a Constitutional Crisis ? Or. . .

[stellanoir]

Something else that it unprecedented. . .

This is an excerpt from an e-mail I sent out yesterday to a lauded historian who kindly responded that she was traveling and would get back to me next week So I thought I'd get some feedback here in the interim.

"Though I've always been deeply intrigued by and curious about history I'm obviously by no means a historical scholar, though probably know a bit more than your average bear. It's probably a foolish question but I wonder whether you ever envisioned our country taking such a devastating fall. At the turning of the millennium, I sensed that things might get worse before they got better. Then on December 12th, '00 it sort of felt like "alea iacta est." Even then I never thought we'd fall so far so fast.

The optimist in me rationalizes that perhaps super powers are just no longer appropriate in this still new millennium. Although I've sensed since I was quite young that government was inherently corrupt, never has it been so blatantly so. Is it my imagination or do you think aside from the Civil War, have we ever been at greater risk of losing the very foundation upon which this country was built? As I typed this question I remembered that you and XX XXXX both seem to concur, along with former VP Al Gore that we are experiencing a constitutional crisis. I first started typing that fact in early November as well.

So I just looked into what is conventionally considered to constitute a constitutional crisis (no pun intended) and it is technically described as a breakdown between the three branches of government. As I'm sure you know, since the Civil War, it is said they've occurred during the 1876 Presidential Election, Watergate, Iran Contra, and the 2000 Presidential Election. Well what struck me like a ton of bricks was although I've been tossing that term around for a while, what we now are experiencing is in actuality it's complete antithesis. Not that it isn't a complete crisis scenario.

Yet, the homogenization of the three branches of government has most unfortunately caused our checks and balance to go "poof." To say nothing of corporate and partisan control of the voting technology and a ever so compliant media.

This appears to have resulted in an almost complete disconnect from the will of the vast majority of the people. This is no longer even vaguely a representative government. So perhaps it's more appropriate to have a tea party instead since our administration already appears to have no regard for the constitution whatsoever. I don't have a link for it but back in December it was all over the internet that Bush actually described the Constitution as, "just a piece of paper." Yikes. "

Key point. . .not a breakdown but a homogenization. . .

So what can we call it then??? What recourse do we have ???

[electropop]

1. It's a new kind, but it's still a Constitutional Crisis.

Now it's the Constitution versus all three branches. There's still a breakdown, but in a different place.

[stellanoir]

4. yup

the breakdown is between "we the people," the constitution, versus they the corporations and their minions and pawns.

But it is different this time.

[unblock]

2. the term "constitutional crisis" is vastly overused

especially by a hyperventilating media pimping for ratings.

the term SHOULD be reserved for situations that arise where the constitution is actually unclear about who has what power, leading to a standoff of some sort. an example would be death of certain key officials prior to the succession amendment.

in shrub's case there's been little real doubt as to what the constitution says or meant. what there has been is an infiltration of party loyalists who do not base their decisions on the constitution, but rather on what serves the party best, and then create fig leaf arguments that reference the constitution in a thinly disguised effort to misappropriate constitutional legitimacy.

what we have is corruption, plain and simple. our institutions have been corrupted by banana republicans.

[stellanoir]

6. "banana republicans" LOL

is an insult to the integrity of the banana, but I love it anyhoo.

[unblock]

7. i reserve the plain "republican" term for pre-reagan/gingrich republicans.

ford, rockefeller, eisenhower, etc.

people you could disagree with but at least you could respect their point of view, and who provided reasonable balance.

that all ended with reagan and gingrich.

[stellanoir]

11. yeah I'm always referring to

Eisenhower's farewell speech referencing the danger of the dominance of the industrial military complex. Coming from a Repub and a General, it always has more gravitas.

But I do indeed have tremendous respect for bananas as well.

[unblock]

13. bananas are great. banana republics, not so great.

and that's what they want to turn our great country into.

[stellanoir]

15. yup

I hear ya . . .

but "yes we have no bananas. . .we have no bananas today. . ."

"After Reading THIS, you'll NEVER look at a banana in the same way again!

Bananas Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS:
Forget the pills -- eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia:
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect way to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power:
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation:
High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn:
Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness:
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites:
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.


Nerves:
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.


Overweight and at work?
Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.


Ulcers:
The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control:
Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.


Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):
Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking:
Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress:
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes:
According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine," eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an appl! e, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!" "

[depakid]

14. I wouldn't put either Reagan or Gingrich in that category

The problem is one of theological entitlement- and both Reagan and Gingrich not only had it- but took activie steps to further it. These are people who believe at a fundamental level that they're not accountable for their actions. Because they are "right," the country's legal system, it's traditions, the laws of science and economics (not to mention reason) don't apply.

To Reagan, trees caused pollution- you couldn't tell him otherwise. It wasn't "cute." It was an early sign of dementia (among other things).

With Gingrich, he could treat his wives like garbage- serve one divoce papers while she was in the hospital fighting breast cancer- and he'd still be the far right's darling, family immorality and all.

These two and their accomplices could lie repeatedly- and people accepted it- and to this day, still give them credence.

That's the root of the current dilemma- and it won't be solved until the situation has gotten bad enough that people make the connection and no longer tolerate it.

[unblock]

16. to be clear, i consider reagan and gingrich to be banana republicans

[Kerri_S]

3. Homogenization IS a breakdown

Hi, stellanoir

Just my two cents - when the three branches are all controlled by one party without any of the checks and balances that are supposed to be there, that means deep trouble for the country. Government isn't really functioning as it truly should, so I think what is going on could certainly be called a constitutional crisis.

[stellanoir]

9. welcome to DU

Did you ever hear the Steven Wright joke. . ."If it's a penny for your thoughts though people offer up their two cents. Someone is making a penny."

But seriously I agree with you our Constitution is in terrible jeopardy to say nothing of our 1st and 4th amendment rights.

Just was pointing out that it is other than what we've experienced before so we may need some non linear means of rectification that transcend logic alone. Have been writing about it incessantly for nearly 5 months. If you want to read it then PM me when you get a few more posts and I'll happily send it to you.

[unblock]

10. the problem is that the party as an institution has too much control.

the people prefer divided government, but it's not necessarily a disaster when one party controls all 3 branches.
the thing is, the institutions were designed to have their own incentives to fight against each other.

so when the democrats controlled all 3 branches, congress and the president really fought over a lot of things, e.g., when carter was president.

but the banana republicans get together as a party and decide, and then use the institutions to merely rubberstamp the private decisions. no real debate in congress, sham votes, etc. just witness that shrub has never vetoed an single thing. that's because they agree in private first, so there's never a public confrontation that would damage the party.

THAT's the real problem. the banana republican party has corrupted the institutions to permit the PARTY decisions to be the real decisions, and then the governmental institutions rubberstamp them.

it makes a mockery out of the constitution, the founders, the american revolution, etc.

[stellanoir]

12. yeah

I guess the real problem is that it's such an unbelievable unethical cabal who's removal from power is one of the greatest challenges this country has ever faced.

Hmmmmmmm

[sutz12]

5. Well, it should be a constitutional crisis....

The problem being, nobody is standing up while these guys in the administration are grabbing power.

Convenient that W got to pick the SC Justice that will preside over his own impeachment hearing.

[RufusEarl]

8. Read this by former Gov. Richard Lamm

http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/lamm.asp

[depakid]

17. Just goes to show

That ignorance and intolerance aren't the sole province of Republicans....

The problem is and always has been with people like Lamm, et al. in both parties.

This quote just leaped out:

"Arnold Toynbee observed that all great civilizations rise and fall and that 'An autopsy of history would show that all great nations commit suicide.'"

Yep- the Decline & Fall literature is replete with examples- Paul Kennedy's work takes a mostly economic perspective, though Keviv Phillip's latest adds some disturbing theocratic elements into the mix. And people like Lamm usually figure prominantly.

Tic toc.

[alfredo]

18. You might find Kevin Phillip's book "American Theocracy"

a good read.