5Feb/1010
Odds and Ends
Apologies for the relative silence as of late, but here are a few comments to whet your appetite:
- Isn't the obvious conclusion from the Obama/Scott Brown/health care debacle that the American political system is hopelessly dysfunctional? We're faced with the odd situation that a president elected in a near-landslide from a party with large majorities in both houses of Congress cannot pass a basic element of his agenda due to the dogged intransigent by the minority party, who have shown that if nothing else they possess discipline. Many have suggested doing away with the filibuster rules; I'd go a step further and junk the US Senate entirely. But no- such an idea is an anathema to a large number of Americans who believe in the divinity of a group of men who lived in an era in which powdered wigs were worn to court and black people were counted as 60 percent citizens.
- Obama's biggest problem is that he labors under the misconception that the Republicans are operating in good faith and are a worthy opposition party. They're not. They're simply a group of men and women who, facing near-extinction after last year's election results, have devoted themselves fully to blocking Obama's legislative agenda. They have no principles, and it is important to recall that next time you hear one of their leaders blathering on about big government. Any sincerity they might have had on that subject is laughable; nobody said a word about government spending when Bush was in office.
- I was going to write a blog-post about how the media is overreacting to the latest round of China-US bickering but then Christina Larson of Foreign Policy did it for me
- A word about the Dalai Lama, though. The Chinese media goes to great lengths describing the Lama as a wicked, horrible human being, a view totally at odds with his international reputation as a beatific spiritual leader. All Beijing does by vilifying the Dalai Lama- and Rebiya Kadeer for that matter- is make themselves seem ridiculous and out of touch to the rest of the world. Wouldn't it be easier to calmly let them agitate, knowing that neither side can realistically achieve any sort of independence? Or is this propaganda merely meant for domestic consumption?
February 9th, 2010 - 18:09
This post of yours is idiotic and shows no knowledge of human history nor understanding of the wisdom of our ounding fathers. Power corrupts. Republicans, when they had it lost all reference to their ideological bearings. Dems follow same pattern….. they care nothing for what the people want only sustenenace and expansion of their own politcal power…..
Thank god for wisdom of our founders, made it so hard to make a radical change ever, until THE PEOPLE HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK and let the scoundrelsthink about their actions….
Even recent history of the clinton years… was evedince that DIVIDED government that forced discipline and compromise is prefereble to one party rule…!
I could recommend some history books that higlight the problem even more harshly
February 10th, 2010 - 00:22
I don’t generally engage in answering the kind of bigoted remarks that one expects to see on a cnn.com bulletin board or in youtube comments. However, I feel I must say something in response to “You can take a girl out of a ghetto, but you can’t take ghetto out of her.”
How is that even applicable to what you are even talking about? Let us take the bizarre assumption that Michelle is “ghetto”, which is a term I don’t care for anybody. Does anybody know anybody in the “ghetto” that has 20 people that attend to them? Isn’t the case that people are, you know, poor in the “ghetto”. Don’t most of the people who have 20 attendants have the means to afford them, like you know, people who live in mansions? Like Lindsay Lohan? I want to see one person living in West Oakland with 20 personal attendants.
And I don’t know how you could possibly equate her with “ghetto”. She has a Bachelor’s from Princeton and a Harvard Law Degree. She has been living an elite life for quite some time now. And yes, I understand she is African-American.
February 10th, 2010 - 09:25
Yep- it’s one thing to have the usual gang of idiots come out, but the bigotry in FOB’s comment is unacceptable. I tolerated you for awhile as an amusing moron, but you can fuck off now. As Jascha points out there are plenty of other scum-infested ponds for the likes of you to swim in on the internet.
Jay,
Because I’m in a good mood I’ll ignore your rather rude comment and debate it on its merits.
My point is that the divided government you so lovingly speak of is actually completely dysfunctional- how can you argue that power is corrupting the current administration when they haven’t been able to act on their agenda due to the intransigence of the minority party?
In other countries political parties that win elections are able to implement legislation in conformity with their electoral mandate. Just not in the US, which is why our broken health care system can’t be fixed.
Please keep your comments more constructive in the future, bud.
February 11th, 2010 - 02:15
Terribly dysfunctional indeed, but totally in line with modern American culture…if you can’t get your way, put up a fight and whine about it.
The state of political discourse in the USA has kept me up at nights as of late, both because the policy debate (especially from Republicans) is so inane, shallow, and sensational these days, while our actions are astonishingly foolish and short-sighted: The Afghanistan Peace Prize escalation, The Honduras double-cross, The Looming Cost Crisis of Social Programs, Tea Party Raves against Big Government (while Saluting the Massive Military Machine).
No, it’s time for us to reframe the narrative, the dream of what our country will be. Not just “the greatest”, “number one”, or any of those tired bromides. What about a reforging our role as “leader for global progress and prosperity”? Education, sensible immigration policy, expand our knowledge and ability while we can….we’re by far the most diverse place on Earth, which translates to universal empathy and unparalleled brilliance through idea exchange.
But if the ranting Republicans want to save their collective identity by being “stunch” (ie, intransigent; ie, useless to constructive debate), let them. The next generation will put them to shame by pointing out the hypocrisies under each plank of their platform. Anti-big government? While we continue to spend astronomical amounts of GDP on war and war tech and intelligence? Pure idiocy.
But what else to expect of a generation that will go down in history as “the gluttonous ones who couldn’t pay their credit card bills”?
Im determined that the USA not succumb to the same fate as Rome, Spain, France, England, etc….the proud succession of fallen empires….
We just have to slap some people in the face to wake them up, or, let them go to sleep, so that the new, bright generation can take the wheel…..
….for this, my frustration at minimum age requirements for the senate and presidency – that preserve dinosaurs in power….
Love, J
ps – RIP Mr. Zinn.
February 11th, 2010 - 02:16
Wish we could speak in person about all this… =)
February 16th, 2010 - 14:40
Matt,
Sorry you found my reply rude…
Trust me, I am a good natured fellow, I just was exorcised at someone who advocated abolishing the US Senate. And I was more than surprised that you would be surprised to find that some might take offense.
Since, today I am also in a good mood, I shall engage in your debate…
Fact is almost 70% of Americans oppose the proposed health care plan… look at any polls. Your idea is… this is disgrace of government unable to get things done… my view is, the result, thankfully, is the intended structure of our government.
The Senate has protected my rights as citizen from legislation I abhore…. and therefore I am thankful…
I hope you can see just a little constructive thinking in this, eh?
Let’s meet for a beer some time to have a lively debate…
Jay
February 16th, 2010 - 15:07
Jay,
Thanks for the comment- I do see your point and am familiar with the argument that a divided government creates a healthy sort of gridlock preventing harmful legislation.
My issue with the Senate is that as a body it is fundamentally biased toward rural and conservative interests due to its equal appropriation of seats to all states. This is a problem no matter which party is in the majority.
A second problem with the Senate is in the rules- the filibuster law doesn’t do anything but hamstring the efforts of the majority to implement any legislation. I’d say Republican opposition to Obama’s health care has less to do with actual principle and more to do with the fact that should they break party discipline they go extinct. That not a single member of the Republican Senate caucus has proposed a viable alternative to the Obama plan is not a coincidence.
One other point to make- while you’re correct that the founding fathers intended the Senate to be the ‘world’s greatest deliberative body’, its real existence results from a compromise between the larger and smaller colonies during the Constitutional convention period.
Now that the risk that smaller states such as Wyoming or Rhode Island shall secede from the union appears to be nil, I’d argue that the Senate has more than outlived its usefulness and should be replaced by something more broadly democratic.
Do you live in Kunming? If so I’d be happy to debate this over a beer. Shoot me an e-mail.
February 16th, 2010 - 15:47
Matt,
I guess we will have long discussion when we meet… I LOVE the fillibuster… mostly protects ordinary citizens from the elitists… on the other hand, I am still always open to genuinely good ideas…
Jay
February 16th, 2010 - 15:51
Matt,
I live in Shanghai… Maybe we can meet soon in Kunming?
Jay
February 17th, 2010 - 07:29
Jay,
I’d be happy to. Send me an e-mail when you get into town and we can meet up.