Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Republicans Have Abandoned Democracy Part III

Republicans have abandoned a key element found in our amazing Constitution.....the separation of powers..  They have been at this change since the debates found in the Federalist papers posited by those who leaned toward continuing the role of a King as the ultimate authority in government.  Authoritarian dictators grasp all of the governing powers, Executive, Judicial and Legislative.



The Federalist Society has for decades argued for a change in our governance they call a Unitary Executive, giving the Executive branch authority over both our judiciary and legislative branches.  You've heard the argument; the President is above the law.  It was frequently argued during the Nixon administration.  It is even more prevalent today with Attorney General Barr being its most vocal proponent.

The concept of three coequal government branches is unique to the USA and is largely credited with our success or at least continuation as a functioning democratic republic.  Yet even Republicans in the majority of our Legislative bodies have, since the leadership of Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate majority leader McConnell supported their Republican Executive's power grab by diminishing their own legislative initiatives in favor of inaction while also supporting the nomination of extremist conservative jurists in judicial appointments. Bipartisanship as a working norm has virtually disappeared in favor of the activist comportment of the Executive and inactivist comportment of your legislators and unjust judicial rulings in support of this abuse of our Constitution by extremist jurists.


So you say, so what?  It doesn't effect my life or family.  Oh, yes it does.  As a result of Republican led legislative gridlock, legislation impacting your protections from an abusive employer, protections from abuses by companies providing you vital services such as safe food, drugs, health services, banking, investment services and fair prices have significantly eroded since the 1960's .   Free public education has been steadily de-funded by both federal and state governing administrations.  But it is important to note that the separation of powers under our system have carefully guarded the separation of duties of our States from federal intrusion.  Public education and the administration of elections and the taxation by our local jurisdictions are prime examples of that separation advocated by both Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives.  It is only when the rights of minorities are impeded unfairly by states that federal law can intervene or augment funding to protect the rights of all citizens.

Civil and voting rights have been neglected over several decades of Republican administrations due to the absence of legislative action and funding.  Even your very public protections from violence such as mass shootings are the result of stonewalling legislative action and failure to live up to legislators oaths to protect you and your family.

Republicans, aided by Trumpites have recently grossly violated the rights of local municipalities by both cutting funding to them and injecting federal immigration authorities in to the removal of undocumented immigrants in those local jurisdictions who  have chosen to offer humane protections to them, in the absence of a coherent federal policy on immigration.  This is happening in your neighborhood right now.

So, those of you who say "Fuck politics, I'm ignoring it," are simply committing malfeasance of your own responsibilities as a citizen and provider for your family and permitting a fascist, authoritarian President Trump and his legislator toadies to screw you and yours.  

Republicans have abandoned both the concept of co-equal and separate governing branches solely to advance their own power, not our rights as citizens protected by our Constitution.