Iran
What must it be like to be President of the Unites States and read that fewer than 30% of the citizens approve of the job you are doing?
I am a consistent and sharp critic of this president and the troglodytes who surround him. But it seems more clear than ever that we have a fatally flawed system of electing presidents and we are paying a huge price for that as a people. As we have been saying for a couple of years, in a parliamentary system, with numbers this low, this administration would have long ago been forced to submit its Iraq policy - along with its economic policies - to a vote of confidence and would surely have lost, requiring an election. Because we have put so much power into the office of president, presidents are tempted to take drastic action - particularly if they are a lame duck president - without regard for the views of the electorate.
Having said all that, it now seems clear that the administration's about face on Iran and Iran's nuclear activity, is a direct result of having spent its political capital on Iraq and now must temper its wish to impose a military solution.
Frances Fukuyama said, after the fall of the Soviet Union, that history had come to its conclusion and now free market capitalism and democracy would hold sway for the duration. That lasted only very brief time. There will always be those, waiting in the wings for the opportunity to challenge those who have held sway, and Iran is only one.
If this is the end of history it will not be because the American dream has gone international. It will be because the genie we let out of the bottle on August 6, 1945 has made its final mischief.
And still we see a long line of those eager to name 1600 Pennsylviania Avenue as their address.
Sacre blue!
I am a consistent and sharp critic of this president and the troglodytes who surround him. But it seems more clear than ever that we have a fatally flawed system of electing presidents and we are paying a huge price for that as a people. As we have been saying for a couple of years, in a parliamentary system, with numbers this low, this administration would have long ago been forced to submit its Iraq policy - along with its economic policies - to a vote of confidence and would surely have lost, requiring an election. Because we have put so much power into the office of president, presidents are tempted to take drastic action - particularly if they are a lame duck president - without regard for the views of the electorate.
Having said all that, it now seems clear that the administration's about face on Iran and Iran's nuclear activity, is a direct result of having spent its political capital on Iraq and now must temper its wish to impose a military solution.
Frances Fukuyama said, after the fall of the Soviet Union, that history had come to its conclusion and now free market capitalism and democracy would hold sway for the duration. That lasted only very brief time. There will always be those, waiting in the wings for the opportunity to challenge those who have held sway, and Iran is only one.
If this is the end of history it will not be because the American dream has gone international. It will be because the genie we let out of the bottle on August 6, 1945 has made its final mischief.
And still we see a long line of those eager to name 1600 Pennsylviania Avenue as their address.
Sacre blue!
posted by Blayney at 3:06 PM
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