Another election has come and gone. We can now enjoy a bit of quiet after all the name calling, dirty tricks, and general BS that characterizes these things every time. That there was a shakeup to not many of us surprise. After 12 years, a few things needed a shake. I am basically a conservative, but not a radical rightist by any means. As I look back over my 68 years, I cannot think of a thing that one or the other party has done that has impacted my life in any fatal way. Overall, great calamity has not befallen me, or the country as a whole, no matter who was in the main position of power.
Why is that? I think it all goes back to the people who were beyond ordinary wisdom in framing the constitution of our country. I believe, and am fond of reminding people, that the USA did get get started by the Cream de la Cream of Europe. Most of the early settlers came to the New World out of need, not to start a new country with the best brains in the world. Most were not criminals, but some were just that. A lot were honest and able to work hard, but because of religion, inheritance laws, etc. in Europe, they could not have a good life and stay there. So, it was mixed bag of new people who came. There were not that many with an education of any kind beyond basic, if at all. I do not recall seeing any reports of how many went back, but it must have been very few.
There were some who were the exception, and we better be awfully glad that there were. They may have been aristocrats, and that may not sound so good, but they were good. Men like George Washington, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Paul Revere, and Patrick Henry were able to put together a constitution that, so far, seems to have thought of everything. That is a big reason why I don't worry too much about which party gets the nod. No matter how many "kooks" of any persuasion are elected, there is one or two other governmental divisions to hold them back from stupidity.
I have to wonder how many "suppose this happens" were discussed by those men. I also really would like to have 30 minutes with them to see what they think about today. Flabbergasted, I am sure, but I think also they would be very proud of their ideas.
2 comments:
But have you not noticed that during the past six years the normal check and balance system between the three branches of government, as provided for in the constitution, has been more or less disregarded by the executive branch?! And what is even scarier, the legislative branch has let it happen!!
I think that you may well be right. Who let that happen? Certainly not the party in power. They just took advantage of the other party's inabilities. I fault the leadership (if there was/is any) of the Democratic legislators. Checks and balances don't work if there is passivity. In this case, the voters had to do it. They only get a chance at the ballot box every two years.
In Switzerland, there would have been initiatives and referendums every few weeks to curb the federal powers.
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