Just who IS the Republican Establishment we hear about?

[Yogimus]

The aetherial straw man that the next joker fights against. The Bogeyman in the dark, beyond the touch of light. The fictional ID that a protagonist can rally against to appear as one of "you"

[HTRN]

It hasn't always been the case in the U.S.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...

It was going on here even before the Constitution was signed, and we only had Articles of Confederation. Whenever there is money and power consolidated at the top, there will be men who game the system to get access to it.

[toad]

It is a historical pattern. As a country ages power becomes centralized and thus this centralized power begins to attract people to that accumulation of money and power. Courtiers increase, and people who would go into the private sector go to the capital to mine the tax flow. France is an example; as the kings grew in power they in essence bribed the Dukes with money and privileges. The "action" became more and more centered on the court. You had "nobles of the sword" and then a growing group of "nobles of the court." The tax burden increased on the middle class until .....
The US Senate is already getting the nickname House of Lords. It is making no difference who is sitting on the left side or thei right they are just fighting over the spoils.
It will be interesting to see if the checks and balances built into the Constitution will take effect and if they take effect, hoping they won't be too violent. For some reason I keep thinking of the character Clint Eastwood played in the movie, "Where Eagles Dare." He walks up to a security post and says, "Hello there", as he tales a silenced pistol from his brief case, frumpt, fumpt. body hits the floor."

[Termite]

Whenever there is money and power consolidated at the top, there will be men who game the system to get access to it.

It is a historical pattern. As a country ages power becomes centralized and thus this centralized power begins to attract people to that accumulation of money and power. Courtiers increase, and people who would go into the private sector go to the capital to mine the tax flow. France is an example; as the kings grew in power they in essence bribed the Dukes with money and privileges. The "action" became more and more centered on the court. You had "nobles of the sword" and then a growing group of "nobles of the court." The tax burden increased on the middle class until .....
The US Senate is already getting the nickname House of Lords. It is making no difference who is sitting on the left side or thei right they are just fighting over the spoils.
It will be interesting to see if the checks and balances built into the Constitution will take effect and if they take effect, hoping they won't be too violent. For some reason I keep thinking of the character Clint Eastwood played in the movie, "Where Eagles Dare." He walks up to a security post and says, "Hello there", as he tales a silenced pistol from his brief case, frumpt, fumpt. body hits the floor."

Word......

[randy]

Two policritters enter a maximum of one policritter leaves.

FIFY

[Dub_James]

While I like the idea of sending poloticos into personal combat with each other (though I would call it Blunderdome), I think a better solution would be that if any law maker at the federal level passed (for the House and Senate) or signed (for the President) a law the the supreme court later ruled unconstitutional they are immediately removed from office and bared from ever holding a political office ever again. I realize that this is not perfect, and some real crap has gotten past the supreme court, but it only takes one 5-4 decision not in your favor and it's off to the unemployment line.

That would only likely serve to ensure overturning such laws took decades. There should be a mechanism that checks each and every bill for Constitutionality BEFORE becoming law, not after. For some this might be difficult. But for most bills, it would be relatively straightforward.

[g-man]

I.e. most of them would get rejected outright since they have no basis in the Constitution...


Hahahahahahaha....

What was I thinking?

[slowpoke]

While I like the idea of sending poloticos into personal combat with each other (though I would call it Blunderdome), I think a better solution would be that if any law maker at the federal level passed (for the House and Senate) or signed (for the President) a law the the supreme court later ruled unconstitutional they are immediately removed from office and bared from ever holding a political office ever again. I realize that this is not perfect, and some real crap has gotten past the supreme court, but it only takes one 5-4 decision not in your favor and it's off to the unemployment line.

That would only likely serve to ensure overturning such laws took decades. There should be a mechanism that checks each and every bill for Constitutionality BEFORE becoming law, not after. For some this might be difficult. But for most bills, it would be relatively straightforward.

All laws expire in five years.
To vote for a law the member of congress must recite it to all congress from memory with no aid from anyone or any device.
Everyone has standing to challenge the validity of a vote at any time.
Any congress member found cheating is bared from office for life.
No regulation is valid unless passed in congress.

My amendment to the constitution.

[Jered]

All laws expire in five years.
To vote for a law the member of congress must recite it to all congress from memory with no aid from anyone or any device.
Everyone has standing to challenge the validity of a vote at any time.
Any congress member found cheating is bared from office for life.
No regulation is valid unless passed in congress.

My amendment to the constitution.

I would just add an additional house to the legislature. That house would exist for the sole purpose of repealing laws, and it would only require a 1/3 vote in favor of repealing the law to repeal it, with no executive signature needed. Each state would have three delegates.

[skb12172]

It is a historical pattern. As a country ages power becomes centralized and thus this centralized power begins to attract people to that accumulation of money and power. Courtiers increase, and people who would go into the private sector go to the capital to mine the tax flow. France is an example; as the kings grew in power they in essence bribed the Dukes with money and privileges. The "action" became more and more centered on the court. You had "nobles of the sword" and then a growing group of "nobles of the court." The tax burden increased on the middle class until .....
The US Senate is already getting the nickname House of Lords. It is making no difference who is sitting on the left side or thei right they are just fighting over the spoils.
It will be interesting to see if the checks and balances built into the Constitution will take effect and if they take effect, hoping they won't be too violent. For some reason I keep thinking of the character Clint Eastwood played in the movie, "Where Eagles Dare." He walks up to a security post and says, "Hello there", as he tales a silenced pistol from his brief case, frumpt, fumpt. body hits the floor."

At a grassroots level, you are already seeing the police fall victim to this, as the most accessible part of "the establishment." I believe it is only a matter of time before the targets are those higher on the food chain.