|
The MoA Week In Review – Open Thread 2019-64
Last week's posts at Moon of Alabama were fewer than usual as your host was a bit under the weather.
This from WaPo is ridiculous:
> [Lt.Col. Vindman] told lawmakers that he was deeply troubled by what he interpreted as an attempt by the president to subvert U.S. foreign policy and an improper attempt to coerce a foreign government into investigating a U.S. citizen. <
That the WaPo scribe lets it stand without pointing out that, constitutionally, the president sets foreign policies is even worse. An earlier NYT piece about an NSC staffer who Trump likes and had asked about the Ukraine had a similar bad formulation:
> Any involvement by Mr. Patel in Ukraine issues would signal another attempt by Mr. Trump’s political loyalists to go around American policymakers to shape policy toward Kiev. <
Other issues:
A good overview of how the conflict in Syria developed:
Russia Isn't Getting the Recognition It Deserves on Syria – Scott Ritter, Truthdig
US Needs To Occupy Syria Because Of Kurds Or Iran Or Chemical Weapons Or Oil Or Whatever – Caitlin Johnstone
Former U.S. supplied proxy forces kill other former U.S. supplied proxy forces with U.S. supplied weapons (video):
Cᴀʟɪʙʀᴇ Oʙsᴄᴜʀᴀ @CalibreObscura – 8:24 PM · Nov 2, 2019
TFSA hitting a YPG/SDF vehicle (Humvee?) with a likely originally US-supplied BGM-71 TOW ATGM.
video
Russiagate: Growing Indicators of Brennan's CIA Trump Task Force – Larry Johnson, SST
Ukrainegate: Some interesting backstories on John Brennan in this Kiriakou and Matt Taibbi talk. Kiriakou thinks that the 'whistleblower complaint' is a part of the CIA plot against Trump:
CIA Whistleblower John Kiriakou on Impeachment, "Assets," and the Espionage Act | Useful Idiots (vid)
Last week Germany won an important battle against the U.S.:
Denmark grants permit for construction of Nord Stream 2 pipeline in its waters – Tass
Europe’s gas alliance with Russia is a match made in heaven – M. K. BHADRAKUMAR, Indian Punchline
Use as open thread …
juliania, et al–
At the end of the previous open thread, there were numerous comments related to my remark that the USA needs a new Constitution since the current one’s dysfunctional, which rekindles a discussion that began @3 years ago. Also posted on that thread were the requirements for the public to alter the Constitution, which IMO is just as difficult as writing and enacting a completely new document. One comment was well said–we have a good idea what doesn’t work in the current Constitution, so it just needs an extensive patch job–and is where my thoughts begin on redrafting/remaking. The several comments related to the quality of people echo the well articulated objections to parts of the Constitution by those known as the Anti-Federalists and were mostly concerned with the extremely unregulated nature of the Executive, whose Article II I refer to as a tabula rasa–a blank slate awaiting precedent to be established and followed, or violated. At the time, the term primarily used for greed and the greed instinct was avarice. Also, the word must–as in have to/it’s your duty–had the word shall used in its place, as with the phrase “shall impeach”–the intent being for Congress to discipline even slight transgressions, misdemeanors, with impeachment followed by conviction and removal from office to then be tried as a civilian. I put weight on the lack of impeachment’s use because that’s where part of our trouble lies, and the consensus here is that well over half of the Federal government is corrupt with many including myself willing to say 3/4s needs to be cashiered–elected, appointed, civil service, and military.
When discussing this topic before, I wrote that Madison’s formula had merit but was flawed primarily because he couldn’t see into the future and misjudged human nature. Therefore, instead of three branches of government, I propose six: Executive, Legislative, Regulatory, Political Parties/Elections, Military/Law Enforcement, and Judicial. A further regulatory measure I’d write into the Constitution deals with corporate behavior through a revamped federal corporate charter replacing all those previously issued that subordinates corporate behavior to enhancing the Public’s Welfare and nurturing the environment that ought to eliminate the immoral pursuit of profit over people and environment. IMO, the current Constitution’s Preamble ought to remain as is as it still serves its purpose as the Federal government’s rationale (An explanation of the basis or fundamental reasons for something):
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Also requiring inclusion are the tenets of the UN Charter, and along with the Bill of Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. So, as you can already see, this won’t be a short, simple document like the 1787 Constitution. Also up for discussion/debate is whether it should be a presidential or parliamentary system, which also brings up the issue of term limits and qualifications for office–besides a host of others.
The above constitute my initial reply to the numerous comments. Yes, it’s just a sketch, an outline, but IMO going further at the moment doesn’t make sense. The blueprint needs to be made before the timbers are cut and honed and well before the furnishings discussed.
Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 3 2019 21:42 utc | 51
|
