Requiem for the Rule of Law

Ok, perhaps not the whole rule of law, but really, this is important news and most likely to go unnoticed by the majority of our fellow citizens. Remember back to your Civics class in elementary school, maybe Junior High? What? You didn't have a Civics class? Join the club. Not many have. But at least you may have watched SchoolHouse Rock's How a Bill Becomes a Law. I hope so. In any case, you studies in American History how the House and the Senate constitute the legislative branch of our government, with the other branches being the Judicial, and the Executive. In a trinitarian move these branches are supposed to be equal, and thus a balance of powers established in American government.

Well, the Bush administration, if it can be said to have done anything with ruthless efficiency, has really disabused us of the notion of equal branches with shared responsibility for the governance of the nation. This administration has quite intentionally burned a massive hole through various understandings about such constitutional premises, has disrespected and ignored the role of Congress, has undermined the judiciary through its Justice Department, and has engaged in the shredding of the Constitution. In my estimation, this administration has usurped power, and has brazenly challenged anybody's authority to stand in its way. It has not done so alone. It has received the assistance of the leadership of the Republican Party, and also the complicity, if not downright help of some of the leadership of the Democratic Party.

Some of you might say, "Nacho, surely you jest!" Nope. Check the latest example: Attorney General Mukasey has refused to forward the U.S. House of Representatives contempt orders against Josh Bolten and Harriet Miers. Of course, this should not be surprising to anyone. Installing a party insider as Attorney General could only have resulted in such a decision. This was in short, to borrow from my religious friends, predestined. A Republican Attorney General could not very well come in and declare that what the administration and its cronies had been doing, and continue to do, was illegal. Nevertheless, this decision is borders on the incredible, and continues the complete disregard for Congressional rule, oversight, and Constitutional responsibilities. This administration has shielded itself so much, and done so much damage, I expect we will see the fallout for a long time. If you are not familiar with any of this, please read it and become familiar. It is your government (and democratic culture) that are being torn down. For more on how this is happening, and how Fascism sets in, read this Naomi Wolf's piece on Common Dreams.