Ne-e-eigh!
It was inevitable, in retrospect.
The "support our troops" catechism held that opposing a military mission was the same as treasonously undermining our fighting men, its teleological reasoning (the troops should be there because they are there) amounting to sanctifying goalless strife with the aura of the warrior. The President exploited that aura, defending his decisions on troop levels as obeying the advice of his generals, therefore infallible. A general sense that "the military knows best" was cultured.
Add to that the Republican Congress's willful abdication of authority, only taking interest in passing legislation insofar as it kept the campaign money flowing. In their clannish defense of the President, they even denigrate their own power, denying themselves the ability to cut off military funding, calling themselves a "committee of 535."
Now one of the counterrevolution's mindless drones has taken the evolving discourse to its natural conclusion:
At this rate, we may look back on February 8, 2007 as the last day of the Republic and the first day of something new. Today, they rip down democracy in the interests of a power-hungry executive, who propounds a two-bit theory justifying his own omnipotence. But who knows whether he can tame the Monster he unleashes? What will matter, to our children, is that his party will have destroyed the principle of self-determination and replaced it with a slavish eagerness to be ruled.
Once that's accomplished, we shouldn't be surprised to see a military government or worse somewhere down the line. All the power of the unitary executive, plus a new kind of Divine Right, without the bother of elections. They can amuse themselves invading Manchuria.
(Via poputonian at Hullabaloo.)
The "support our troops" catechism held that opposing a military mission was the same as treasonously undermining our fighting men, its teleological reasoning (the troops should be there because they are there) amounting to sanctifying goalless strife with the aura of the warrior. The President exploited that aura, defending his decisions on troop levels as obeying the advice of his generals, therefore infallible. A general sense that "the military knows best" was cultured.
Add to that the Republican Congress's willful abdication of authority, only taking interest in passing legislation insofar as it kept the campaign money flowing. In their clannish defense of the President, they even denigrate their own power, denying themselves the ability to cut off military funding, calling themselves a "committee of 535."
Now one of the counterrevolution's mindless drones has taken the evolving discourse to its natural conclusion:
[Chris] MATTHEWS: Right now, February 8, 2007, do you believe we should go to war with Iran?We now have an elected representative who honestly believes that the choice to go to war should be made by the military, not Congress.[Rep. Eric] CANTOR: I‘ll leave that decision up to the commanders on the ground and those in our military ...
MATTHEWS: Commanders on the ground whether we go to war with another country?
CANTOR: I will leave the decisions in the military arena to—this is exactly the point.
At this rate, we may look back on February 8, 2007 as the last day of the Republic and the first day of something new. Today, they rip down democracy in the interests of a power-hungry executive, who propounds a two-bit theory justifying his own omnipotence. But who knows whether he can tame the Monster he unleashes? What will matter, to our children, is that his party will have destroyed the principle of self-determination and replaced it with a slavish eagerness to be ruled.
Once that's accomplished, we shouldn't be surprised to see a military government or worse somewhere down the line. All the power of the unitary executive, plus a new kind of Divine Right, without the bother of elections. They can amuse themselves invading Manchuria.
(Via poputonian at Hullabaloo.)
posted by Minivet at 5:17 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home