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                               The Keyboard of Power

By Gordon Francis Corbett

    In “Methods of Work of Party Committees,” a selection from which was later re-printed in “Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung,” Mao told his followers, “Learn to play the piano.”  He meant that they should “play” their options, as if they were so many piano keys.  He then said, “Some play the piano well and some badly, and there is a great difference in the melodies they produce.”

    Mao’s Red readers could only co-ordinate the use of existent options.  We Americans would say that he was telling them to keep their options open, so that then, they can  “play” them wisely.

    Look.  We all love options.  When we face a problem, we love being able to envision several possible solutions, so that we can then select a favorite.  So do our leaders.  That is why so many of them favor ignoring the Constitution.

    Our Constitution puts them in a political cage.  If they adhere to it, they can only defend our rights.  The Bill of Rights, which is really a “Bill of Prohibitions,” forbids our leaders from making themselves tyrants, and its Ninth Amendment says, “The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”  Translation:  “If we omitted a right, your politicians still cannot touch it.”

    And, since government’s every act directly or indirectly defends or violates everyone’s rights, the Ninth Amendment was written to ensure that our government could only defend our rights.

    If we fail to watch our leaders, and to hold them accountable, we may find ourselves forced to listen as they play the piano.
 

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