May 12, 2013
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The Politics of Division and Terror
It seems to me that America is approaching the nadir of its modern political activity. Never before in my rather long lifetime have I seen politics so focused on attacking the other party and with less concern for managing a responsible government. Elections, both state and national seem to be more focused on denying the other party the election than in selecting responsible or even qualified candidates.
The real concerns of the voters seem to have been warped to fit the vendetta offered by each party. The Republicans seem to be particularly adept at this, their well-documented personal dislike for President Obama is hard to explain except in terms of racial and class hatred - this despite the fact that their anti-minority and class bias has been pretty soundly rejected by the majority of Americans.
The shift to state politics, where there is more entrenched prejudice in some states has led to an amazing resurgence of many long-settled political questions affecting most voters. No longer can many Americans take their voting rights or the social safety net for granted. At least one state has even seriously contemplated the idea of setting an official state religion and the U.S.Constitution is routinely ignored or subverted.
My concern is that this very dangerous political trend can result in even more violence. We really don't have to worry about foreign terrorists - we have plenty of terror growing right here at home. The puzzle is why so many voters seem to vote to encourage this form of political terrorism.
Comments (47)
Dear Dick,
I've had the year 1861 in my mind for quite a while now. I just hope the split comes after I'm gone, or at least an expatriate on that remote paradisical Pacific Island somewhere in my retirement.
Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool
@baldmike2004 -
Hi Mike
I don't think we are moving toward a repeat of the Civil War - more likely a repeat of the 1960's than the 1860's with pretty massive social unrest. There is actually a movement on the part of one "Militia" group to have an armed march on Washington to protest the "Tyranny "of a democratically elected federal government just trying to do its job. There is a definite move toward discounting the will of the majority of citizens if their opinions don't happen to agree with yours - especially on the part of the basically reactionary mostly middle-aged and retired group that makes up what the media calls the "Tea Party movement".
Members of this group and the politically-minded oligarchs who have gained political control over them is their basic unwillingness to accept the fact that social change in inevitable and that they are no longer the privileged majority in American politics.
Never before in my rather long lifetime have I seen politics so focused on attacking the other party and with less concern for managing a responsible government. I agree. I've never seen it so bad.
The Republicans seem to be particularly adept at this ... I disagree. The problem equally prevelant with both major parties.
the U.S.Constitution is routinely ignored or subverted Yes, and the federal government is the greatest offender, Both parties have routinely tried to circumvent the constitution rather than go through the proper steps to chance the constutition by legal means spelled out in the constitution. Why? Because the elected officials don't want to take the time to do it right, and they don't want to run the risk of having the PeeePle might reject their idea of what's right.
@tychecat -
"Democratically elected" officials should not be allowed to trample our bill of rights, or the rest of our Constitution. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, not "the will of the people". This very danger (the "tyranny of the majority") was foreseen by the founders, and they did their best to forestall it.
Armed March on DC
I'm not sure the tactic is sound (could be a disastrous and violent fail - especially with a Progressive "plant"), but the armed marchers on DC do have a Constitutional right to do so. The 14th amendment means that states and territories cannot abridge rights either. (Back then it was black people not allowed to carry. Now it is the "little people".) Of course, when the SCOTUS told Andrew Jackson that confiscating their lawful property and expelling the Cherokees for no lawful reason was Unconstitutional, Jackson famously replied, "You and what army is going to stop me?" This is the problem the marchers may face. Ideally, they will be arrested and jailed peacefully, and then they can present their case in court.
War on Drugs
My biggest beef with the Republicans is the Federal War on (some) Drugs. Last I checked, there was no new Prohibition amendment, so it is blatantly unconstitutional. But "conservatives" seem to be all for it. (Since getting high or wired is not a constitutional right, I believe states *can* restrict substances they deem dangerous. Even sugary sodas. But I should study that aspect more.)
Death of the 4th Amendment
Between the Patriot Act, and the NDAA, both parties have conspired to obliterate due process. Police brutality and abuse of power is on the rise. I think they are related.
Worst of all is the sheer number of laws. So many, that the government cannot even tell you how many *criminal* statues there are. We are all criminals, just waiting for someone that doesn't like us to throw us in jail or worse.
In Federalist Paper #62, Madison writes:
The internal effects of a mutable policy are still more calamitous. It poisons the blessing of liberty itself. It will be of little avail to the people, that the laws are made by men of their own choice, if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood; if they be repealed or revised before they are promulgated, or undergo such incessant changes that no man, who knows what the law is to-day, can guess what it will be to-morrow. Law is defined to be a rule of action; but how can that be a rule, which is little known, and less fixed?
Another effect of public instability is the unreasonable advantage it gives to the sagacious, the enterprising, and the moneyed few over the industrious and uniformed mass of the people. Every new regulation concerning commerce or revenue, or in any way affecting the value of the different species of property, presents a new harvest to those who watch the change, and can trace its consequences; a harvest, reared not by themselves, but by the toils and cares of the great body of their fellow-citizens. This is a state of things in which it may be said with some truth that laws are made for the few, not for the many.
@CustomDesigned -
A problem of living in a democracy is the "tyranny of the majority"as is often mentioned. The Constitution was, and remains, a framework for our Federal Government - remarkable in that it has proved so flexible that it does pretty well as a governing framework for a radically different nation than its writers envisioned - and with very few amendments and adjustments. The problem, IMHO, is that of a manipulated electorate which often selects leaders at all levels of government who do not have the voters' interests as their primary motivation.
My dear old friend. From what I read it seems Xanga is going to close its doors for real this time. I therefore want to thank you personally for your comments on everything I wrote. I really respected your tested wisdom and insight and always learned from you. In the Xanga world you were like a mentor to me. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me. I wish you a good journey and want to encourage you to continue to give your wisdom to others like me. You don't know how much of a difference it made in my life and in my blogging. It might seem like something small but the impact was always definite. Thank you.
Thanks for finally talking about >The Politics of Division and Terror
| tychecat's Xanga Site <Liked it!
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