In the immediately preceding essay, (# 872, “TROUBLES IN THE HOUSE”), we observed that the unprecedented and constitutionally, offensive insurrection, which took place at the Washington Capitol Building, two years ago, woke all America to the concerning existence of a grave and systemic peril to our constitutional Republic. Specifically, it put our Nation on strict notice, of the current, perilous existence of individuals, inclusive of certain elected representatives and officials, who are unprincipled power seekers, seeking, for tactical reasons, to confound the operations of our Democratic Republic. Regrettably, it would appear that there have been no discernable efforts, to date, to restrain the existential threat to democracy and the Nation, emanating from such populist authoritarianism.
A recent and cogent illustration, of said threat, is the stalemating of operations of the existential function of the House of Representatives, by a stubborn failure and tactical refusal, requiring the convening of fifteen House ballots, to confirm the re-appointment of its Speaker, Rep, Kevin McCarthy, or to elect an alternative. As stated in our previous writing, the practical effect of such intentionally, obstreperous course of behavior had relegated the House of Representatives to a state of “legislative catatonia;” since, among other official matters, members cannot be sworn in nor committees, appointed, as necessary to do the important business of the House, financial and otherwise.
McCarthy’s, long-delayed, selection, was agreed to, in exchange for an absurd, and shameful condition authorizing a one-person threshold for any Motion to Remove a Speaker, enabled the anxiously, awaited, seating of the present 118th House of Representatives. The latter, awarded to the hapless Speaker, (who has shamelessly, boasted, that he “never gives up,”) a cheap and meaningless, pyrrhic victory. He is, as a puppet Leader, now, existentially, beholden to any hard-right member of his party, such as, the celebrated trio, Matt Goetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert, who, continuing the execrable practice of “Trumpism,” (without Donald Trump) now have the ability to, groundlessly and conveniently, oust him, effectively, renders him powerless and politically, emasculated.
It is truly, Kafka-like, to logically realize that, by such agreement, McCarthy has, identically, empowered the moderate, mainstream (non-MAGA) Republicans, who may not agree with the relevant, right-wing, extremist position of their party, possess the right to wield the identical sword of Damocles (viz., one person ouster) respecting the profoundly weakened and rendered, hapless, puppet, Kevin McCarthy.
We are greatly concerned, that, matters relevant to the economy, such as the mandatory raise in the Nation’s debt ceiling, (to enable it to pay its debts, under the “Full Faith and Credit Clause of the U.S. Constitution), as well as vitally, necessary, government entitlements such as social security and other established and responsibly empathic programs, will be atavistically and cruelly, challenged, due to such dual vulnerability; not to mention, the myriad of other significant matters, including, immigration policy, civil, women’s and gay rights, taxation, policy, and the plethora of others, in which the House of Representatives plays a constitutional role.
It now appears that McCarthy has morphed, from the critical designation by MAGA Republicans, as “RINO,” (Republican in name only) McCarthy to the rarified designation of “SINO,” (Speaker in name only).
We are able to unhappily, acknowledge, as the only, situational winners, the hordes of pernicious, MAGA Republicans, previously aligned with (and still sympathetic to) Donald Trump, who have, wrongfully, resolved to uproot and interfere with the essential functions of (our) democracy, and, in their own, unfounded and ignorant perception, prefer political chaos and nihilism over democracy; perhaps, based upon a thoughtless and irresponsible preference for tribal loyalty and autocracy.
-p.
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