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"OK, We Are a Banana Republic"

By Jack M. Balkin

This is the title of Paul Krugman's blog following the vote. He writes:

So what we now have is non-functional government in the face of a major crisis, because Congress includes a quorum of crazies and nobody trusts the White House an inch.
As a friend said last night, we?ve become a banana republic with nukes.

In most other countries around the world, the (non-functioning) government would fall, to be replaced. We, of course, are stuck with the political system that our Constitution constitutes. As it happens, one might argue that Bush has behaved with some degree of responsibility this time around, but, as Krugman says, "nobody trusts the White House an inch," for very, very good reason. So Bush clearly has to go, except that we can't do that, and, besides, no sane person would suggest replacing him with Cheney at this point.

I have no idea what "we" should be doing now. But I'm positive that the Constitution we have isn't helping us right now.

Full post as published by Balkinization on September 29, 2008 (boomark / email).