What's the greatest threat to our democracy?
Here's Denny Hastert on what Democrats think:
And, no, I don't disbelieve in other threats, such as the threat of terrorism. As 9/11 demostrated so clearly, they are both real and very, very dangerous. What Hastert doesn't seem to get is that I can believe both that terrorism is a very, very serious threat and STILL believe that the GOP is an even more serious threat to our democracy.
Why do I say that? Because they have proven time and time again that they are willing to throw out the Constitution willy nilly for political gain. As long as they remain in power, they will continue to do so until there is nothing left of constitutional democracy in this country. Indeed, it may already be too late. The powers this president has grabbed will set the precedent for all presidents to come. It is in the nature of people, and particularly of politicians, to want to keep the powers they have already acquired. That's why our founding fathers set up the checks and balances of the Constitution -- to prevent the kind of power grab that this president has pulled off. Now that he's pulled it off, it may be too late to put the genie back in the box.
Embattled Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-IL), still reeling from press scrutiny over the Foley scandal, has 'blogged' at a conservative website in which he writes that Democrats think the GOP is America's primary threat.I don't know about Dems in general, so I'll speak for myself. Yes, Dennis, I do think that the GOP, at least as embodied in those GOPers now in power, is the biggest threat to America -- if you mean by that, the Constitutional form of democratic government we have lived under since our great revolution."In short, Democrats do not believe in the Global War on Terror," writes Hastert at the site, Redstate. "I don't mean that they don't support it, though they don't. What I mean is Democrats don't believe the war actually exists."
And, no, I don't disbelieve in other threats, such as the threat of terrorism. As 9/11 demostrated so clearly, they are both real and very, very dangerous. What Hastert doesn't seem to get is that I can believe both that terrorism is a very, very serious threat and STILL believe that the GOP is an even more serious threat to our democracy.
Why do I say that? Because they have proven time and time again that they are willing to throw out the Constitution willy nilly for political gain. As long as they remain in power, they will continue to do so until there is nothing left of constitutional democracy in this country. Indeed, it may already be too late. The powers this president has grabbed will set the precedent for all presidents to come. It is in the nature of people, and particularly of politicians, to want to keep the powers they have already acquired. That's why our founding fathers set up the checks and balances of the Constitution -- to prevent the kind of power grab that this president has pulled off. Now that he's pulled it off, it may be too late to put the genie back in the box.
posted by walldon | 10:03 AM
3 Comments:
Exactly, WallDon--
And one might add, "we" don't believe in the so-called "war on terror", either: certainly we don't believe that the invasion of Iraq and the subsequent occupation had anything to do with countering terrorism. And now, the effect is to the contrary!
The GWOT is a neocon, partisan construct cooked up by Denny's masters to justify neo-imperialist aspirations, militarism, authoritarian government, patronange, graft and corruption. Oh, yes, and to foster illusions among the religious right that Armageddon is nigh (though this last may be not be so illusory, come to think of North Korea).
I actually do believe there is a "war on terror" that cannot be discounted, but that one of the reasons Bush & Co. are such a huge threat to the country is that they are screwing it up. Creating more terrorists and alienating your allies is a completely absurd way to fight it. The only way we will succeed in the most practical sense is by staying true to our ideals, and leading the world and the Islamic world into isolating the terrorist organizations.
KissWeb, why don't you quit writing steamy novels, get back on your anti-tremor meds, and leave the Playboy bunnies alone?
Oh, wait, we actually can talk about differences here. Maybe I said "'we' don't believe" too soon, eh?
Still, I wonder how far apart we are. I agree that there are terrorists out there, who are long settled in a determination to do the US and other similar societies harm. They are thus at war with us, and we are right to defend ourselves. I was not, as I recall, all that happy with the invasion of Afghanistan, but it had and has the marks of legitimacy in this regard.
I certainly agree with you that ". . . Bush & Co. are such a huge threat to the country [because] they are screwing it up. Creating more terrorists and alienating your allies is a completely absurd way to fight. . . ." But to my mind it is precisely The Regime's rhetoric of the "global war on terror" that has justified their actions of avoiding oversight and accountability, of going it alone in the face of reluctance and disagreement from allies and world opinion, of violating our own and international standards of humanity and so forth.
It is in this sense-- that the language of "war on terror" from such as Rep. Hastert is a rhetorical ploy to divert attention and justify any and all actions-- that I resist it. Because I fundamentally believe that The Regime's motives have precious little to do with effective defense of this nation or its democracy.
What do you think?
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