Living through Another Cuba*


"end of days," the movie

Do you feel it too? That jittery apprehension which comes in the lead-up to war? If not, you’re probably not watching enough CSpan. Or, conversely - I’m watching far too much. In either case, the final countdown to launching the nuclear option is upon us… and it looks like it’s going to be the shits.

Last evening, the Center for American Progress presented an excellent panel discussion: Going Nuclear: The Threat to Our System of Checks and Balances. Video links here. If all this nuclear/constitutional option talk hasn’t already put the fear in you, these guys, including someone who has seen a lot of DC BS – Senator Robert Byrd, will.

The stakes: the permanent impairment of the Senate’s ability to fulfill its role in our constitutional system of checks and balances; giving the president virtually unchecked power to appoint whomever he pleases; protecting minority rights. Nah, nothing too important there.

A defining characteristic of the ruling party now is their utter disinterest in compromise. As one panel speaker said, the right wing of the Republican Party wants it their way all the time. The White House has no interest either in influencing a course correction towards compromise and away from wrecking the ship of state, heretofore ably steered by constitutional law, on a reef of partisan political agenda. They are all truly willing to mess with the foundations of our form of government.

It’s Un-American, plain and simple. It sucks. It has to change.

* Black Sea is the best XTC album.