Saturday, May 01, 2010

"Shut Up!" Quoth Obama

Gee. He's thin-skinned. Who coulda node?

President Barack Obama said Saturday that partisan rants and name-calling under the guise of legitimate discourse pose a serious danger to America's democracy, and may incite "extreme elements" to violence.

Then he swung for the fences.

"What troubles me is when I hear people say that all of government is inherently bad," Obama said after receiving an honorary doctor of laws degree. "When our government is spoken of as some menacing, threatening foreign entity, it ignores the fact that in our democracy, government is us."

Sorry, zero.

First off, the United States of America is not now, nor ever has been, a "democracy." It's a republic, ConLawProf Lecturer.

Secondly, when the Government menaces its citizens, either benignly through its revenue-stream-creation OR through excessive regulation, "national ID" schemes, or outright imposition of a questionably-Constitutional AND outright un-popular HealthCare mandate, it IS a threat. (We could add that any Government whose average employees earn about 50% more than the average earned by the citizens they serve deserves a hard, cold, look.)

And any Government headed by someone who casually states that "....at some point you've earned enough money" is a Government which is, in fact, a threat, at least by implication.

Finally, a Government headed by some FIB "organizer" who constantly creates straw-men for the purpose of rousing the rabble is, indeed, a 'threat.'

You don't like the terms of the discussion, B. Hussein? Maybe you ought to read the column of a VERY centrist-(R) lady. I'll even help you find the right passage:

All this contributes to a deep and growing alienation between the people of America and the government of America in Washington

I trust you can read the rest.

Stop your whining and work on the budget. It's the spending, stupid.

8 comments:

jimspice said...

"...the United States of America is not now, nor ever has been, a "democracy."

Could you please briefly explain that for us morons? Under 100 words should do it.

Grim said...

How about three words? "Google 'Electoral College.'"

jimspice said...

Nope, that doesn't cut it. We imbeciles consider the electoral college a form of indirect democracy.

J. Strupp said...

You missed his point. Obama was trying to tell Americans on both sides to stop being such political drones:


"It may make your blood boil. Your mind may not be changed. But the practice of listening to opposing views is essential for effective citizenship,".

Dad29 said...

Brief as possible: except for referendums and elections, which ARE "democracy," the US and State governments elect representatives and senators to vote on their behalf.

That's why it's called a "republic." We do not directly vote on legislation and almost more important, not on REGULATION, either.

The E.C. is another guard against "democracy" which both Ari and Plato were very chary about.

jimspice said...

Well, beyond some Swiss cantons, can you point to an example of a democracy?

I'd suggest a republic is one type of democracy, a representative democracy.

jimspice said...

Just checking to see if you'd get a notice on a post this old. But as long as I'm at it. Care to answer the question?

Dad29 said...

Call it what you like, but this country is a representative republic under all the usual definitions.

YMMV