A Simple Question for Democrats AND Republicans to Remember...

[TygrBright]

...before they shoot their mouths off in support of, or against, some "reform" or "precedent" or other change in how the government has traditionally worked:

"Would you still support this if it were the OTHER party in power/in opposition?"

For instance, Democrats who are calling for a limitation on the power of Executive pardons at Federal or State levels: Do y'all remember when Clinton was President and just after he left office, the steaming, screeching indignation of the GOPpies and their call to limit the power of the Executive to pardon? Did y'all support the notion then? If so, good on you, at least you're consistent. But if you're in an eight-cylinder huff over the notion that the Chimperor is handing out pardons under the desk to cover up the wrongdoings of his employees and cronies, BUT Bill Clinton was perfectly justified in HIS actions, please to consider what happens next time a Democrat holds power in the Executive branch, but the Judiciary is firmly under the thumb of the ultra-nutjob wing of the GOP. They launch judicial vendettas against key Administration figures to embarrass and hamstring the Democratic Executive. What powers do you want her/him to have in the way of pardons?

For instance, GOPpies who are self-inflating with indignation over the opposition to the Administration's apparently limitless appetite for Constitutionally-barred surveillance of American citizens, and claiming it's all an anti-American plot by the Demon Liberals to let their Evil Terrist Allies carry on unopposed. Uh-huh. So, fine, establish precedent that the Executive has all the power s/he wants to claim, as long as s/he claims it's "necessary" to "fight terra" and "keep Americans safe." Go ahead, just do that. But don't come running to me when your nemesis 'Hitlery' Clinton (or someone WORSE, eeeeeeeek!) gets elected and promptly starts surveilling YOU in the name of "fighting terra" and "keeping Americans safe." Sauce for the goose, sauce for the gander.

Sometimes the problem isn't in "the system." And attempts to fix the problem by fixing "the system" not only don't fix it, they mess things up worse, establishing more layers of bureaucracy, limiting transparency, confusing the common understanding of what is and isn't appropriate, and providing plenty of wiggle room for guardhouse-lawyer types and criminal weasels of every description.

Sometimes the problem isn't "the system," it's WHO and HOW the system is being used. And the appropriate remedy is to hold the WHO accountable for the HOW. Efforts to "fix the system" by identifying everything that a scoundrel is doing and making it verboten for anyone to ever do that same thing ignore the reality that when the system isn't being run by a scoundrel, it can and does work.

Flame away, mes amis...

wearily,
Bright

[TygrBright]

1. dang.... Meant to post this in GD: P. Could some kind mod please move?

embarrassing myself agin, so what's new...

humbly,
Bright

[TygrBright]

2. A little poot in hopes some kind mod will move this for me...

hopefully,
Bright

[Skinner]

3. I'll move it.

Next time this happens, you should click alert. That gets their attention much better.

[TygrBright]

4. ah... Thankyew, kind Sir, I will remember

I thought "alert" was just for trolls n' suchlike.

informedly,
Bright

[flaminbats]

5. lol, but who does most of the remembering?

Too often I remember supporting Clinton's proposal for passing a line-item veto, my Republican grandfather opposed it. Now he supports Bush's call for a line-item veto, and I oppose it! Both my grandfather and I thought NAFTA was great, and were both glad to see it passed. Now we both think it was a mistake, and wish it had never passed. We both favor universal healthcare, but he keeps voting for Republicans who completely oppose it..and I keep voting for Democrats who are too chicken to defend it!

Sometimes I wonder if things would be any different if I were a Republican. Perhaps I could bring my viewpoints into the Republican Party. But if that were the case why are leaders like John Kerry so reluctant to support positions like national healthcare and the immediate repeal of taxcuts. I find it strange how so many Republicans don't think Bush needs an exit strategy for Iraq, but they reject any need to raise taxes to pay for this war!

Democrats got the blame for Vietnam, for deficit spending, and for Whitewater. When will Republicans take the blame for anything?