Diegetics

Is it required that a state have a figurehead? Is it required that we have a 'head of state'?

I saw this discussion on the Occupy Nashville group, and thought it was an interesting question. The office of the President is the single most divisive office in America. So do we need him?

We'd have to change the Constitution. Perhaps the cabinet would be selected by a majority in the lower house, like in parliamentary democracies.

Woodrow Wilson liked that idea.

We sure don't need this one.

If this sort of thing is what gets discussed in fleabagger circles this will be a bigger implosion of the left than 1968.

I wrote a term paper on this once. The idea came from a writing of "Cato" (Governor George Clinton, supposedly, that may be in dispute) before the Constitutional Convention in which he suggested a triumvirate or something. [sorry, can't recall his argument off the top of my head.]

...and talked about the ceremonial necessity of the President at the OWC....

I think it is a good idea for the polis but people aren't psychologically ready. Suggesting such a change frightens people and most will dismiss it as crazy, and it is in the sense that you don't mess something when it still seems to be working. And our language and customs still center on a lawgiver represented by the President, so it helps keep cohesiveness.

Of course, I don't think it does- or it soon won't- but that is speculating three steps ahead. Ha. A quick run down is:

-Keep a ceremonial Presidency elected by the Senate ratified by the States electoral voters. He or she would have to have no party affiliation and must be out of politics for 5 to 10 years (something like that) before taking office. The term would be 8 years.

-The President would elect Two Vice-Presidents: One would be an emergency replacement during his term. The other would be in the Legislative branch- read Jefferson and Senator Clay for a good example of what the office would entail- and represent the executive branch, but like now, no vote unless a tie.

-Eliminate several departments and get it down to five secretaries. Each department would be directly elected by the people for 4 year terms. The President could ostensibly be as a chief of staff.

-Repeal the 17th amendment and give the power to appoint Senators back to the States. Ramp up the number of representatives to better represent groups of people.

The idea would be to try to choke the money system while giving the people more choice, it would be much harder to lobby 800 representatives and then have to lobby all 50 states then five secretaries...etc....

The populace needs someone to whom they can direct their blame.

Largely ceremonial my tailfeathers. Are we watching the same presidency over the last forty years? JSOC is answerable to really one guy, and it ain't some fucker with a funny hat smiling at the masses.

I feel like I'm on crazy pills here.

Um, still no.

QE's 1,2 and 2.5 anyone? Policy revisions at Justice, essentially driving his own version of constitutionality? Trade negotiation with China as an act of aggression from day one ?

If this is a weak presidency, then holy crap do I not want to be around for a strong one.

.

Not really

American presidents have not much power

waging war and appointing supreme court judges

that is all

take away those 2 powers

in reality no real need for presidency


.

You guys weren't saying this under Bush.

The President, properly done, can lay his weight to legislation and has the bully pulpit for the planet. Clinton as a communicator( or Reagan) could offer a ton of pull via enlisting aid and persuading the populace. He could get legislation started and had the arm- twisting leverage to get it supported. It's just that a mostly incompetent President like Obama has no clue.

Bush was able to launch a War on highly dubious grounds and yet Obama cannot get a Employment bill passed, so it seems the President does have a large amount of power but this power only finds full voice when it reflects the needs of the MIC, as seen also in the ability of Obama to increase US military 'presence' from 78 countries to 114, keep Guantanamo open and increase Military spending by 24% while introducing tax cuts, only the second President to do so. Even the Health insurance bill can be seen as way for the MIC to funnel public money into it's coffers via the refund given to low income earners to pay to MIC owned Health insurance companies.

What is the only other legacy of Obama? allowing Homosexuality in the Military, broadening the appeal of the MIC into a caring, equal opportunity death machine, big fucking whoopee but it does help to sell eternal war. Obama has just been the soft hand of the MIC, Bush was the strong obvious hand, the MIC changed tactics and gave Obama a turn to soften their image while expanding, until they invade Iran or something and they need an obvious war President, somebody like Cain who can do the folksy shit and sell people death.

So I think the deal has been done already, the President is merrily a figurehead who is allowed to act when it comes to representing the interests of the MIC, the rest of the time he/she is on ice. The impossibility of other options to this paradigm ie zero chance of Paul getting a nom. shows just how the situation is rigged. Paul shows there is American desire to do away with the MIC paradigm but there is no way to break this hold unless America goes into a full blown Depression that entails a full house clean or something.

*The only Organisation helped by a 9% unemployment is the MIC as it ensures a never ending desperate labor supply, a distracted population and the very good chance of Cain winning, so I guess it's no big surprise that the Employment bill is having difficulties, I hope I'm wrong, that Obama passes employment bill etc but there are just too many 'nodes of truth' in my construct to make MIC minimisation the likely result, more likely the MIC will be Party-sized.

President? What's next, consuls obeying the SPQR? Pffft. Its either full on Caesar or bust. We either get an Octavian, or a Romulus Augustus to oversee us all.

I'm joining the Goths.

The Cure kicks ass.