Comments on: From Republic to Empire

By: Alex Knapp

Alex Knapp — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:53:55 +0000

Charles,

I admit it was funnier before he apologized.

By: charles austin

charles austin — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:17:11 +0000

Bonus points for naming the person quoted. Also, please note: it’s cheating if you paste in into Google. Ed Whelan will find out about it.

Stay classy Alex.

By: ROB

ROB — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:11:06 +0000

Congressmen should have also put up more resistance when the talk of "czars" started, as well.

By: Brett

Brett — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:00:07 +0000

Blame Congress. The rise of regulatory bodies was probably inevitable, due to the rise of heavily integrated national (and even international) economies, plus the need for bureaucracy in order to regulate them. Congress could play a more pro-active role in choosing the appointed leadership, but they're lazy.

By: Alex Knapp

Alex Knapp — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:34:32 +0000

Herb,

Well done!

Dave,

I completely agree with you.

By: Dave Schuler

Dave Schuler — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:05:23 +0000

I think that the “decline of congress's…powers” is a poor choice of words since it mischaracterizes what has actually happened. Congress has engineered the decline in its own powers by inaction, acceptance of judicial and executive powers, and explicit delegation. Accountability is absolutely the last thing that Congressmen want.

Nowadays Congressmen pick their constituencies rather than constituencies electing Congressmen, are elected for life, and are granted large pensions on retirement. Taking responsibility would put all of that at risk.

By: Herb

Herb — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:20:56 +0000

And I was just guessing... Wow.

By: Herb

Herb — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:18:41 +0000

The author of the quote above: George Lucas!

No...my guess is Orwell. I'm googling now to see if I'm right.

By: Pete Burgess

Pete Burgess — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 11:08:17 +0000

Yes they have staffs and all sorts of "gophers." I know one personally. He was the "senior military advisor" to a senator. This young man had never served in the military and was 25 years old. He is a great student of history, though I could see him reading a limited scope of historical accounts due to his relatively young age. I am quite fond of him as he is my son in law, but providing advice to a senator on military matters 4 years out of college with no military experience? Politics is almost pure patronage. Like they say with computers, "garbage in, garbage out."

By: ROB

ROB — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 10:55:46 +0000

Correct me if I am wrong, but don't Congressmen have staffs and advisors? Don't they have the ability to call on subject matter experts if necessary?
IF they are too lazy, incompetent, overwhelemd, or too busy trying to get reeleceted, I hope that will be considered in the next election cycle, and we'll vote in people willing to make the effort.