Slow
Learners: Save Democracy; Heed The Warnings
A long time ago, while I was purchasing a fifth of
Southern Comfort, I had a convenience store attendant tell me I was a
"slow learner" after I told him I was celebrating my third marriage.
Yeah, I'll have to admit it did take me three times and about 25 years to
finally get it right, so I guess the guy was accurate with his quick-witted
comment.
But, hey, my cognitive abilities are like genius
level compared to those of Republican and Democratic political leaders
throughout the 200-plus years of the American democracy. Yes, I know it wasn't
always Republicans and Democrats, but let's just keep it simple for now.
Despite all that this country has accomplished over
the years, we still can't seem to get this governing thing on an even keel. It
all boils down to this Party stuff -- 2 parties mostly -- Republicans and
Democrats. We could be so much better, accomplish so much more and build an
even greater country.
There's nothing in the Constitution about Parties.
In fact, the Founders and early leaders specifically warned us of how evil they
are and told us not to let them take hold.
Way back, 238 years ago, John Adams, the man
who would become our second President, warned in a letter to Jonathan
Jackson on October 2, 1780:
"There
is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great
parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition
to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest
political evil under our constitution." [Note: Not the U.S.
Constitution, which did not exist then, but the principles, that constituted us
as a nation and a people.]
Fifteen years later, President George
Washington, in a letter to Timothy
Pickering, July 27, 1795, warned:
"Much
indeed to be regretted, party disputes are now carried to such a length, and
truth is so enveloped in mist and false representation, that it is extremely
difficult to know through what channel to seek it. This difficulty to one, who
is of no party, and whose sole wish is to pursue with undeviating steps a path
which would lead this country to respectability, wealth, and happiness, is
exceedingly to be lamented. But such, for wise purposes, it is presumed, is the
turbulence of human passions in party disputes, when victory more than truth is
the palm contended for."
Then again, with an uncanny eye far into the
future, Washington
". . .I
have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State, with
particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations.
Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn
manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.
"This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our
nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists
under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or
repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest
rankness, and is truly their worst enemy.
"The alternate domination of one faction over another,
sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in
different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is
itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and
permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline
the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an
individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able
or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes
of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.
Without
looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to
be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of
party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to
discourage and restrain it. . ."
Twelve
years later, following the turn of the century, Thomas Jefferson, indicated
to James Monroe, in March 1808:
"You will soon find that so inveterate is the rancor
of party spirit among us, that nothing ought to be credited but what we hear
with our own ears. If you are less on your guard than we are here, at this
moment, the designs of the mischief-makers will not fail to be accomplished,
and brethren and friends will be made strangers and enemies to each other."
There were many other similar warnings back in
the day from our esteemed forefathers Alexander Hamilton, James Madison,
Benjamin Franklin and others throughout the years. Dwight D. Eisenhower, issued
a rather ominous warning in a speech on March 6, 1956:
"If a political party does not have its foundation in the determination to advance a cause that is right and that is moral, then it is not a political party; it is merely a conspiracy to seize power."
So, we were warned way back when and we have been
warned more recently about the dangers of political parties, their divisive
nature and their potential negative effects on good government. With all the
warnings, why didn't we learn? Despite the warnings from early governmental
leaders, and without any direction from the Constitution itself Party politics
took off immediately. Over the years they have become entrenched within our
government and intricately woven into the fabric of American politics. As Washington
It would seem that Party politics is so engrained
in our governmental system that we wouldn't know how to operate without it, and
perhaps wouldn't want to. But even so, shouldn't we be mindful of the
underpinnings of all those warnings? They were made originally by the Founders
in good faith and with reason. It seems we may have lost sight of why the
warnings were issued in the first place.
·
a division of
the republic
·
confused truth
and false representation
·
difficulty in
knowing where to seek truth
·
turbulence of
human passions in party disputes
·
victory more
than truth is the prize
·
geographical
discriminations
·
alternate
domination of one faction over another
·
the spirit of
revenge
·
common and
continual mischiefs of the spirit of party
·
the rancor of
party spirit among us
·
brethren and
friends made strangers and enemies to each other
·
potential for
conspiracy to seize power
Unfortunately all of these insights and warnings
are a growing part of American political party politics. We have agonized for
decades over Congressional gridlock, the increasing tribal partisanship and
the failure to deal with the pressing issues of the day -- health care;
immigration; racial & ethnic equality; infrastructure; climate change;
education; gun control; trade; cyber security; international affairs and much
more.
Why can't our political leaders heed the
centuries-old warnings and understand that the system they're working in is
designed for failure? The unfettered lust for power and greed must end. Instead of making it better they're making it worse with
increased partisan divide. Abuse of the filibuster; gridlock gimmicks like the
Hastert "rule" (majority of the majority rule); and the increasing
trend of avoiding the committee process ("regular order") in favor of
limited input, leadership-developed legislative proposals.
And the warnings continue; this time from one of
the last great statesmen and patriots of our time, Senator John McCain, in his
own personal farewell to Americans and the country, read by his spokesman, Rick
Davis on August 27, 2018:
“We weaken our greatness when we
confuse our patriotism with tribal rivalries that have sown resentment and
hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe. We weaken it when we hide
behind walls, rather than tear them down, when we doubt the power of our
ideals, rather than trust them to be the great force for change they have
always been.
“We are three-hundred-and-twenty-five
million opinionated, vociferous individuals. We argue and compete and sometimes
even vilify each other in our raucous public debates. But we have always had so
much more in common with each other than in disagreement. If only we remember
that and give each other the benefit of the presumption that we all love our
country we will get through these challenging times. We will come through them
stronger than before. We always do. . .
“Do not
despair of our present difficulties but believe always in the promise and
greatness of America
Most recently, on September 1, 2018, former Senator
Joe Liberman, delivering a eulogy at John McCain's funeral said John's deciding
vote,
which defeated an ill-conceived health care bill
was:
"not really against that bill but against the mindless partisanship
that has taken control of both our political parties and our government and
produced totally one sided responses to complicated national problems like
health care. And of course he was right."
On the same day, former President Barack Obama
delivering his eulogy for McCain, highlighted that:
"John believed in honest argument and hearing our views. He
understood that if we get in the habit of bending
the truth to suit political
expediency or party orthodoxy,
our democracy will not work."
So again we are warned. It is important to
emphasize what Obama said about "bending the truth "; "political
expediency"; and "party orthodoxy". If this practice, which has
become increasingly and distrubingly the new normal is not changed -- "Democracy
Will Not Work."
As a country, as a people, as political parties and
as a government we have sunk to a pitiful, shameful and disgraceful level; and
we are ever so close to permanently breaking our democracy. We have “thumbed
our noses” at the thoughtful patriots of our past and present.
And yet the problems are obvious and the solution
is clear. All we need to do is have the will to change; the will to do better;
the will to make a correction in our dangerous path; the will to heed the
warnings of our forefathers and the will to listen to most Americans who are
pleading for Congress to end the dysfunction and do a better job of governing.
We simply need to end, once and for all, the political
theory and practice that allows one party, which ever is the
"majority" at any given point in time, to completely control the
legislative actions of the House and Senate. It is absurd to allow this
practice to continue when it is known at the start that the results will be disastrous.
We continue to attempt to solve highly complex
societal and economic issues with one-sided legislative solutions put forth by
the Party in power, which reflects the ideas and concepts of roughly one-half
of the population, and attempt to pass them with the very narrowest of margins.
Fortunately, for lack of one vote an ill-conceived healh care bill was not
passed. A tax cut bill, affecting millions, with many flaws was passed with a
51-48 vote.
Critical judicial and executive appointments are
made by the Party in power at the time, generally based on political
orientation, rather than qualifications of skills, integrity and
experience.
The critical function of executive office oversight
is either overlooked completely or obsessively scrutinized depending on which
Party is in "power."
If we are going to continue to operate with a
two-party political system, with the expectation that our democracy will
survive, we must end the practice that Party in power, however narrow the
margins, completely controls the critical functions of Congress -- legislation,
appropriations, appointment, executive oversight, treaties, commerce, and
international affairs.
I have continuously put forward the concept of
shared legislative power (SLP) and have explained how it might work and offered
examples of where it has worked with great success.
I'm sure there are other ideas and proposals that
might attempt to achieve similar results. The point is that we can't continue
going down the same path. We must heed the warnings and change the way we
operate and act if we are to save the democracy.
Joe Biden, former Vice President and Senate
colleague of John McCain, and a statesman in his own right, captured the spirit
we need moving forward in the opening line of his eulogy when he said:
“My name is
Joe Biden. I’m a Democrat. And I loved John McCain."
For further details and insights on SLP see my previous postings which include:
- Ethics & The Way Congress Operates (https://goo.gl/wpSdXk) June 4, 2018)
- SLP: The Only Hope For "Country Over Party" (https://goo.gl/GSLfgh) May 21, 2018)
- Shared Committee Power And The Ambience of Bipartisanship(https://goo.gl/RgdtDz), March 22, 2017
- Shared Committee Power: How Crazy Is It? (https://goo.gl/wvpIUG), March 14, 2017
- Beating The Dead Horse Of Bipartisanship (goo.gl/qy00fX), February 1, 2017
- Congress Could Be Functional; If It Wanted To (goo.gl/JlB5zu), January 18, 2017
- Bipartisanship: How The GOP Could Heal A Divided Nation(goo.gl/yU3zjB), December 23, 2016
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