Wilson began the great duping of the United States

Certainly there are many things that could be discussed in any column submitted — such as national issues, what with the goings on in Washington, D.C., or the state level with different issues being hashed out in Juneau, all the way to local government, whether it be about the borough or the city.

However, perhaps looking back into a piece of the genesis as to how we got where we are may give us something to ponder concerning the shift, or loss by some estimations, of our collective American soul.

If we just spin the clock back a mere 100 years or so we peel back and peer at the underpinnings of what was what. In 1913, Woodrow Wilson became our 28th president. Wilson had been president of Princeton University in New Jersey at one time in his career. During his time, Wilson gave us modern bureaucracy; you know, the Administrative Branch of government. He invented it. Also, the Federal Reserve Act passed in the dead of night, which took control of setting the value of money away from the elected Congress and gave it to private banking interests. Wilson also put through the 16th Amendment, which is that personal federal income tax thing due April 15. We should all be familiar with that. He promised African Americans “fair dealing in advancing their race,” but instead implemented a policy of racial segregation in federal employment.

In 1916, he ran for his second term on a platform of “he kept us out of the war.” That was that little grinding bloodbath known as World War I going on in Europe for four years, again between that quarreling bunch with the usual suspects of England, France, etc. They had been beating each other senseless forever. Yet, after re-election in 1917, he moved Congress to declare war, thus throwing into the trash bin of history the warning of George Washington to the American people to stay out of foreign affairs.

Washington had it right; trade and be friends with everybody and don’t inter-meddle. That doctrine, in fact, worked when this was truly a republic. After World War I, Wilson created the League of Nations — you know, the forerunner of the United Nations.

Sweet! And wouldn’t you know it, Woodrow Wilson was the leader of the Progressive Movement. Gee, neat! Wilson also was very enamored with the American League of Cities movement. In fact, Wilson was responsible for the Short Ballot Organization, which would concentrate the administrative authority of local government in an appointed official. (That’s the borough and city manager type of government to you and me.)

The argument for an appointed bureaucrat running things was: A true separation of powers; managers trained (in Wilson-type universities) were “experts” in public administration; financial resources were strengthened; efficiency was increased. Really? Then why wasn’t this presented as an alternative to the Office of the President, Mr. Wilson? Or, at least as an alternative to governors in each state?

The reply was in sum, “We gotta clean up local government and make it more efficient.”

After all, the manager will merely enforce local policy, direct and approve work of local government departments, manage all the employees and have full executive power over all government operations. Huh? What happened to the American Democratic/Republican notion of the people electing a mayor with those traditional powers, or why is local voter power diminished when deciding who directly runs the local government.

Managers not elected are not directly responsible to the electorate. Interesting concept, but yet it is in practice, except for a few places like Anchorage, Fairbanks, New York, Boston, and even Wasilla. The same cannot be said in most cities and boroughs in Alaska.

Justice Hugo Black did not believe in so-called “efficiency” in government if it diminished the right of the people to choose who is directing their government. You know, even folks like Ralph “Sonny” Barger, the member venerated founder and leader of the motorcycle club the Hells Angels, understood the trick bag set by Pied Pipers like Woodrow Wilson.

In his case it was Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones after the unfortunate issues that arose subsequent to the Altamond Rock Fest in 1969. You see, Mick hired Sonny and his people to provide security at the concert to keep the groupies off the stage and the crowd back like any other security team. A concertgoer pulled a gun and was taken out by a club member. Luckily for the club member it was on film that he acted in self-defense. Mick and the Stones still tried to demonize the club hired by them. When Sonny Barger was interviewed over the matter his telling answer was in sum “we were duped,” meaning by Jagger and company.

Good call, chief. I think we have all been duped by Wilson and company.

Verne Rupright has been Wasilla mayor since 2008.