Lunatics with guns is not the kind of democracy the founding fathers of the US had in mind. The number of militias has increased in recent years, and probably the number of serious death threats to elected officials as well.
One man convicted of murdering an abortion doctor was unrepentant on TV. Some of the ‘tea parties’ are determined to overthrow the health bill Obama miraculously managed to get through Congress.
While there are serious concerns about the likely effectiveness of his health reforms in keeping costs down while providing wider coverage of health insurance, there should be no doubts that the process was (sort of) democratic. At least if you don’t take into account the deep pockets and profound influence of the health insurers, who will remain front and centre of health attention and wealth absorption.
But the bill has passed, and threats of violence or rebellion should not be part of civilised governance.
The drug debate is also characterised by extreme positions. Drugs flow across the border, with heavily armed gangs staking out their share of the market. Just like on The Wire, which I imagine is a somewhat soft depiction of a slimy crew.
And where do the guns come from for the Mexican bandits? They flow the other way across the border of course, creating gainful employment for many god-fearing citizens in the US.
Marijuana is, thankfully, the most commonly trafficked. I say that because by most assessments, it is no worse than alcohol, even when abused. California led the pack on decriminalising it via medical provision, and at least 13 other states have followed. That way they can tax it, like alcohol.
A country as diverse, and massive as the US will always have massive dissent. My take is that the militarisation of their society is fuelling more extreme responses to what should be genteel public deliberation, with lots of evidence and openness. Here our population debate is slowly opening up to discussion, without the need for foot stompinfrom groups that intent to ‘take matters into their own hands’.
But when the US national policy is to dump a form of elected government on tribal groups, without reflecting on the usefulness of this after so many years of failure (Afghanistan, Iraq, and maybe Pakistan to follow) then hubris will come back to bite them (or shoot them) on the bum.
Maybe they need more drugs to calm them down, with stoned pow-wows and naked love-ins. I could probably be convinced to vote for that.
“Marijuana is, thankfully, the most commonly trafficked. I say that because by most assessments, it is no worse than alcohol, even when abused.”
Not what we’ve seen on TV in the last couple of weeks, Ronda. The new stuff apparently removes a lot of your memory, and I think it is only users who have made the “assessments” that it is not worse than alcohol.
Comment by Leigh — April 8, 2010 @ 5:33 am
1. The word democracy does not appear in either the Declaration of Independence or the US Constitution. The founding fathers, in their own conception, intended to set up a republic – a state strictly limited by law, not a democracy – a state in which law is perpetually subject to majority rule.
2. That is why they specifically provided for limitations on the power of the central government, including on the freedom to own and use guns, and pre-supposing the existence of militias.
3.
Jefferson explicitly said that the people need guns to protect their liberties against government, which cannot be trusted to stay within a paper Constitition.
4.
“While there are serious concerns about the likely effectiveness of his health reforms in keeping costs down …”
Correction: there is no reason to believe that the government’s take-over of the health insurance industry will do anything other than drive costs up. Also, where in the Constitution does it give the US government power to run health insurance companies or provide health services?
5.
“…there should be no doubts that the process was (sort of) democratic.”
So what? If a majority vote for something, does that make it right, does it? Does it magically turn loss-making activity into productive activity?
6.
“But the bill has passed, and threats of violence or rebellion should not be part of civilised governance”
But it’s okay for the government to use threats of violence to tell people what insurance they may offer or accept, when it’s a) unconstitutional, and b) none of their business?
Comment by Peter — April 12, 2010 @ 2:09 am
Peter,
Your last sentence is interesting, the debate at least with some Americans, is not so much as to which system provides better outcomes,but essentially that an individual’s health choices are not the government’s business.
Comment by Russell W — April 12, 2010 @ 4:36 am
I would say that the USA is getting loonier by the minute.
The number of militias has not just increased. It has increased dramatically. Plus gun ownership too. There has been a huge rise in the sale of guns in the past 18 months.
Another sign of the collective insanity in the USA was a recent Harris poll which indicated that 25% of the US population believed that Obama is the “anti-christ”, whatever that could possibly be. And that twice as many GOP, as compared to Democrat supporters, believed this.
And yes todays industrial strength marijuana is essentially bad news. Especially the stuff grown hydroponically with all of those chemicals.
Comment by Sue — April 14, 2010 @ 1:17 am
One thing I am sure of is that the arming of a society does not augur well for the rule of law.
I guess my experiences with pot were of the more mellow and moderate kind, when love-ins were more popular than torture camps.
It also seems to me that the goal of ensuring all citizens have access to good quality and reasonably priced health care is a no brainer for a developed (or any) society. How they work that out, whether by majority or consensus, is another matter.
The violence of the US is the on-going elephant in their room, as Martin Luther King pointed out decades ago. If they can’t see how this is both destroying their hard-won achievements and sending them broke, then worse awaits us all.
Comment by Ronda Jambe — April 15, 2010 @ 2:04 am