By tom kandoOkay, so it’s happened: The Republicans have shut down the government. In two weeks, they may cause a much greater disaster, namely a government default, as happens in banana republics.
Applying the cui bono principle, it’s obvious why the 1%-ers don’t mind shutting down the government. The plutocracy isn’t affected. It’s no skin off their nose if government services are shut down. The overwhelming majority of the federal government’s activities is for the benefit of the 99%-ers.
Still, I am amused at the thought of the old Tea Party geezer on his way to Yellowstone in his $200,000 motor home, only to find out that he can’t enter the park.
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As to the specific issue at hand: The Republicans are holding the federal government hostage in order to repeal Obamacare, even though it is the law of the land, approved by majority vote and found constitutional by the Supreme Court.
Most of us remember the moron a couple of years ago with the picket sign saying that he wanted the government to keep its hands off his Medicare. Similarly today, abysmal ignorance remains the foundation of the Tea Party’s version of democracy: Jimmy Kimmel asked people which health insurance program they prefer: Obamacare or The Affordable Care Act? Every single respondent replied that they dislike Obamacare (it is socialistic) but like the Affordable Care Act (it is not socialistic).
On the other hand, on October 1, the Republicans’ last excuse - that most Americans don’t want Obamacare/The Affordable Care Act - was demolished: nearly three million Americans inquired about how to sign up, on the FIRST DAY!
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As to the shutdown and our government’s increasing dysfunctionality in general: I was thinking, what happens in European and other parliamentary democracies, when the government becomes deadlocked?
I don’t know whether a European government would shut down over something that has already been voted into law. I’m sure it’s happened. The history of Europe is replete with revolutions that wiped out all previous legislation and re-started a country from scratch.
However, there is one advantage which European-style, multi-party, parliamentary democracies enjoy over our strong presidential democracy: In places such as France, Germany, Italy, Holland, Scandinavia, and Canada too...), what tends to happen is that the premier or prime minister dissolves the parliament, resigns, and calls for new elections. There is nothing sacrosanct about holding elections exactly every 2 or 4 years, and for terms of exactly 2, 4, 6 or 8 years. In many countries, when the composition of parliament brings the government to a halt, the recourse is to call for new elections so as to alter the parliament’s make-up.
I am not saying that such a system is necessarily better. Historically, no country (in Europe or elsewhere) has been as stable as America. In France, Italy and elsewhere, governments have come and fallen with such frequency that there are many jokes about this. When I lived in France, the appointment and the collapse of new governments was daily news. Until the presidency of Charles De Gaulle, the country was ungovernable. The new system he introduced with France’s Fifth Republic was modeled after the American system. As a result, France became stable and prosperous.
Italy has been worse: It has had 60 governments since World War Two. Today, its problems continue. With or without the buffoon Berlusconi, Italy continues to teeter.
But what about us? Our vaunted political stability now seems to be biting back. Were we a multiparty parliamentary democracy akin to most European countries, here is what could happen at this point of paralysis: The government and Congress would be dissolved; there would be new elections. The outcome could be worse, or better. The Tea Party, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party could each gain or lose strength. President (prime minister) Obama could be replaced by someone from another party, or he could return to power with greater parliamentary support.
In sum, the outcome could be disastrous, or it could be beneficial. One thing that would be different, for sure, is that the current deadlock would cease. But listen: I am not advocating this solution!
© Tom Kando 2014
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