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Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Politics American Style

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.

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] 

 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:
    

“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).

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