Trumpty Dumpty

TRUMPTY DUMPTY

SAT ON A WALL

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No one knows who Humpty Dumpty exactly was, but the similarities to the children’s ancient nursery rhyme and the autocrat tendencies of today’s leadership, his wall, tax plan, and enhanced military buildup are striking.  You recall the rhyme.

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Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.

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The most likely story behind the age-old rhyme comes from jolly old England during its civil war from 1642 until 1651.    

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During that war, the city of Colchester mounted powerful cannon, named “Humpty Dumpty,” on its defensive wall.  Mid-way through a siege, the cannon fell off the wall.  No matter how many men tried, they could not remount it again and the city surrendered.  That city’s huge cannon became a modifier for the tyrannical king that ruled during that time.   

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Early in the first four years of the reign of England’s Charles the First, he displayed his autocratic tendencies.  Annoyed by the parliament’s disapproval of his military spending, Charles dissolved that legislative body three times.  It was within his right as king and so he did.  Subsequently, he decided to rule the nation unilaterally and completely dismissed the national parliament in 1629.  There was civil unrest within the general population over his autocratic rule, and burdensome tax policies, along with mounting domestic and religious tensions.  Unable to get what he wanted unilaterally, he reestablish parliament to obtain funds for expanding his military.  However, by 1641 Ireland was so enraged with his tyrannical rule that they began a military insurrection.  Soon after, the king became so infuriated with parliament that he attempted to arrest five of its members.

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Consequently, the English Civil War broke out in 1642.  After four years of civil war, the king‘s forces were defeated in 1646, but he escaped only to returned the following year with an army of Scottish malcontents.  The tyrant king was defeated, tried for treason, and beheaded, on January 30, 1649.  It took ten years for England to recover its political stability, but Humty Dumpty had indeed fallen from his wall.   

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Because the United States congress’s unwillingness to oppose the president’s autocratic tendencies with decisive legislative measures, and civil war is not a real option for America, Trumpty Dumpty will site on his wall, while his power grows more intolerable.  Unfortunately, barring a medical, he will not fall from his wall but instead will simply build a bigger wall to sit on.  We will have a much different nation, by the time he is done.  Checks and balances along with truly representative government will fall instead.  Not even all the king’s horses or all the kings will be able to put our democratic-republic together again.