Tuesday, April 17, 2007
"Near Dictatorial Power"
Please read this article at Salon by Glenn Greenwald. It talks about a disturbing view among neo-cons that the president has "near dictatorial" (read: dictatorial) power in conducting war and foreign policy. Greenwald does a good job of refuting it. I thought this paragraph was particularly well argued and resonant:
What the actual Americans who founded the country feared (as opposed to "hoped for and craved") was that the President would wield "near dictatorial power." Anyone with doubts should simply read Article II -- defining the powers of the President -- and see how limited those powers are. Even the glorious sounding power of "Commander-in-Chief" is, as Scalia noted, nothing more than the power, when Congress decides to fund a military and when it authorizes the use of military force, to act as top General directing troop movements and the like. In all other respects, those powers are checked, regulated and limited by the people through their Congress.
Additionally, in the MetaFilter thread about these guys, in which the above article was linked, Mefite kirkaracha quotes Teddy Roosevelt:
To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.
I don't suppose Bush, Cheney, etc. have used the word "treason" to describe disagreeing with them yet, but "cowardly," "unpatriotic," and- most disturbingly- "helpful to our enemies" have been flying around a lot. I hate this administration.
What the actual Americans who founded the country feared (as opposed to "hoped for and craved") was that the President would wield "near dictatorial power." Anyone with doubts should simply read Article II -- defining the powers of the President -- and see how limited those powers are. Even the glorious sounding power of "Commander-in-Chief" is, as Scalia noted, nothing more than the power, when Congress decides to fund a military and when it authorizes the use of military force, to act as top General directing troop movements and the like. In all other respects, those powers are checked, regulated and limited by the people through their Congress.
Additionally, in the MetaFilter thread about these guys, in which the above article was linked, Mefite kirkaracha quotes Teddy Roosevelt:
To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.
I don't suppose Bush, Cheney, etc. have used the word "treason" to describe disagreeing with them yet, but "cowardly," "unpatriotic," and- most disturbingly- "helpful to our enemies" have been flying around a lot. I hate this administration.
