Civil Society

By Karen Schumacher

What comes to mind when thinking about a civil society?  Perhaps where people interact in a civil manner, or the community at large participates with civility, airing differences without harshness towards one another.  How did the Founders view a civil society?

Just prior to the Declaration of Independence, Alexander Hamilton declared, “When the first principles of civil society are violated, and the rights of a whole people are invaded, the common forms of municipal law are not to be regarded.”

James Madison wrote in Federalist #37, “Stability in government, is essential to national character, and to the advantages annexed to it, as well as to that repose and confidence in the minds of the people, which are among the chief blessings of civil society.”

John Locke, who had influence with the Founders, described civil society, “Those who are united into one body, and have a common established law and judicature to appeal to, with authority to decide controversies between them, and punish offenders, are in civil society one with another.”  Locke also had a few words on tyranny, “Wherever law ends, tyranny begins…”.

In Federalist #51, Alexander Hamilton or James Madison spoke to the need for separate branches of government, each assigned with different powers between them, and necessary for a check and balance system that would keep the government itself in line.  “Since it shews that in exact proportion as the territory of the union may be formed into more circumscribed confederacies or states, oppressive combinations of a majority will be facilitated, the best security under the republican form, for the rights of every class of citizens, will be diminished; and consequently, the stability and independence of some member of the government, the only other security, must be proportionally increased. Justice is the end of government. It is the end of civil society.”  Federalist #51 also spoke to the dangers of factions, “In a society under the forms of which the stronger faction can readily unite and oppress the weaker, anarchy may as truly be said to reign, as in a state of nature where the weaker individual is not secured against the violence of the stronger.”

Federalist # 10 by James Madison also spoke to the dangers of factions.  “Among the numerous advantages promised by a well constructed union, none deserves to be more accurately developed than its tendency to break and control the violence of faction.”  “By a faction I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.”  “There are two methods of curing the mischiefs of faction: The one, by removing its causes; the other, by controlling its effects.”

Removing its causes was not an option as it entailed limiting liberty.  In Madison’s view, the cure was “A republic, by which I mean a government in which the scheme of representation takes place, opens a different prospect, and promises the cure for which we are seeking.”  The rationale for this, “…you take in a greater variety of parties and interests; you make it less probable that a majority of the whole will have a common motive to invade the rights of other citizens; or if such a common motive exists, it will be more difficult for all who feel it to discover their own strength, and to act in unison with each other.”

So, having a civil society was based on a Republic, with laws, and protecting rights.  Ok, what is the point here?  Who cares?  Why is this even important?

No, no, no, no, no!  All of this foundation for a civil society has been scrubbed.  Civil society, a term even used by presidents, has a whole new meaning, one that obliterates our Republic as intended.  Madison tried to warn us.

Back in 1992, the United Nations (UN) devoted a whole chapter in Agenda 21 to Strengthening The Role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO).  Strengthening The Role of Trade Unions and Business were a couple of other chapters.  These are factions James Madison warned us about, and his fears have come to fruition.

The UN has its own Civil Society Unit, describing its factions as “any non-profit, voluntary citizens’ group which is organized on a local, national or international level.”  These UN factions include academia, professional, foundation, and environmental organizations across the world.  The Organization of American States (OAS) has relations with Civil Society Organizations, interfere with citizen representation, and the U.S. Headquarters lie smack in the middle of Washington D.C..

The World Economic Forum (WEF) also has its own interesting slant on Civil Society, “a diverse community of civil society leaders come together to find solutions…advance multi-stakeholder cooperation with government and business leaders; …includes the engagement of the most influential organizations representing the interests of citizens…NGOs, non-profits and charities; trade unions and labour organizations; come together to collaborate with government and business leaders on finding and advocating solutions to global challenges.”  As it is stated in the video, these factions that make up Civil Society are Shaping a Future.

According to the World Bank, “Civil society … refers to a wide array of organizations: community groups, non-governmental organizations [NGOs], labour unions, indigenous groups, charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, and foundations.”  Civil Society “has the power to influence the actions of elected policy-makers and businesses” as a “third sector” (after government and commerce).”  Klaus Schwab even wrote a paper on Civil Society, just another fascist advancement.  A James Madison or John Locke he is not.

As seen by history, people never change, especially when it comes to the gluttony of power.  James Madison was aware of this and familiar with the development of factions that would be more than happy to usurp control and power over others.  It is the Civil Society of factions that now control the government once so feared by Madison, but we have let it happen.