested tourists swarmed the facility, ready to enjoy a multi-faceted program, including, among others, “The Gatlin Brothers” and Merle Haggard’s son Ben. These were the names we recognized. However, we were intrigued by a bluegrass band: “Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers” performing a rousing rendition of “Bacon in my beans,” and their reference to another performance favorite: “If I had shot her when I fist met her, I would be out about now.” We were a day early for a feature performance by “Leftover Salmon W/Horseshoes and Hand Grenades.” You wonder why we can’t stick to common names like the “Beatles,” or “Rolling Stones.” All in all, this trip did exactly what it was intended to do. We crammed a lot into four days. We did partake of hot chicken and waffle dishes, but passed on moonshine tastings, or the redneck comedy tour. I did pick up an instructional manual teaching me “How to Speak Southern,” something I may dig into before we go again. Theo Wierdsma