U
The executive summary of their investigation will be …
“What the fuck.”
Congress has the power to create a commission to exercise the power to remove a mentally unfit president from office. The biggest worry is that this would inevitably be politicized. I say, let it happen! Let it be political. Let’s have an openly political “mental health commission” that will rule that being a member of the opposite political party is a mental illness. Hell, let it become a formality. It will simply be expected that the president will be removed from office after a change in Congressional control. Whenever a change in control of Congress happens, the new Congressional leadership will stuff it with political ideologues. And they’ll inevitably rule a president of the opposing party to be mentally unfit. Eventually it just becomes a formality, no one even considers it unusual. We just expect the presidency to be able to flip every two years. And we giggle that it has to be done by formally declaring the previous guy to be crazy. I think this would be a good idea.
Why? Because this would effectively transform the US into a Parliamentary democracy. A simple majority in both houses of Congress would be enough to install a new president. They effectively become a Prime Minister at that point. Parliamentary democracies have proven much more resilient to strong-man dictatorial takeover. It’s not as perfect a solution as amending the constitution to formally remove the office of president entirely, but it would be a decent hack to do something similar. And going to a Parliamentary system isn’t a magic cure-all, but it does have quite a bit of merit. As a plus, we would have the bonus of being “that nation that regularly declares its former leaders legally crazy.” And you know what? I think that works well with America’s energy.
Not bad in theory but fix gerrymandering and apportionment first
I thought the benefits of parliamentary systems come from the fact that that they’re more proportional. They have a balance of power going on in the fact that you can win a seat from being popular in your district, but you can also win from being popular in your party, which gives a chance to minority parties that are spread thin across the country.
Winning a district directly gives you those “maverick” politicians that don’t fit into the major parties but they reflect the unique local politics. But those people can be corruptly beholden to their local industries. Winning off the party list results in members who represent their parties.
Deliciously written and insightful. Thank you!
as an aussie that has a parliamentary system, and in that system has had a period where we frequently ousted the PM, it’s not that great of an idea
you want governments to be able to plan for the long term. really, even 4y is not great for long term planning because it kinda implies you need to show results before the term is up
we had a bunch of policy flip-flops during that period, which is very inefficient
i guess it doesn’t really matter if you get 2y no matter what: there’s no more after your 2y, but i think that’d lead to leaders doing a bunch of the “fuck it” last term stuff because they have no reason to make a good impression for their potential reelection
But, to my knowledge, Australia has never faced the prospect of dictatorial takeover.
When an absolute monarchy works well, it can really work well. Give absolute authority to the rare person that is just, kind, determined, and with a vision? They can work miracles. But a good king is an exception rather than the rule. And the loss of freedom exists regardless of how good the king.
Having a president, does, as you note, have certain practical benefits. But giving one person independent elected authority and control of the military and bureaucracy has proven time and time again to be a recipe for authoritarian takeover. It can still happen in a parliamentary system, but it’s a lot harder when the guy controlling the army can be dismissed with a simple majority vote.
I think the US has failed to plan for the long term enough that it no longer has to 🫠
that was certainly in the back of my head the whole time… policy flip flop and lack of long term planning in modern politics is pretty much the norm anyway… but i think to encode that into a kind of standard way of operating is perhaps not a good thing… adding an extra layer that’s hard to undo before fixing the core problem is how the US got to where it is now
I totally get where you’re coming from. It’s hard for me not to view the US (being a recovering seppo myself) as an empire doomed to walk the path of all empires. I still really love the idea of a country based on rule of law by the consent of the governed and all that jazz. But, at some point I stopped believing the US government is even able to reform itself adequately in its current form. Too much of that apparatus is of no interest to anyone who could have a positive impact. The sheer un-coolness of local politics means only the deeply uncool get involved. To say nothing of the bad campaign finance laws!
I wish I knew enough about Australian politics to make a worthwhile comparison. For what it’s worth, I think the main thing that makes a government unfit to be reformed is sheer size - your government could never be so large as the US one, so at least there I’m hopeful for positive change towards more stability. Just don’t let them build empires!
Hilarious how everyone here complains they take the (slow) bureaucratic route.
This is a political party and that’s how they can act.
If you want fast results, take it to the streets. Kicking him out outside of bureaucratic procedures is everyone’s responsibility, not specifically the elected parties
Has anyone noticed that the “both sides are the same so don’t bother voting” crowd have tripled efforts since we neared another important election time frame, funny how that happens.
Especially pitching that in the face of Hungary’s recent transition.
I have not noticed that, no.
Consider this your notification then
What metric are you using to measure that? Wheres your data?
Not everything is a court of law that needs data points presented on-demand.
Just start paying attention, if you notice it then you’ll see it. If you don’t then maybe the other commenter is wrong. But it’s helpful to be aware and start noticing names.
have you ever noticed how the “have you ever noticed?” people have tripled their efforts now that the "both sides are the same so don’t bother voting” crowd have tripled their efforts?
No notes.
Nobody said anything about a court of law.
Anecdotes are worthless. You dont know that the posts have increased. It could be your perception of them increased. This kind of shit is no better than the dumbasses who reject science because it conflicts with their feelings.
At best the Democrats have been doing the ratchet effect, at worse you see no difference since they kept voting Trump appointees.
“They” as a group did not keep voting Trump appointees. Most of them didn’t, but you’re always going to have some throw away a meaningless vote and holdup in return for a political favor from the other side
I’m not just talking about Senate but committees that come up first for appointees. So I’m hearing then they also cannot manage to keep themselves in order with their overall arching message of Resistance as well. Which is another tick against them.
Edit: Also yeah, let’s not forget voting to fund ICE and DHS. Neo-liberalism isn’t a compromise, it’s just believing it is.
Edit 2: Oh also remember when Biden said we need Republicans as much as Democrats? They’ve got a huge mountain to climb in this regard to be seen as even palatable.
So I’m hearing then they also cannot manage to keep themselves in order with their overall arching message of Resistance as well.
Nobody is going to get 100% of their members to vote a certain way, especially if their votes don’t matter. This is true for any political party, even your favored one. When their votes do matter, Democrats vote consistently more progressively than the alternative.
Also yeah, let’s not forget voting to fund ICE and DHS.
ICE was funded by the OBBBA. All Democrats voted against it in both houses and even convinced several Republicans to vote against it to the point that Vance had to cast a tie-breaking vote.
Oh also remember when Biden said we need Republicans as much as Democrats?
Biden is senile. He said a bunch of crazy things, but he didn’t say we need Republicans as much as Democrats. He said that we need a Republican Party that is principled and strong. It’s precisely a lack of principles and backbone that resulted in the GOP’s Trump takeover.
We don’t need a Republican party, because Democrats do well enough as the conservative party. The fact he still believes we need another conservative party does not look good.
As for voting progressive, boy, Biden and Pelosi sure were voting progressive a lot of the time with funding police.
Look, I get it, you’re apologizing for the neo-liberals being shit. But you won’t convince me or many other leftists to choose a lesser evil or harm reduction or whatever false dichotomy you call come up with. Just stop.
Look, I get it, you’re apologizing for the neo-liberals being shit. But you won’t convince me or many other leftists to choose a lesser evil or harm reduction or whatever false dichotomy you call come up with. Just stop.
look do you want another trump? another orban?
because this is how you end up with both. Magyar’s centre-right party secured something better than Orban. Why do you insist on enabling the worst because you can’t get your ideals?
I get the urge to change things quickly, but unless you want a civil war, most positive change comes deliberately, not quickly.
The fact he still believes we need another conservative party does not look good.
He looks senile. He is.
As for voting progressive, boy, Biden and Pelosi sure were voting progressive a lot of the time with funding police.
Progressives want community policing. They don’t want no police. You’re confusing progressives with anarchists.
But you won’t convince me or many other leftists to choose a lesser evil or harm reduction or whatever false dichotomy you call come up with.
I’m more leftist than you are, and I’ve already convinced several. The key idea is that we should always do the best we can. If the choice is between bombing Iran and not bombing Iran, I choose not bombing Iran. If the choice is between sanctioning West Bank settlers and getting aid to Gaza and not doing those things, I choose the former. If the choice is between teaching Americans black history as American history and not teaching black history, I choose the former. If the choice is between helping refugees and removing their legal status after they’re already in the country and deporting them, you can guess which one I’m going to choose.
While I make these choices, I convince others who aren’t as progressive as me why the progressive policies that aren’t yet popular make sense, so the next time around, we’ll have the votes for it. In just the same way, I convince progressives who don’t think through the consequences of their actions why they need to, so we have the votes not to backslide into regressive policies. I don’t agree with anybody I vote for 100% of the time, but I do understand that voting for them is better than the alternative. Imagine if people who wanted equal rights for black people didn’t vote for Lincoln because he said he didn’t think that blacks should marry whites or go to the same schools (read the Lincoln Douglas debate transcripts).
“Transition”? Other than licking Israeli boots, what do you think is the major change in Hungary?
They have a fascist lite instead of full fascist? Dunno, sounds like it’ll only be marginally better. Vote the lesser evil, because, apparently that’s better…
Less is better than more evil, correct.
Maybe in the short term . . .
And why the left will not just support Dems blindly. Evil is still evil.
I too have also heard that less evil is better but I’m not a philosopher.
We are all Hungary; time to eat the rich.
Yes dear, we’re all paid actors committed to a secret plot to keep the raw dynamism of Chuck Schumer from the levers of power. We all remember the Red Terror he unleashed when the Democrats won both houses in 2020.
Schumer is literally doing everything he can to help trump pass his agenda and prevent congressional oversight of operation epstein fury.
And he’s a perfect example of a dem senator who wants everyone to stay home on election day because he’s the incumbent presumptive winner.
Hey, if you’re calling for people to show up to the Senate primary - and then not vote for Schumer if he wins that - I’m with you, 100%.
If you’re saying we need to vote for Schumer because he’s not as bad as Trump, not with you.
Spot the pocket both sides trash and direct their opinion to the dumpster. Case in point.
Spot the neo-liberal simps and be sure the dumpster is on fire first.
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And the accusations of being a Trump supporter are here, folks! Get them right here! Just a small price of your soul and morals right here folks!
it’s dangerous to go alone, take this!
Wasting more funds and time. Gear up for the elections, select the proper candidates who are younger and healthier, get rid of the old shitbags and re-take the executive, administrative and judicial branches. Then prosecute the fuck out of every corrupt MAGA turd. If you clowns let them get away with it again, shame on you.
It’s gonna take a lot of effort trying to get democratic socialists into office. That day that happens will be the day a blue corn moon occurs . I really hope the DSA gets a huge boost if they wanna put their place in Congress.
+1…Fully agree!
I co-chaired the committee that reviewed the recommendation to revise the color of the book that regulation’s in… We kept it grey!"
Bureaucratic babbel at it’s finest.
“… We kept it grey” was such a powerful line though.
Jesus Christ just go for impeachment. If you can 25th, you can impeach. What a waste of time.
Is impeachment much better? He’s been impeached twice already, what did that accomplish?
Claiming Trump is crazy is much more vulnerable to rebuttals that the accusers are political and suffer from “Trump Derangement Syndrome”. Some of the shittiest politics comes from chopping up video clips to make people look crazy or stupid. Or just reading transcripts. Every transcript of extemporaneous speech makes the speaker sound stupid. That’s just how it natural speech works and the leeway you have in performing a transcript.
Impeachment puts the focus on the crimes he’s committing and the actual damage he’s doing.
That’s because they didnt get the 2/3 in the Senate they needed to remove him. But they need that 2/3 to 25th him… So yeah.
Plus if they 25th he can just write a letter saying he is competent and resume being president whenever he wants.
they may get 2/3 if those Republicans on the fence feel like they have a good excuse to throw him under the bus. Their insane base might still vote for them if they say “we had to he was really sick” instead of “we had to he’s breaking things you don’t give a fuck about”
It’s politics.
“We are going to file a request to create a vote in order to create a commission, that can create a petition to allow us to file the article to vote on whether or not we can impeach the seditious, blackmailed. child raping, human trafficker that sold out our country”.
The rules are pretty hilarious at this point.
They REALLY WANT HIM GONE GUYS
I’d like to see ole Donny Trump wiggle out of THIS one!
Super easy. Barely an inconvenience.
Not with that doomer attitude
Good
he’s going to ace it! it’ll be the best 25th amendment commission they’ve ever seen! Maybe even the most they’ve ever seen, who knows? lots of people were saying “wow you aced it mr president”
I was just at the hipster coffee shop, and all the people were saying how Trump drew the best clocks ever.
I haven’t seen this on Reddit yet. It’s interesting to compare what’s posted on lemmy and reddid.
Swing that lettuce leaf. Get Hakeem Jeffries and his flexible spine to do it
just ask him
