So Obromney recently allowed as how we should stop deporting children.
Bully for him. I note that he was in a position to do this without any help from Congress at all. Which of course makes me wonder, why didn't he do it sometime in late January of 2009?
The answer is obvious of course, and need not detain us. But it does bring up a somewhat interesting avenue of reflection.
For quite a long time now, Congress has been industriously surrendering its prerogatives to an increasing imperial presidency. This is not a novel observation; the only question is, how far back do we go? Roosevelt -- or Lincoln?
That being so, it's fascinating to see all my Obamaphile friends defending Obie's worse-than-disappointing first term on the grounds that those bad ole Republicans in Congress have him tied hand and foot, poor baby.
It is a standard trope of the breathlessly power-worshipping groupie press to observe that the US President is 'the most powerful man in the world' -- pardon me for a moment while I attend to a small matter of personal hygiene. Like all cliches, of course, it is true. A US President has powers that a Roman Caesar could never have dreamed of; and of course those powers have increased during the current God-Emperor's tenure, as they have in every preceding one since... since... Lincoln. Or Roosevelt.
But my apologetic friends think Obie is a kind of Prisoner Of The Vatican; an ineffectual figurehead. Which of course in turn raises the question: Why is it so important to keep this particular figurehead in place? If he can't do anything, then can he stop anything either?
Oh well, I'm the last person to argue with religion. Credo quia absurdum always seemed like a sound maxim to me. But it's curious to see what people choose to put their faith in. I always thought the Psalmist's advice was rather sound: Put not your trust in princes!
Comments (7)
Perhaps something like a Lateran Pact can be negotiated to free our Prisoner of the Vatican. Thus empowered he could follow in footsteps of the person listed at the end of that concordat and use his novel powers to make planes depart on time.
Posted by sk | June 17, 2012 10:29 PM
Posted on June 17, 2012 22:29
executive orders are most always about
theatrical governance
a gesture like closing that prison in cuba that didn't happen
this one is particularly theatrical
hardly at the level
of trumans integration of the military
or jfk's okay
to federal employee
unionization
hell corporate america
is one thousand percent behind ohbummer
on this
Posted by op | June 18, 2012 12:40 AM
Posted on June 18, 2012 00:40
Corporate America is for no borders.
Posted by Chomskyzinn | June 18, 2012 10:56 AM
Posted on June 18, 2012 10:56
"Corporate America is for no borders"
that's really interesting
in fact if you look at ithe planet
as a game board
some borders often many borders
are very useful for trans national corporations
it is true that amur-corp wants the entire planet to be safe for their activity
their investment their patents their exports and imports
its a very complex
and context shifting
"world economy " affair they want
filled with borders lined
with doors
in various combinations
of open and /closes doors
each border with only one door
thru which each tradeable commodity or security can pass
-----------------------------
this btw
bordered global market model
is my maximum contemplative time
budgetary item
at least since my business was shot out from under me in 2000
its sort of
a Magnum O
for a monomaniacal and revenge filled but utterly marginalized mind
but its a very complex and context shifting "world economic borders map"
they want
Posted by op | June 18, 2012 2:36 PM
Posted on June 18, 2012 14:36
"It is a standard trope of the breathlessly power-worshipping groupie press to observe that the US President is 'the most powerful man in the world'...
But my apologetic friends think Obie is a kind of Prisoner Of The Vatican; an ineffectual figurehead."
Cognitive dissonance is a way of life with those folks.
They believe whatever it is they need to believe in any given moment to justify what they want believe in. It's mind boggling.
I can't perform that trick no matter how many shots of whiskey I down.
Posted by Drunk Pundit | June 18, 2012 9:51 PM
Posted on June 18, 2012 21:51
Sorry for mixing pleasure with politics, but I cannot post a comment on your sailing blog. I can type it and then it gives the preview with the security words, but no button or anything to send at that point. Maybe just me. Anyway, nice to see you in the water and writing about your adventures. Are you re-attempting Maine this year?
Greg,
New Bedford
Posted by Anonymous | June 19, 2012 4:40 PM
Posted on June 19, 2012 16:40
Weird. I just tried it using the 'name/URL' option and it seems fine.
Posted by MJS | June 19, 2012 6:21 PM
Posted on June 19, 2012 18:21