A Lord’s insight is being put to supreme test in every way

His name was a mouthful – John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton.

Lord Acton, as he was known, was a 19th century English historian who penned the quote, “Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

In terms of its truthfulness, the statement is beyond debate, and has served as a cautionary tale for nations and their citizens for the better part of two centuries.

Lord Acton’s insightful statement wasn’t limited to political leaders. Its original intent targeted the religious hierarchy, whose power over the populace was in many respects just as pervasive as those in the governmental and military sectors.

The business world, in companies big and small, also has validated the truism countless times, as those empowered by money and greed have been a human wrecking ball when it comes to reaching their misguided financial goals.

Yet, the most fertile ground for growing the power-hungry remains in the land of politics, where nations around the globe are facing the very real prospect of democracies sliding into the abyss of autocratic one-party rule.

It’s not a pleasant thought, especially for countries with a storied history of democratic rule featuring freely held elections.

The results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election have been a hot-button topic for the past 20 months, thanks to an unwillingness by a certain candidate to accept the fact that he was defeated – soundly, in fact, to the tune of more than 7 million votes.

His setback, regrettably, set in motion a well-orchestrated campaign to overturn the election, a coup d’etat effort that culminated in the storming of the U.S. Capitol by a mob with mayhem on their minds, including the possible lynching of the then Vice President.

It was the ultimate political horror show, which has been replayed in grisly detail over the past few weeks during hours of testimony in front of a bipartisan Congressional committee charged with investigating the January 6, 2021 insurrection.

The hearings have laid bare lies that the election was somehow stolen, repudiating claims of stuffed ballot boxes and rigged voting machines. And yet, despite all the evidence to the contrary and all the election challenges that have been tossed by state and federal courts across the nation, the “stop the steal” falsehoods continue to be peddled.

More alarmingly, the myths embraced by election-deniers continue to be amplified by various media outlets and their hard-core Congressional supporters who have chosen to close their eyes to the evidence of mob rule on January 6.

That day will live in infamy, to borrow a phrase from one of democracy’s greatest protectors. It is a stain on the fabric of all civilized societies that treasure truth and the rule of law.

It also serves as an underlying reason why we have decided to create the Primerus Foundation, to help mount a counter-offensive against those who have democracies in their crosshairs.

Our challenge is great, as is the desire on our part to promote patriotism and political cooperation in measured and meaningful ways. We hope you’ll embrace our effort to return the words compromise, civility, and cooperation into everyday political discourse, thereby building a wall that will stand against ongoing attempts to undermine democracy.

Best regards,
Jack Buchanan, President