Does history repeat itself?

While they contemplated the descent of ancient governments, our Founding Fathers considered the potential collapse of our own republican form of government. Our founders took to heart the warning of Aristotle, how instability is brought about by inequality. They also recognized, as Plato stressed, tyrants will use free speech to seize power over society.

In establishing a governmental system, our founders sought to avoid the ill of tyranny that they, like the ancient philosophers, wanted to avoid.

Many democracies and republics founded at key moments in world history have failed, while each to some degree previewed the character of our own government. Today, especially at a state and county level, we are being familiarized with the destructive side of political history, and how dark money has entered our state’s elections from far-right donors.

Wayne Hoffman and the Idaho Freedom Foundation he leads; and Brent Regan and the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee he chairs, have moved to deny you candidate choice by telling candidates the 44 precinct committeemen of KCRCC chose not to recommend, they should drop out of their races. By drowning our community with their manipulative pretend “ballot” cards — and their privately-funded, biased “newspaper” — they have filled our community with counterfeit representations of our candidates; pitting honorable and knowledgeable Republican candidates against the KCRCC’s inferior choice of candidates in contested races.

Power-seeking characters like Hoffman and Regan are those that concerned our founders and whom ancient philosophers sought to avoid. A candidate’s character does not appear to be a priority with these men and the groups they lead, rather cultural adhesion is what is sought. The travesty that has taken place at North Idaho College after the KCRCC-endorsed candidates gained control over the trustee board is, a disturbing example of what happens when tyrants and inferior candidates are given power at the ballot box.

When you let your guard down and trust the wrong people, you make yourself vulnerable to the abuses of bullies, narcissists and tyrants—characters of the same pathological mold.

Balance in any social structure is fragile. Sadly, history has shown people can find themselves lying in the bottom of a death pit while their fellow countrymen stand over them with guns ready and willing to shoot. The societal collapses seen throughout history begin with tyrants believing they have more rights to power and freedom than others.

Most power of authoritarianism is freely given, leading to a repressive government. Every time you blindly vote as the IFF and the KCRCC directs, you are helping them and their allies gain further power over you. Anticipatory obedience is a political strategy tyrants depend on and utilize to garner control. Tyrants use anticipatory obedience to form the governments they want where their cruelty reigns. Their victims and their aides submit power to their madness, and mass killing and discrimination results.

There is a hunger among people of noble character and good conscience in Kootenai County. This hunger is for independence, respect and equal freedoms for all, not just for the power-seeking, aggressive few tied to the Christian nationalist movement seeking to impose their restrictive will on you.

Besides referring to themselves as Christian, they also like to call themselves patriots. Based on their conduct, these people behave more like anarchists and revolutionaries rather than Christians and patriots. They have combined and weaponized both of these labels in their drive for power and superiority over you.

The discriminatory, abusive and churlish demeanor of those involved in the Christian nationalist movement, the John Birch Society and the far-right faction of conservatism have an agenda that does not include your freedom and liberty. Some of these people are current elected officials and some will take office in January 2023. The power they seek over our government and you begins with their indoctrination of our children with falsehoods. You saw a perfect example of this objective when a county commissioner candidate, two attorneys who used their legal experience and others on the Optional Forms of Government Study Commission fabricated baseless accusations and character assaults against fellow commissioners and their legitimate vote. Their unethical conduct supported by the prosecutor’s office moved to deny you a right to vote on what form of government under which our county will operate. Tyranny, or an arbitrary use of power, can be found throughout government entities. Be aware!

Its alarmingly disappointing watching the oblivious and minimally engaged voters relinquishing their freedom and their responsibility to vote wisely to these power-seeking vampires wanting to feed their ailing egos off of the unsuspecting and your willingness to trust their contrived representations. Their junk news sources online, their unrelenting exploitation of your willingness to trust their judgment and their manipulation needs to be rejected. Refuse to give your power away to those who want to deprive you of your personal choice so they can hold power over you.

Voters you have been conned by skilled bullies, con men and manipulators long enough. It’s time to commit yourself to defending your rights through more responsible and conscientious political engagement before you find yourself living under the rule of theocratic fascism.

No, history does not repeat itself, but it does provide instruction.

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Deborah Rose is a resident of Kootenai County.