The Morning Rant

Don't they teach civics in school any more? About the basic functions of our government and how the different parts are supposed to work? Back before I retired, the guy who sat next to me at work used to mightily curse "those obstructionist Republicans" and how easy it was for them to prevent "things from getting done", and so I told him, you know, that's a feature of our government, not a bug. Blank stare. I said, look, when Jefferson and Madison and Hamilton and the rest of those guys designed the federal government and wrote it into the constitution, what they care most about was justice, not efficiency. Another blank stare. I continued, if all they wanted was to get things done, as you say, they would have simply set up a federal tyrant and invested that office with all authority and that guy would've been able to get all kinds of stuff done.

Only they didn't like tyranny, and they didn't trust government, even when it was in the hands of the best of men. So they designed it so one part could act as a balance against the others. Therefore, in order to "get stuff done", there has to be a lot of agreement among the constituent parts, otherwise, it's not going to happen.

He nodded, but I don't think he really believed me. My impression was that what I had just told him, which I had learned in my 7th-grade civics class, was all new to him. It was literally the first time he had ever heard it.

This was when Obama was president. I haven't seen this guy for some time. I can only imagine what he thinks these days, now we're in the age of Lord High Executioner Trump.

So what are they teaching them in school these days?

Let's Begin This Morning With Some Liberal Tears:

This episode is called "The one where Michael Moore learns the hard truth about his own political party." pic.twitter.com/QQSWdSuhdP

— Aldous Huxley's Ghost™ (@AF632) February 1, 2020

Blistering Hot Take:

The Wisdom of Mini-Mike:

.@MikeBloomberg tells @FiringLineShow that China's leader is addressing pollution to satisfy constituents & secure his political future.
"The Communist Party wants to stay in power in China and they listen to the public," he says. pic.twitter.com/B9SoAXJwrM

— Firing Line with Margaret Hoover (@FiringLineShow) September 27, 2019

We Know All About Brexit:

Who Dis:

For the 'Ettes:

Friday's celebs: From The Man In the High Castle series on Amazon Prime, Alexa Davalos and Luke Kleintank

Today's Edition Of The Morning Rant Is Brought To You By A Hearty Breakfast:

posted by OregonMuse at 11:14 AM

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