DEMOCRACY AS A FORM OF WEAKNESS: BLOOMBERG

Few interviews can be more enlightening into the minds of Republicans, than the one I heard on MSNBC. #Bloomberg, the ex-mayor of New York, applauded #Vladimir Putin, the president of #Russia, for his leadership ability. He decided to take the #Crimean Peninsula; he went to his parliament and in “15 minutes” got their approval; then moved troops into the region: “mission accomplished”. In contrast, our president vacillates; he thinks about it, then asks advice, then thinks about it some more and finally does nothing. He adorns the word president with such adjectives as feckless and indecisive. In a series of similar interviews with #John McCain and #Lindsey Graham, we hear essentially the same thing meaning these thoughts are Republican talking points.

At first, I just dismissed them as more of the same; empty right wing rhetoric based on hate for #Obama but then realized the remarks were really telling of a fundamental Republican mindset. What they are saying is that they view our democracy as a form of weakness. Think about what they are saying; we have a thoughtful president who is arranging to use economic pressure and promote loss of prestige for Russia as a country. These are 21^st century tools all doing with diplomacy; thus, are within the “legal” reach of the executive branch of government. Our constitution “dictates” that Obama would have to go to congress to engage in an act of war of aggression: Russia is attacking our ally and not attacking us. Military intervention is clearly a product of 19^th century mentality. As an aside, do you or anyone else, including Bloomberg, think our congress could decide anything in 15 minutes?

Bloomberg’s message is clear; Republicans have a hard time living under a democracy: for them, democracy is inherently a form of weakness. When they have the majority, they see that as giving them total dictatorial power. A Democratic president asking others what they think and then acting accordingly is a sign of weakness. A Republican president would not bother asking a Democrat what he or she thinks; that would give the impression of needing some one to make the decision; cooperating with anyone would be a sign of weakness. It would suggest lack of leadership ability.

I have served on many committees in a University setting and observed many hearing of committers of state and federal government. Committees are microcosms of full democratic government with fewer formalities related to the power of the majority, which means that the committee chairs have more power. I have always marveled at the conduct of conservatives who are committee chairs. As a case in point, tune into C-SPAN and watch how Republican Darryl Issa conducts business as chair of the House of Representatives Government Oversight and Government Reform Committee, while noting the way the Republican Speaker of the House #John Boehner ahs structured that committee. Democrats have absolutely no influence on any decision that committee makes. I am sure that in the eyes of Michael Bloomberg, John McCain, and Lindsey Graham, #Darryl Issa like Putin is a real leader—he is not; he is a dictator—shamefully, the new idle of Republicans!  

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