I find myself being both amazed and disheartened by the lack
of knowledge of so many fellow citizens in how their own national/federal
government is operated. In their failure
to realize the domestic issues we contend with falls on Congress; they heed the
lies of the foxes in the hen house and continue to [re]elect these foxes who
lay in wait to covertly erode these United States.
Again, Congress has the legislative power; so where does
POTUS have the opportunity to flex the political muscles of the executive
branch? “The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States
of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and,
together with the Vice President” (Article I, Section II).[4]
For you blithering idiots, note the
difference between “legislative” and “executive” and remember how you had no
problem giving G.W. Bush carte blanche in his executive power. For POTUS’ of
the Democratic Party:
“All Legislative
Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which
shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives - (Article I,
Section 1)”[1];
the Constitution is quite clear. However,
what many fail to realize is that Presidents can have ideals, hopes, and ideas
for the betterment of the United States and its citizens, unfortunately
[sometimes fortunately], POTUS cannot enact these laws alone because the
Framers decided that this power was too much to be in the hand of one
individual; so Congress shares the burden, if not carrying the majority of it
via the legislative process. To reiterate, any President can initiate a
domestic policy, however, the slow arduous process of legislation usually has
less to do with what is right for the people and/or the country and more to do
with partisan politics. Another aspect
of the legislative process that many American citizens fail to realize is that there
are influences in the process of their elected officials making decisions for
the lives of the citizenry as capsulated in The Preamble: interest groups. These interest groups are similar to the
angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other of politicians. Interest groups vary but it is the large conglomerations
that have the financial prowess to wield their political influences to garner
special privileges for their companies and clients. Encompassed within those privileges are tax
loopholes written into legislation(s) that would protect the privileged from
paying higher taxes or the ability to shelter those taxes; protection from
complying with or even challenging certain federal regulations; as well as the
ability to easily access the politicians that endorse these powerful commercial
and private entities, and even gaining access to the big kahuna, POTUS. While
this modus operandi falls on both sides of the aisle, conservatives wrote the
book. Challenging certain federal regulations, such as the case of Citizens
United (CU) that challenged the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and won, is a
primary case of said interest groups. What many fail to see is that ruling for
CU erodes the sanctity of the election process, where it is no longer in the
hands of individual citizens alone; it is now [also] in the hands of
corporations and foreign interest( Mitt Romney’s 2012 trip to Israel for a fundraiser).[2]
Prior to the ruling, corporations were severely restricted in political
contribution and foreign interests were absolutely forbidden. While the federal budget “is divided into two
general categories, discretionary and mandatory”, those with a more
conservative political point of view, prefer [or so they allege] a smaller
government, however, much can be said about their support for tax breaks and
lower income taxes they choose to push for those who least need it.
Conservatives will neither acknowledging or admit that the privileges and
benefits extended to those organizations who are [now] people too, and individuals
add to the very deficit they decry in public. Instead, they choose to protect
big businesses who choose to export jobs; and protect those same businesses and
wealthy individuals who create offshore tax shelters. To fool their minions of
their dirty, underhanded deeds; conservatives cry foul for every implemented
federal programs that help the disenfranchised, of whom some are their own
constituents.[3]
“There
is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more
uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new
order of things. Because the innovator
has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions and
lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new” (Niccoló
Machiavelli, The Prince, Chapter 6).
POTUS has a perilous and delicate political path to navigate
for any enactment of domestic policies. There will always be a pocket of those
who adamantly oppose anything POTUS puts forth, essentially “the enemies who
have done well under the old conditions”, those of his own party and across the
aisle who will denounce these ideas even if it is sound and beneficial to the
American way of being. During administrations of Republican Presidents Democrats
are vocal with a modicum of displeasure due to conservative administrations usually
eroding the rights and protections of the poor, minorities, and women but
conservatives take it to a level of debasement. During the administration of
President William J. Clinton and currently, President Barack H. Obama, the
political air went and has gone beyond par for the course. The vitriol against Clinton was venomous but the
attacks against Obama have crossed the lines of human, moral, and political
decency. The haters choose not to see that their hateful and racist filled rhetoric
does not disrespect Obama only; their actions and words are moral and ethical
violations to the office he holds. Conservatives [who] love to puff their faux
moral and religious sensibilities are forgetting that they are showing younger
citizens that it is okay to disrespect authority if they do not like the
individual. While POTUS’s political
party could be a factor on his legislative successes, it is not guaranteed.
This is more or less, the workings of our American
government in a nutshell; so, all you blithering idiots need to do your
homework and look to the votes of the political ideologues you support. This call also goes out to all the blithering
idiots who do not get involved under the lie of “my vote don’t count”; yeah,
this is why so many gave their lives to give you that right and so many
resisted you having this power. Hell,
the group that resisted you having the power of the vote is rolling back this
right just to set you back from some semblance of fair representation. Yes, I am
an equal opportunity offender because ignorance and stupidity is intolerable and
being poor should not be an excuse. I am
poor but what does my intelligence have to do with my bank account? You blithering idiots should be ashamed that
in countries far poorer and less educated, those citizens are far more aware of
what their governments do domestically and internationally [where it is
applicable]. But wait, I forget that
some of you blithering idiots cannot think for yourselves, you have to turn to
your pundits on what tries to pass itself off as a news channel, those on
Capitol Hill, radio pundits and everybody and their mama who loves to be heard
without saying a damn thing about something they are truly ignorant about. Boy, talk about the blind leading the blind,
then again, “consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a
year ago” (Bernard Berenson, 1865-1959).
