[Peace-discuss] Blago-Burris circus

[C. G. Estabrook]

	"People should not be afraid of their governments.
	Governments should be afraid of their people. --'V'"

An unlikely Guy Fawkes, Michael Moore said the same thing at the conclusion of
"Sicko."

My primary doubt about the claim that "we are in danger of losing the republic 
*totally*" is that we ever had a republic (sc. a representative democracy) to 
lose.

That doesn't mean it wouldn't be a good idea to have one.  --CGE


E. Wayne Johnson wrote:
> A December 30, 2008 NewsGazette online poll with 2083 votes showed 74% of
> responses opposed the seating of Burris in the Senate, 17% in favour, and 10%
> unsure. Removing the "unsure" votes gives a whopping 82% opposed to be
> represented in the Senate by Burris
> 
> Although this is not a 'scientific' poll, it is an indication that the 
> readers of the NG don't want this appointment.  We cannot discern whether
> they don't want Burris himself, or if they just dont like the circumstances.
> 
> Since the percentage of opposition is so high, I am going to make the 
> assumption that this result is reflective of the opinion of Illinois as a
> whole.
> 
> The insidious aspect of this Blagojevich - Burris Debacle is that the whole
> process of government as a representative democracy is being quite obviously
> derailed by the action of one single man acting as a monarch. This is not
> about partisan-ism.  It's about a fundamental malfunction in the machinery of
> the Republic.
> 
> From Wikipaedia:
> 
> A republican democracy is a republic which has democratic forms of 
> government. One of the key principles is free and open debate prior to
> casting a vote. The United States of America is a Democratic Republic.  (I'm
> not talking about partisanship) *A republic in the modern understanding is a
> nation or state where the people are sovereign. * *It is not a monarchy,
> where the king or queen is the head of state*. By this definition there are
> abundant examples of states that are republics but not democracies, and of
> states that are democracies but not republics. *Another characterization of a
> republic * *is its emphasis on law and rule of the people through elected 
> representatives*. In this sense it refers to the notion representative
> democracy, as one meaning of republic is a system of restricted democracy. 
> *Representative democracy* is a form of government founded on the principles
> of the people's representatives.
> 
> 
> The key issue here is not whether or not Burris will make a good Senator.
> 
> /*The problem is that there has been a coup d'etat, such that the government
> of the people by the people for the people is no longer responsive to the
> people. */ As long as this is the case, you can send your letters, call your
>  representative, wear your buttons, vote, plant signs, carry signs, make
> t-shirts, paint your car, hang off bridges, blog, rant, and preach to the
> non-existent crowds in free-speech zones, and your efforts will be totally
> ineffectual.
> 
> They know that you will squeal, maybe even kick, but the steely machinery of
> the state will drain your life-blood and make merchandise of you with
> engineered efficiency.
> 
> /With bright knives He releaseth my soul. He maketh me to hang on hooks in
> high places. He converteth me to lamb cutlets, For lo, He hath great power,
> and great hunger.  - from "Sheep". /
> 
> 
> If we cannot get the republic to respond to us --- if the neurocircuitry from
> the people to the central processing is not functioning--- if the hotline
> from the people to the government terminates in a never to be read voice mail
> box --- then we have a problem far more fundamental than our absurd foreign 
> policy that is bankrupting us and costing millions of precious lives--- we
> are in danger of losing the republic *totally.*
> 
> People should not be afraid of their governments. /Governments should be
> afraid of their people. / - "V"