Politico has a headline that is rather striking, but the emphasis is probably not wholly wrong. One of the warning signs that Eric Blair and I used to talk about, years back, was the states organizing in defiance of the Federal government. The refusal to abide by orders here has been licensed by SCOTUS, in the recent Roberts decision.
For now, then, the refusal is entirely legal, and does not represent a crisis -- just a defiance. The use of state governments to openly oppose the Federal, though, is something that bears watching. State governments are quite powerful even individually when compared to protest movements or political rallies.
Hmm. Are Iowa and Wisconsin part of the Confederacy this time around? The lineup stands at Texas, Iowa, Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Wisconsin so far.
ReplyDeleteSecession, defiance -- or just federalism? We'll see what works best, now that different states will be trying very different approaches, just as we're seeing with approaches to right-to-work laws, public employee unions, balanced budgets, and the tension between cutting spending or raising taxes.
One of the great design features of our government is the ability of one branch or another to withstand pressure from, or otherwise obstruct, the will of another, legally.
ReplyDeleteAnother is that the news reporters can mischaracterize it any old way they want.
I am inclined to appreciate both features, especially during an attempted takeover of our system by a party intent on establishing a Marxist dictatorship.
If we survive this "F*ck the System" administration with our basic freedoms intact, it will only be because we have a robust system and a process for making very good public decisions, one that people of good will cherish because it is so much better than any other we've seen so far.
"F*ck the System" is a favorite political slogan that I remember from the college classes that graduated shortly before mine.
There are still people pushing that slogan.
http://weaselzippers.us/2012/07/06/occupy-oakland-burns-american-flag-on-fourth-of-july/
Valerie
Valerie
Well, what's interesting is that it's not secession, not by a long shot, but, as Madame Speaker said at the time, "We have to pass the bill to see what's in it".
ReplyDeleteAnd it is proving to be a big $h*t-sandwich, and the fact that apparently the states can just not implement these exchanges is another example.
The whole thing is starting to appear to be actually unenforceable when it comes right down to it.