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Glenn Greenwald: Tellin' It Like It Is
Kudos to Glenn Greenwald, the recently-hired blogger at Salon.com . Greenwald is a former litigator of constitutional issues and accordingly has some fairly acute insights into governmental issues. But his topic today --The Right Wing's Pursuit of One-Man-Rule--so clearly illustrates the Right's authoritarian, anti-American bent that it can't be ignored. Rather it should be shouted from the rooftops:
The Wall St. Journal online has today published a lengthy and truly astonishing article by Harvard Government Professor Harvey Mansfield, which expressly argues that the power of the President is greater than "the rule of law."
The article bears this headline: The Case for the Strong Executive -- Under some circumstances, the Rule of Law must yield to the need for Energy. And it is the most explicit argument I have seen yet for vesting in the President the power to override and ignore the rule of law in order to recieve the glories of what Mansfield calls "one-man rule."
I don't know about you, but I was actually awake during my American Government class, not to mention American History. I seem to recall that the overriding reason for the formation of this Nation was a common "frustration" with the autocratic "one-man rule" of King George of England. (Insert ironic punchline of choice here.)
A similar cognitive dissonance in conservative "thinking" can be seen in the recent conservative blockage of representation for DC citizens. The phrase "no taxation without representation" comes to mind. The Republican talking point on this issue is the worn-out shibboleth, "DC citizens will get super-dupter benefits if they have the right to representation in our government."
In what crazy, mixed-up, "opposites day" Universe does that argument get any traction? Seriously: if DC gets a representative or two and two senators, how does that make them the "king of the heap"? As much as conservatives hate to admit it, the situation at ground level in this country is vastly different now than it was at formation.
This profferred conservative objection is, therefore, just plain silly.
So there you have it: the conservatives--the Republicans--really just want a king, nobles and serfs. So: do you believe in the Renaissance Faire Fallacy: that every man is a prince?
If so, I have a nice bridge to sell ya....