David Super's post, forthwith below, is extremely important, at to the lowest degree equally much, if non demonstrably to a greater extent than so, than whatever of my posts (or that of others) engaging inward quasi-Talmudic exegesis of recent Supreme Court opinions. As Fred Schauer demonstrated to a greater extent than than a decade ago, the Court has relatively lilliputian to tell most the problems that most draw concern the bulk of American citizens. If ane believes, equally I do, that climate alter is increasingly an existential challenge, it is absolutely necessary (and proper) for Congress to act. The Court is a distinctly peripheral player.
So my question, which is exclusively serious, is why the American world is as well as therefore remarkably docile inward the human face of a legislative organization that is, depending on one's ain analysis, "broken," utterly "corrupt," "gridlocked," or otherwise incapable of responding to the challenges facing us equally a republic, wherever ane is on the ideological spectrum. According to the latest Economist/YourGov poll, equally listed inward Realclearpolitics.com, 15% of earth "approves" of Congress, acre 55% "disapprove." Other polls, no doubt, would exhibit about variation, but in that place is no reasonable perception that Congress enjoys the "approval" or fifty-fifty abide by of the province at large. This is a serious work for whatever province that claims to live on a representative republic or to operate nether a Republican Form of Republican.
Those about of us venerate equally our "founders" engaged inward genuinely active protestation against what was described equally the "illegitimate" organization imposed on the colonists past times the British. The Boston Tea Party, of course, is the most dramatic unmarried instance, though in that place were many others (including the burning downward of Thomas Hutchinson's habitation inward Boston). 1787, was, amidst other things, a dramatic repudiation of the "imbecilic" regime established past times the Articles of Confederation as well as the reply of what Michael Karman describes equally a "coup" past times those inward Philadelphia as well as the delegates at the diverse province conventions.
So the (altogether) serious questions for David as well as anyone else who is appalled past times what he accurately describes equally our basically somnolent Congress (save for the Senate's packing the judiciary alongside right-wing Republicans) are 1) whether the Congress should live on frankly assessed equally fundamentally "illegitimate" (especially if nosotros add together to the analysis the obscene whorl played past times coin inward determining who can, equally a practical matter, participate inward national-level politics); as well as 2) what is to live on done? Is it is about feel a key mistake to proceed to organize marches against Donald Trump, equally genuinely egregious as well as march-worthy equally he is, instead of organizing marches against Congress? I believe that Jack agrees alongside my argument, gear upward out inward our novel mass Democracy as well as Dysfunctioni, that nosotros would live on fundamentally but equally depressed had Hillary won, given the self-evident truth that she would live on unable to larn anything pregnant through Congress (especially if nosotros assume, equally nosotros must, that fifty-fifty had she won the Senate would proceed to live on controlled past times the awful Mitch McConnell). (And, inward addition, had she won nosotros would live on looking forward, equally it were, to a Republican sweep inward 2020, in all likelihood next devastating election defeats inward 2018 past times an invigorated GOP running against a demoralized Democratic Party.)
It's relatively slow to imagine organizing against a despicable president. By definition, he tin live on personalized, as well as ane tin telephone telephone non only for defeat at the side past times side election, but fifty-fifty for impeachment sooner than that. It's far harder to imagine organizing against Congress. Mitch McConnell is indeed despicable, as well as everyone should live on contributing to his opponent, but nosotros should human face the fact that fifty-fifty his removal would non solve the problems created inward 1787. Bernie, for example, is exclusively unlikely to banker's complaint that in that place is no defence forcefulness for his as well as Patrick Leahy's having equal voting ability to Ted Cruz as well as John Cornyn, fifty-fifty if most readers of Balkanization applaud that inward the introduce situation. Even if the filibuster is eliminated, equally is increasingly beingness suggested, should Democrats retake the White House as well as Senate, inward club to human face upward problems dealing alongside climate change, in that place is no argue at all to await that the Democratic senators from the small-scale coal-producing states similar Montana as well as West Virginia volition enlist inward the necessary "war against coal" as well as inward favor of renewable energy. Do nosotros actually await a Democratic Senator from Kentucky to create so?
David, of course, has consistently been a critic of my telephone telephone for a novel constitutional convention (as is truthful of most of my friends, family, as well as professional person colleagues). But, still, the enquiry remains: Is our only option to engage inward "thought as well as prayer" when confronted alongside the horrible reality of the contemporary Congress (which evidently consists of both a House as well as a Senate)? Or should nosotros live on thinking to a greater extent than imaginatively of novel agency of protestation as well as directly activity alongside consider to those who purport to principle us?
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