George Washington vs Washington 1796

By Edward L. Haugland

George Washington’s 1796 Principled & Prescient Warning
The Cognitive War in Washington

Americans are often too myopic, short-sighted, non-strategic in our thinking. This is a major flaw we must overcome if we are to ensure the resilience and security of our Republic not only for the next two hundred and fifty years, but the next millennium. Our faults are amplified by an understandable, but dangerous, degree of selfishness in which we tend to satisfy our immediate short-term desires and needs while forgoing consideration of our longer-term needs and the inherent risks, benefits, and impacts of our choices.

As we enter this new year, a critically important election year, how and where can we look for guidance on whom to vote for, identify what the real issues are, or set our priorities on what needs to be addressed?

The answer is simple, we need only look to our past to define our future. But in doing so we must also listen, learn, and apply the lessons from history less we be doomed to repeat its failures. Our founding father, and first President, has the answers. I’ll get to those in a moment.

The Example: Before we get to the answers, we must understand what is wrong in America. To many this is easy to understand, as we only need to look at, read, or listen to the mainstream media’s propaganda whores. Chief among them is the Washington Post. The paper is truly useful as a bird cage liner. Its telling nickname – the ComPost – becomes clearer for obvious reasons once you begin to read this paper any day of the week. Yet I digress. My point is that I’ll use just one article from which paper to serve as an example of what is wrong in America. Then we’ll assess these ills against the warnings of George Washington in his 1996 principled, prescient, and powerful farewell speech.

The article “American democracy is cracking. These ideas could help repair it,” by Dan Bolz, printed on 21 December 2023, is part of a series under the title “Imperfect Union,” states the following:

This series of Washington Post stories has sought to highlight the imperfections of America’s union — including the architecture created by the founders that in a modern, polarized, two-party system often gives more power to a minority of citizens than to the majority, or that leaves particular groups of people underrepresented.

Let’s digest this for a moment before we dig into the article. My assessment is the purpose of this series is to undermine, subvert, and demean our Republic, its founders, and do so by once again (as typical for the ComPost, and progressives) creating “victims.” Yes, pushing a false narrative about how many in America are being subjugated by a powerful minority. As often is the case, the progressive model of governance is “do as I say, not as I do.” It is interesting that the article speaks of the victims yet highlights the efforts of one progressive to tell us how others can change the system and fight back. The irony. She’s a victim, yet she’s winning her fight? Yes, heroine and victim all wrapped together. Ah, the subtleties of propaganda. The article forgoes explaining why America is a Republic vice true democracy, as it would be an inconvenient truth.

The article goes on to state:

In 2020, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences issued a lengthy report called “Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century.” The first of its recommendations called for substantially enlarging the House, noting that among the world’s democracies, the United States is an outlier in the size of its lower chamber.

I must digress for a moment, as we once again hear those magical Orwellian words “reinvent,” which is often used in conjunction with “reimagine.” As for the left and progressives, they must indeed reinvent or reimagine fact into fiction, to create a narrative to support implementing their utopian and dystopian objectives. This includes proposing ranked-choice voting and open primaries later noted in the article. Why? Not to advance the individual’s votes, or democracy, but to manipulate them. But that is why they must try to reinvent or reimagine, as the article further states:

Still, even as the system spreads, there are obstacles. An assessment of public sentiment posted on the New America website said that more people preferred the single-vote method of voting and described it as easier and fairer than ranked-choice systems, although that may reflect the fact that people are more familiar with the current system. Even when offered more information about the differences, support for ranked-choice voting did not increase.

In simple terms, people don’t want what the solutions the progressives or ComPost suggest. Alas we must all be stupid! As such, the progressives’ answer is their solution must now be forced on us nonbelievers by reinventing or reimaging the laws, regulations, or ignoring them all together. We’ve seen how successful reimagining policing has become as our crime, murder, assault, carjacking, rapes, etc. soars across America. But where? Mostly in progressive led states, cities, and counties where those elected can ignore, reinvent, or reimaging the laws.

The article offers additional ludicrous suggestions such as how to alter the Senate as we see two representatives from one of the well-known higher level indoctrination centers, Harvard University, referenced:

Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, both of Harvard University, note in their the recent book, “Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point,” that New Zealand, Sweden and Denmark took steps to curb or abolish their upper chambers.

Alas, those changes aren’t enough, as the article then addresses eliminating the electoral college, altering the Supreme Court, and enabling any and all types of voter registration – all of which of course are reinventing or reimaging our current system which for some ungodly reason has served us extremely well over the last 248 years.

The purpose of these changes? Simple – gaining and sustaining power, absolute power. Of course, they must blame someone other than themselves, so once again, they advanced the left’s narrative of a broken and deeply divided political system, to advance what? Institutional reform! Right.

One can read the fuller article at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/12/21/fix-american-democracy-voting-rights-supreme-court-senate/

Washington’s Principled, Prescient, and Powerful Warning: So, let’s return to the opening question – how and where can we look for guidance on whom to vote for, identify what the real issues are, or set our priorities on what needs to be addressed? The answers are found in a 238-year-old farewell speech (1796) to the nation by George Washington.

Let’s understand the definition of a few key words in Washington’s speech.

Power: Cambridge Dictionary – ability to control people and events:
Principle: Britannica Dictionary – a moral rule or belief that helps you know what is right and wrong and that influences your actions

Principled – having, based on, or relating to strong beliefs about what is right and wrong
a principled person [=a person who has strong moral principles; a person who tries to do what is morally right]

It is so critical that we learn from history, as we need not repeat the pains of old, if we just listen to those who came before us. George Washington’s farewell address 228 years ago answers the latter questions posed in his timeless warning about forces that will continually seek to subvert, undermine, and destroy our Republic. He speaks of the Cognitive War without specifying the nature of the war, as it is a war which has plagued mankind since its inception, and will do so until mankind ceases to exist.

Washington’s Warning: Following are excerpts from his speech, from https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/the-first-president/the-farewell-address/, with the fuller farewell address at https://www.mountvernon.org/education/primary-source-collections/primary-source-collections/article/washington-s-farewell-address-1796/

In 1796, President Washington decided it was time to retire from public life. After two terms in office, and decades of public service, the 64-year-old was careworn, weary, and frustrated by the attacks of his political enemies. He would not seek a third term in office.
Washington was not required to leave office; it wasn’t until 1951 that the Twenty-second Amendment was ratified, limiting a president to two terms. In fact, many hoped he would remain president indefinitely.
Though Washington felt the country was stable, many feared it would be torn apart without his leadership. The Farewell Address, therefore, was Washington’s way of offering encouragement and advice to the citizens of the country.
For the task of converting his ideas into words, Washington turned to his wordsmith, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. (side note: Hamilton was also a founding father, and a truly amazing individual, I highly recommend Ron Chernow Biography on him).

Washington’s sage advice wasn’t about keeping power but giving it up to advance the principles and intent of the constitution, and to set an example for future leaders of our country. If we compare his principled approach and gesture to today’s political class, we see two distinct sets of leaders. Today we see those whose sole intent is to remain in power, his was to leave power. Today we see those seeking to lay siege to our constitution, subvert it and our laws, and do so to keep power and advance to their goal of a dystopian society in a most unprincipled manner by obtaining absolute power. Many of our politicians and leaders of today lack the integrity, intent, and principle of George Washington. For those politicians and leaders with a modicum of principle, you should be echoing his warning and words to every American as they go to the polls this coming November. They are not only profound, but prescient, and should serve to guide every American’s vote, prioritization of the issues, and assessment of the candidates based on where they stand with regards to his warning.

Let us review Washington’s warning (excerpts from MountVernon.org continued):

Remain United – “The name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations.”
Uphold the Constitution – “The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government. But the Constitution which at any time exists, until changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole people, is sacredly obligatory upon all.”
Beware of Political Parties – “…they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government…”
Stick to Our Morals – “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.”
Value Education – “Promote then, as an object of primary importance, institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge.”
Balance the Budget – “As a very important source of strength and security, cherish public credit.”
Avoid Foreign Entanglement – “Observe good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all…”
Forgive My Mistakes – “I shall also carry with me the hope that my country will never cease to view [my errors] with indulgence and that, after forty-five years of my life dedicated to its service with an upright zeal, the faults of incompetent abilities will be consigned to oblivion, as myself must soon be to the mansions of rest.”
Washington concludes his address by asking his countrymen to forgive his failures—they were by no means intentional. Now that he has shared “these counsels of an old and affectionate friend,” Washington says he looks forward to joining his fellow citizens in reaping the rewards of this free government which he helped established over his 45 years of public service.”

Parallels to Today: So, let’s dissect each of his warnings and how they can guide your vote, decisions, and priorities not only the 2024, but all future elections.

Remain United – We constantly hear from the left, echoed by lemming of the right, about how divided we are. That’s an outright lie. While we have political differences, the fact that 70-80 percent of Americans believe we are on the wrong track speaks to the underlying unity. The fact the majority sees our open borders as a major security issue, the lock downs, indoctrination of children, sexualization and grooming of children, de-funding of police, etc. as wrong-headed speaks to our unity. Our love of country, sports, caring for our neighbors via donations of time and money, etc. all speak to the melting pot we call America, and not to the boiling pot which the progressives wish to have you believe. (https://theinformationequilibrium.blogspot.com/2021/03/melting-pot-to-boiling-pot-radical.html
Uphold the Constitution – We see an out-of-control effort, exemplified by the ComPost articles, and the progressive left to demean, undermine, and get rid of the Constitution. We see this same assault on the three branches of government (legislative, judicial, and executive) with efforts to undermine respect for and pack the SCOTUS as well. We see progressives weaponize the executive branch against the judicial, legislative branches, and you the domestic terrorists more often referred to as parents.
Beware of Political Parties – In this warning, we see an apt description of the Uni-Party, in which those elected officials who believe the public serves them, forget they are public servants, and abuse their power to advance their position, wealth, and power. Progressives alone are not to blame, as we see the likes of Flake, Romney, Graham, Cheney and so many others.
Stick to Our Morals – The progressives use the issue of transgenderism not to advance rights but remove them by canceling and assaulting those who oppose such blatant indoctrinate. They vilify with our DOJ and FBI Christians, Jews, and the family while promoting drag queen shows for little children, acceptance of “minor attracted people” (child rapists), as they continue to demonize religion and advance the moral decay of society.
Value Education – Applying CRT, DEI, and other dystopian propaganda to diminish, not advance, education, human and individual rights. Protecting teachers’ unions while denying school choice, plagiarism over scholarship, denigrating and calling our Constitution racist and altering lessons on it to be aligned with the utopian and dystopian ideologies of BLM and Antifa.
Balance the Budget – Spend, spend, tax, and tax – as Lenin noted how to destroy the middle class is through inflation and taxes. One cannot create dependent sheep fast enough, so progressives allow 10-12 million recent illegals to the 30-40 million already here. The $22 trillion dollars to pay for their free education, social services, health care, and security will cause our $34 trillion debt to skyrocket. And then there’s never enough money to feed the always growing, never receding, bureaucracy – of the so-called public servants.
Avoid Foreign Entanglement – Rather than understand this ongoing Cognitive War, the cognitive dissonance of our leaders continues to result in endless kinetic wars, for which we’ve not won one of these since WWII. Yet the delusional and blinded seek further wars past Ukraine, with China, Russia, Iran, and others – vice understanding we’re being played as our adversaries do understand the Cognitive War, and so continue to win, why we continue to lose.
Forgive My Mistakes – We need only look to Biden, Mayorkas, and the current Cabinet; the leadership of progressive states and cities, to see a dichotomy between Washington’s humble admission of fallibility versus the dystopian dictators who admit any mistakes are due to the people not them.

A Warning for All Ages: Washington’s speech warned of this ongoing Cognitive War. It is a war of good versus evil, that is infinite – as it’s been ongoing for a millennium and will continue until mankind ceases to exist – as he stated:

The unity of Government, which constitutes you one people, is also now dear to you. It is justly so; for it is a main pillar in the edifice of your real independence, the support of your tranquillity at home, your peace abroad; of your safety; of your prosperity; of that very Liberty, which you so highly prize. But as it is easy to foresee, that, from different causes and from different quarters, much pains will be taken, many artifices employed, to weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth; as this is the point in your political fortress against which the batteries of internal and external enemies will be most constantly and actively (though often covertly and insidiously) directed, it is of infinite moment…
…All obstructions to the execution of the Laws, all combinations and associations, under whatever plausible character, with the real design to direct, control, counteract, or awe the regular deliberation and action of the constituted authorities, are destructive of this fundamental principle, and of fatal tendency. They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation, the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common counsels, and modified by mutual interests.
While, then, every part of our country thus feels an immediate and particular interest in Union, all the parts combined cannot fail to find in the united mass of means and efforts greater strength, greater resource, proportionably greater security from external danger, a less frequent interruption of their peace by foreign nations…Hence, likewise, they will avoid the necessity of those overgrown military establishments, which, under any form of government, are inauspicious to liberty, and which are to be regarded as particularly hostile to Republican Liberty. In this sense it is, that your Union ought to be considered as a main prop of your liberty, and that the love of the one ought to endear to you the preservation of the other.

George Washington, United States – September 17, 1796

This is very similar to the warning to one I put forth at the outset of my book The Cognitive War – Why We Are Losing and How We can Win, now 238 years later.

Applying Washington’s Lesson: For those seeking to understand how we can win, we must heed Washington’s warning and apply his lessons in the upcoming election year. His wisdom and prescient thoughts should guide every voter, politician, and leader as they provide the necessary guidance, answer whom to vote for, identify what the real issues are, and set the priorities on what needs to be addressed.

For those who do disagree, that’s all one needs to know. God Bless America, President Washington, and our Constitution! United we stand, divided we fall! Now is the time to stand!