Don’t Veto, Don’t Obey - New York Times
Don’t Veto, Don’t Obey - New York Times
It’s a bad sign that I can’t generate anything other than a mild outrage over things like this. You’ve heard that saying about jails, that if the inmates decided to revolt en masse there’d be no stopping them - they’re in jail by their own choice in some ways. I think our society works that way, in that most of us follow unspoken, unwritten rules. Not quite mores, but something more of a collective agreement to behave in a way which benefits everyone. The Bush Administration shows how ineffective we are at correcting one person who chooses not to behave according to those rules. Obviously he flouts plenty of written rules. We all know that. But it’s his violation of the more fundamental rules of our society, like putting the good of the country first, and playing at least somewhat fair, and not having people killed because it makes you money that people can’t really deal with when they’re broken because there’s no game plan for them. There’s no constitutional contingency for “What if the President is a crazy-ass lying autocrat who refuses to obey laws, answer to Congress or even let the public know what he’s doing?” or “What if the press becomes the property of global corporations, and then refuses to report the news, so no one is ever taken to account for their actions?” or “What if everyone knows that the country is going to hell, and there’s nothing anyone can do?” There’s no emergency eject button for the Oval Office, and even if there were, W. has guaranteed we’d never use it by placing the one man scarier than himself as the second in line to the throne.
Everyone knows how fucked up this is. No one knows how to stop it before it gets worse. No one knows how bad it will get. No one even knows if B&Co. will leave office when the time comes. His lack of regard for any other part of our country’s rule of law doesn’t make me feel confident that there’s anything he respects other than his own desires. Is it time for an well-armed militia now? God knows that I have never been a fan of guns. But honestly, what is going to happen in November 2008 or January 2009? If they don’t manipulate the election to assure themselves continued power (again, something that most of us know or strongly suspect has already happened) then they may just executive-order themselves into permanent power. His last signing statement (at least the last one the public will be allowed to read) may well read “I Rule!”
One Response to “Don’t Veto, Don’t Obey - New York Times”
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Heidi on
June 27, 2007 12:58 am
You know, I’d like to be able to laugh at that and not have it be an uneasy laugh. And I would, except… Darth Idiot controls the Senate.
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