I�m not so much worried about a banana republic as that we�re near the end of a Roman republic. I�m one of those who think that the Principate arose because the Roman Senate abdicated their responsibility to make the hard choices. They were too busy cutting deals for their own interests and for their friend and political allies. After a couple of generations of this a power vacuum developed and the military took over, in the guise of Julius Caesar and his successors.
Sound familiar?
The original intent of the separation of powers was that Congress should make policy, the President should interpret and carry it out and the courts should keep them both in line. I can�t remember when Congress last made a really courageous decision about anything - it�s always: How will this play in the polls?, or, Will we piss off the campaign donors? There�s a power vacuum developing there that the courts have filled as best they can but they�re not makers of new policy. The executive branch isn�t either, not really, although Lord knows the bureaucrats try.
So where are we?
I�d say in the death throes of the two party system for sure. It almost died in the middle of the 19th Century but the Civil War established the Republican Party and reinvigorated the whole system. Remember that John Prine�s father �voted for Eisenhower �cause Lincoln won the war�. I think real live third parties are the best we can hope for in our time and Ross Perot and Jesse Ventura are hopeful signs (loathsome as Perot was). There have to be Havels and Mandelas in this country but they�ll never be heard as Republicans or Democrats.
The alternative might be an American Caesar, probably not a military one, although that�s possible. Hitler was only wannabe military and Stalin wasn�t military at all.
Ah, well, it won�t happen for a while yet...�I just keep on walking�.
Not banana republic
Dave Tahija
location: Butte, Montana, en route from San Francisco to Juneau
listening to: Train - Save me, San Francisco
registered: 1999.12.27
posts: 261
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Dave Tahija
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I�m not so much worried about a banana republic as that we�re near the end of a Roman republic. I�m one of those who think that the Principate arose because the Roman Senate abdicated their responsibility to make the hard choices. They were too busy cutting deals for their own interests and for their friend and political allies. After a couple of generations of this a power vacuum developed and the military took over, in the guise of Julius Caesar and his successors.
Sound familiar?
The original intent of the separation of powers was that Congress should make policy, the President should interpret and carry it out and the courts should keep them both in line. I can�t remember when Congress last made a really courageous decision about anything - it�s always: How will this play in the polls?, or, Will we piss off the campaign donors? There�s a power vacuum developing there that the courts have filled as best they can but they�re not makers of new policy. The executive branch isn�t either, not really, although Lord knows the bureaucrats try.
So where are we?
I�d say in the death throes of the two party system for sure. It almost died in the middle of the 19th Century but the Civil War established the Republican Party and reinvigorated the whole system. Remember that John Prine�s father �voted for Eisenhower �cause Lincoln won the war�. I think real live third parties are the best we can hope for in our time and Ross Perot and Jesse Ventura are hopeful signs (loathsome as Perot was). There have to be Havels and Mandelas in this country but they�ll never be heard as Republicans or Democrats.
The alternative might be an American Caesar, probably not a military one, although that�s possible. Hitler was only wannabe military and Stalin wasn�t military at all.
Ah, well, it won�t happen for a while yet...�I just keep on walking�.
Sound familiar?
The original intent of the separation of powers was that Congress should make policy, the President should interpret and carry it out and the courts should keep them both in line. I can�t remember when Congress last made a really courageous decision about anything - it�s always: How will this play in the polls?, or, Will we piss off the campaign donors? There�s a power vacuum developing there that the courts have filled as best they can but they�re not makers of new policy. The executive branch isn�t either, not really, although Lord knows the bureaucrats try.
So where are we?
I�d say in the death throes of the two party system for sure. It almost died in the middle of the 19th Century but the Civil War established the Republican Party and reinvigorated the whole system. Remember that John Prine�s father �voted for Eisenhower �cause Lincoln won the war�. I think real live third parties are the best we can hope for in our time and Ross Perot and Jesse Ventura are hopeful signs (loathsome as Perot was). There have to be Havels and Mandelas in this country but they�ll never be heard as Republicans or Democrats.
The alternative might be an American Caesar, probably not a military one, although that�s possible. Hitler was only wannabe military and Stalin wasn�t military at all.
Ah, well, it won�t happen for a while yet...�I just keep on walking�.
