by Richard Subber | Feb 26, 2026 | Democracy, Human Nature, Other, Power and inequality, Tidbits
tyranny, face up to it
The wisdom of James Madison:
“If men were angels,
no government would be necessary….
Is there no virtue among us?—
If there be not, we are in a wretched situation.
No theoretical checks—
no form of government, can render us secure.”
James Madison was a potent voice in the political wrangling and public debate that preceded the ratification of the U. S. Constitution in June 1788.
He was an articulate supporter of the Constitution and a leader among the Federalists who favored creation of a national government with a broad range of federal powers that constrained the powers of the states.
Madison shared the fear of his educated elite contemporaries that the “tyranny of the majority” was a notably possible flaw in a system of government based on elected representatives of the people.
If Madison were alive today he might say something like:
“Forsooth, we never imagined it might turn out this bad. We must rally the true friends of the Republic.”
Source:
To Begin the World Anew: The Genius and Ambiguities of the American Founders
Bernard Bailyn, New York: Vintage Books, A Division of Random House, Inc., c2003, repr. 2004, 34.
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Book review. Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2026 All rights reserved.
Book review: Tales from Shakespeare
summaries by Charles and Mary Lamb…
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many waters: more poems with 53 free verse poems,
and the rest of my poetry books are for sale on Amazon (paperback and Kindle)
and free in Kindle Unlimited, search Amazon for “Richard Carl Subber”
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by Richard Subber | Jan 20, 2026 | My poetry, Other, Poetry
clouds sound off…
cloud talk
I guess that clouds may skirr,
they are so far away,
they do stir
and frolic in the sky,
they may whir,
who hears the sound of clouds?
betimes they clap!
withal, they may purr…
October 1, 2025
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My poetry. Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2026 All rights reserved.
The poetic art of Grace Butcher
Poetry for reading out loud…
it’s that good
Book review: Child, House, World
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Writing Rainbows: Poems for Grown-Ups with 59 free verse and haiku poems,
and the rest of my poetry books are for sale on Amazon (paperback and Kindle)
and free in Kindle Unlimited, search Amazon for “Richard Carl Subber”
Your comments are welcome—tell me what you’re thinking.
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by Richard Subber | Dec 19, 2024 | Other, Poetry, Reviews of other poets
get hungry…
From John O’Donohue (1956-2008), his poem “For the Artist at the Start of Day.”
O’Donohue invokes a morning that may
“…dwell uniquely
Between the heart and the light
To surprise the hungry eye…”
I try to let my eye be hungry
in the morning when I take my first walk…
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Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2024 All rights reserved.
Movie review: Same Time, Next Year
all-American adultery, oh yeah…
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Seeing far: Selected poems with 47 free verse and haiku poems,
and the rest of my poetry books are for sale on Amazon (paperback and Kindle)
and free in Kindle Unlimited, search Amazon for “Richard Carl Subber”
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by Richard Subber | Sep 19, 2023 | My poetry, Other, Poetry, Reflections
no victory, but only ending…
Wonder
We’re on a strange road,
there is no straight ahead
on this strange road,
there are turnings
we have never seen,
we’re not in a race
but there is a finish line,
we’re doing it together,
one leg each in the sack,
no turning back,
no victory
but only ending,
this is a way
we’ve always imagined
but never known,
this is a strange road
and we’re learning
as we go along,
we take new steps
and wonder as we wander along…
December 18, 2021
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My poetry. Copyright © Richard Carl Subber 2023 All rights reserved.
Book review:
American Scripture:
Making the Declaration of Independence
…basically, this is trash talk to King George
by Pauline Maier
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As with another eye: Poems of exactitude with 55 free verse and haiku poems,
and the rest of my poetry books are for sale on Amazon (paperback and Kindle)
and free in Kindle Unlimited, search Amazon for “Richard Carl Subber”
Your candid comments are welcome—tell me what you’re thinking.
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