Monday, March 21, 2005
Opportunism and the rule of law
Hmm, a conservative who stands by his beliefs and doesn't charge after the next bit of political opportunism, I am impressed. It is also a well articulated explaination of why there are limits on the power of the state in western democracies. Something the tories should remember when they put on badges that say "It's the stupid charter." In this country that is all that stands between you and the raw naked force of the state.
Jacob
The end justifies the means.
When you have enough power, you can tell the courts to get lost, you can overrule the self-government of an entire state, you can obliterate the rule of law.
It does not matter that Florida's courts ruled that Terri Schiavo expressed the wish not to kept alive artificially. We are entitled to ignore court rulings.
Neither does it matter that the doctors say that her brain has largely turned to fluid. We may dismiss these facts with a wave of the hand, or a sound bite on CNN.
Congress knows all. The federal government knows all. The strutting Tom DeLay and the unctuous Bill Frist know more than all the judges and doctors combined.
They are cynically armed with their internal memo about how many votes they are going to get out of the Christians. Some members of Congress speechified without knowing how to pronounce Terri Schiavo's name, or the most basic facts.
Tom DeLay's conduct is odious. He represents everything bad about Congress. His principal pastime is raising large amounts of money from wicked people in return for hurting the public good.
The notion that Tom DeLay of Texas is entitled to usurp Florida's rule of law with the claim of being morally superior is akin to Bill Clinton coming down to lecture us on marital fidelity.
On top of that, anyone in the way of these half-witted bombasts is a devil. It is not possible that Michael Schiavo might actually believe he is doing what Terri wanted - no. He is a murderer. It is not possible Judge George Greer actually made what he thought was the correct legal decision - he is "merciless."
If you are cheering because Congress acted in the midnight hour to "save" Terri, be sure of what you are cheering for.
You are applauding a Congress for throwing out the rulings of the courts, throwing out the due process of the states, and substituting its own will.
The difference between me and so-called "conservatives" is that when I say the power of government is a dangerous beast to be feared, I actually mean it.
Let me ask you a question.
Let's say that the next president is... Hillary Rodham Clinton.
I know, I know. But just say.
Do you also believe that ol' Hil should have the power to wipe out the rulings of the courts and the states, with the wave of her magic wand?
No?
Then maybe you are clinging to a very foolish belief. Maybe you believe that the government will trample over the courts only when you agree. Well, good luck.
