The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of Conservatives is to prevent mistakes from being corrected. Even when the revolutionist might himself repent of his revolution, the traditionalist is already defending it as part of his tradition. Thus we have two great types — the advanced person who rushes us into ruin, and the retrospective person who admires the ruins. He admires them especially by moonlight, not to say moonshine. Each new blunder of the progressive or prig becomes instantly a legend of immemorial antiquity for the snob. This is called the balance, or mutual check, in our Constitution. — G.K. Chesterton
====
Well the Progressives are giving up on the radical innovation of Drug Prohibition (nationalized in 1914 and 1937 without benefit of a Constitutional Amendment) and our Conservatives are doing their best to preserve it as traditional – despite the fact that the Republicans of 1914 thought the measure (the Harrison Narcotics Act) was unconstitutional.
We are lucky to have two opposing Parties in America. Democrats and Christian Democrats. As Chesterton points out they are a mutual check on each other. When they are not conniving together against the liberties of Americans. (and for the sarc challenged – when are they not conniving together against our liberties?)
===
The Chesterton quote was cribbed from The Classic Liberal Report.