Make America Think Again: King, Dictator, or Tyrant

I tend to look at current events through the prism of the past. It gives us the most perspective on what to expect next. Since Trump has been referred to as a King, Dictator, and Tyrant, I thought it appropriate to evaluate the actions of our “elected leaders” through the prism of history to determine who is acting in such a manner.

As part of my graduate research in leadership studies, I was required to choose a figure in history and study their leadership styles. I never flinched for a moment, since I was already deep into studying Queen Elizabeth I. As a leader, she was an amazing leader. The most amazing part is that she kept her head on her shoulders despite the attempts on her life since women were not supposed to rule men at this point in history. She defied the odds. Despite my interest in her reign, my studies spanned leaders from 384 BC-1800 AD for the full context of leadership styles. As such, we had the privilege (requirement) of reading the original works of the various periods. However, the two hundred years of the Tudor-Stuart dynasty shaped the world view of British history as many of us know it. Many do not realize how it shaped our history.

Before, during, and after the Tudor-Stuart dynasty, it was common for kings and queens to become subjects of scandal and intrigue. In some cases, monarchs would lose their heads. King Charles II was the first English monarch to lose his head while in office. More commonly, nobles and commoners alike would lose their heads or be burned “at the stake” for defying the King or Queen, which meant they committed high crimes such as treason or heresy. Treason was the worst for which you could be drawn and quartered (Abbott, 1876; Machiavelli, 1515; and Robinson, 1887).

It is easy to make the case that King Henry VIII had the most scandal, but there are many others. Queen Elizabeth’s mother, Anne Boleyn, was beheaded by King Henry VIII for treason, adultery, and incest. Mary Queen of Scots, who was Henry’s niece, escaped Scotland after she was accused of killing her husband, among other issues. History shows she was framed by the nobles since they presented no proof other than the words of other nobles who opposed her. The same was true for Anne Boleyn. Mary escaped but eventually lost her head at the hands of Queen Elizabeth, her cousin, for treason many years later (Abbott, 1876; Machiavelli, 1515; and Robinson, 1887).

Charles I of Scotland, who was Henry VIII great-nephew and Queen Mary’s grandson, was the first sitting King to lose his head for treason. Charles was accused of treason against England by using his power to pursue his personal interest rather than the good of the country. During his trial, Charles was removed from the court then they heard over 30 witnesses against the king in his absence over the two days of the trial then condemned him to death. He was brought before a public session of the commission, declared guilty, and sentenced. Fifty-nine of the commissioners signed Charles's death warrant. He lost his head (A&E Television Networks, 2019).

Is this starting to sound familiar?

When you study the case against Charles I, you would probably agree he deserved it. He was quite brutal, but so many monarchs were. Queen Anne and Queen Mary had similar trials with the evidence presented in a one-sided fashion, which made them look very guilty. While I think based on historical records, Charles I deserved it whereas Anne and Mary did not. It was a simple process for conviction. They just had enough people willing to make statements of “fact” behind closed doors to convict. Nevertheless, the three monarchs were never afforded any due process much like the nobles, and commoners suffered when their views did not align with the sovereign in power. Commoners seldom had any trials. They were charged then executed after a coerced confession. If you were on trial, you were guilty until proven innocent. The nobles did have the semblance of a trial albeit a sham (Abbott, 1876; Machiavelli, 1515; and Robinson, 1887).

This type of English Monarchical system of rule is the reason that we have laws for due process embedded in the US Constitution. You could look at many cases from 1099-1800 of injustices. However, the common denominator for a king or queen to lose power and eventually their head was the loss of support from their subjects. Although it was not for lack of trying, the nobles could never take the head of Queen Elizabeth I. Why? She never lost the support of her people, and she lives in infamy to this day. It helped that she had the press, The Globe Theater, and William Shakespeare making her case. She controlled every aspect of her image (Abbott, 1876).

You can never overlook the power of the people, especially in a Democracy. The same could be said about the prosecutors who also lost their heads in their trials when they fell out of favor with their new sovereign. You can look at the French Revolution to get an idea of how well that worked out for Queen Marie Antoinette and King Louis. Of course, Robespierre was a lawyer and politician who led the insurrection during the French Revolution, and he is best known for his role during the "reign of Terror." During this period, he exerted his influence to suppress those on the right, the left, and the center. Robespierre was obsessed with the concept of an ideal republic. He was indifferent to the human costs of installing it, so he was eventually executed(“BBC - History - Historic Figures: Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794),” 2019).

In fact, King George III found himself losing support from the people of the American Colonies in 1776 when we declared our independence. Of the 27 grievances laid out in the Declaration of Independence against King George, here are some of those most telling about today as the King refused to approve laws for the good of the people or would not acknowledge such laws:

#1: "He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most necessary for the public good (“Declaration of Independence,” 2015)."

#2: "He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them (“Declaration of Independence,” 2015)."

Like other monarchs, he denied due process:

#18: "For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury (“Declaration of Independence,” 2015):"

#19: "For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offenses (“Declaration of Independence,” 2015):"

Thankfully, democracy won, and the monarchy lost. The irony of history is that it repeats. You could easily change a few words, names, and pronouns to see a correlation to our current political climate. The House of Representative and Nancy Pelosi are depriving the rights of due process, not passing laws for the good of the people, and blocking laws in court that they passed to serve their political agendas. You have some turning on their own as they accuse a military officer and sitting Congresswoman of treason. Why? They know shaping public opinion is the way to wage a political war, not adhering to the constitution unless it is convenient for them. It is truly sad.

Those sitting in Congress are neglecting to attend to the needs of the people. As proof, look at the healthcare issue, border issue, homelessness, and opioid crisis. There is no legislation coming out of Congress on either side. There is the talk of restricting or imposing fines on some forms of speech, confiscating wealth, abolishing the Electoral College, and taking your guns while offering free stuff from the 2020 hopefuls. I wish that were not true, but we have all heard their promises. My questions are: Who is acting like a tyrant, a king, or a dictator? Who is ignoring the people? In contrast, who is attempting to do good for the people?

To maintain a democracy, we must proceed with the values laid down in the constitution, especially due process. Otherwise, the pendulum of our social structure will continue to swing back in the other direction. In 2016, there was a people’s revolution which won by a small margin, but I predict a 2020 landslide if this keeps up.

Author: Dr. Bill Croft

Sources

Abbott, J. (1876). Queen Elizabeth Makers of History.

A&E Television Networks. (2019). King Charles I executed for treason [Network]. Retrieved November 14, 2019, from HISTORY website: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/king-charles-i-executed-for-treason

BBC - History - Historic Figures: Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794) [Media]. (2019). Retrieved November 8, 2019, from BBC website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/robespierre_maximilien.shtml

Declaration of Independence: A Transcription. (2015, November 1). Retrieved November 8, 2019, from National Archives website: https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript

Doran, S. (1993). Elizabeth I and Religion 1558-1603 (1 edition). London ; New York: Routledge.

Robinson, A. M. F. (1887). Queen Elizabeth and the Valois Princes. The English Historical Review, 2(5), 40–77.