Criminalization of Politics
Kos and Hunter, stretching thru AmericaBlog and beyond, have posted a series on the resurgence of the criminalization of politics- the fact that The Administration has been not only incapable of governance, they have actually built it upon, in only 10 years of power plays, literal criminal politics. DeLay has been doubly indicted, Frist faces insider trading investigations, the war in Iraq was pursued without legal authority in the UN, and the most recent, perhaps most ethically haunting criminal investigation continues to be that surrounding the Plame Affair.
Bob Bennett posts at HuffPo on the current condition of our Machiavellian Administration, whose moral code seems built out of convenience rather than conviction, and whose governance has failed miserably in all but a handful of tests.
While these concepts may be seemingly discordant, they also have one core aspect in common: both of these systems of power maintanence exist for the sheer reason of maintaining power- they are inevitably greedy corrupt systems in a supposed democracy- methods of entrenching personal, private interests in the US corporate/political structure.
So we've become, literally, a criminal democracy under the GOP; we've been ruled with the distant cruelty of "The Prince." And yet what we've called out for years is this: Where is the opposition? Not the opposition party- the opposition at-all. Cindy Sheehan's earthy individual movement sparked the emotions, but it has yet to produce any impassioned leaders of the opposition that make sense. The political corruption and failures have continued- but where are the threats of legislative insurrection; where's the democratic debate? Still hasn't seemed to come up. Those on the left seem plenty pleased just to let the Right bicker over their phantom SCOTUS nominee- but we have yet to see any alternatives. Not once in the past 5 years have we been presented with a satisfactory Opposition.
Why is that? Why have we been encrsuted in cynicism that we can criticise and critique, but can't provoke our leaders to inspire us and defend these true values/morals?
Bob Bennett posts at HuffPo on the current condition of our Machiavellian Administration, whose moral code seems built out of convenience rather than conviction, and whose governance has failed miserably in all but a handful of tests.
While these concepts may be seemingly discordant, they also have one core aspect in common: both of these systems of power maintanence exist for the sheer reason of maintaining power- they are inevitably greedy corrupt systems in a supposed democracy- methods of entrenching personal, private interests in the US corporate/political structure.
So we've become, literally, a criminal democracy under the GOP; we've been ruled with the distant cruelty of "The Prince." And yet what we've called out for years is this: Where is the opposition? Not the opposition party- the opposition at-all. Cindy Sheehan's earthy individual movement sparked the emotions, but it has yet to produce any impassioned leaders of the opposition that make sense. The political corruption and failures have continued- but where are the threats of legislative insurrection; where's the democratic debate? Still hasn't seemed to come up. Those on the left seem plenty pleased just to let the Right bicker over their phantom SCOTUS nominee- but we have yet to see any alternatives. Not once in the past 5 years have we been presented with a satisfactory Opposition.
Why is that? Why have we been encrsuted in cynicism that we can criticise and critique, but can't provoke our leaders to inspire us and defend these true values/morals?
posted by General Stan at 11:45 PM
1 Comments:
A) I think that, at the very best, the relationship between the war in Iraq and international law is "contested." here, here, here, here, here, here.
B) I think this is a fucking brilliant point. At what point is what we don't have, and are entitled to [adequate opposition leadership], effectively participation in that totalitarianism? Certainly we're in gray territory now.
Revolt: offer up a viable alternative to current systems. What is the problem with the current system that prevents proper leadership in a "democracy?" If the problems are systemic, what are the alternative systems to use?
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